eyes upon my horse, and would be sure to
steal it if I gave them the slightest chance.
Annoyed at this intelligence, I asked my
countryman what he thought it would be
best for me to do.

"Why," said he, " you have fallen in with
a bad set, and, if you want to keep your
horse, I should advise you to escape as soon
as possible."

After a little reflection, I resolved to start
at once, and made for the stable. There I
found the colonel again, most urgently talking
to the ostler, who only looked at me in a
rather impudent manner, when I told him to
bring out my horse, and paid me no further
attention. I therefore began to bridle for
myself.

"I say, captain! " said the colonel, coming
up to me alter a while, and tapping me on
the shoulder.

"Sir!"

"Come on, man! don't make a fool of
yourself! I want to buy that 'ere 'orse, captain!"

"Do you?"

Thank Heaven! I was in the saddle by
that time.

"Do I? Am I the man to be put out of
my way by one of these 'ere chawed up
Germans?"

He laid both his hands upon the bridle of
my horse. My blood generally boils at an
insulting word against my countrymen, especially
when I am far from home in foreign lands.
In a trice, the stick of the riding-whip came
down upon the colonel's head, whilst the
horse, urged to a powerful leap, threw him
ten yards away upon the ground. As I knew
very well that, according to the customs of the
country, this was a revolver affair now, and
as I had no wish to become entangled in
such business, I did not wait until the
colonel had picked himself up, but rode
forward without delay.

I was stopped by the waiter, whom I
heard calling after me, and who was out of
breath when he came up to me at last. The
honest fellow gave me a direction, which I
was afterwards glad to have followed. He
said that the colonel, though a coward, was a
most desperate villain, not at all likely to
give way so soon, but that the worst of the
whole set was that tall fellow, the major,
whom he suspected to have gone in search of
some of his companions. " You will be
chased by a couple of these rogues," he said,
"as sure as I am a Saxon! Let me advise
you. Follow your way up to the north until
you are out of sight, then do you turn back
to the south, as far as Jose Maria. At the
ravine south-east of that place turn to the
left, and, following the course of the brook,
ride for your life. Twenty miles up the
stream you will come to a settlement, called
the Wood Creek. Old Delamotte lives there,
and he's the man for you to trust."

I offered the waiter a few pieces of
money, but he would not take them; then a
hearty shake of the hand, and this he took
most cordially.

"Stop! " he said, when I had already set
spurs to my horse. He lifted up each of the
horse's legs, and looked carefully at the shoeing.
"All right," he said; "I thought the ostler
might have played you one of his tricks, but
he has not yet had time, I suppose. Now,
go ahead, and don't forget the Frenchman!"

I darted off.

It was eleven o'clock in the morning. I
had to make twenty miles to the ravine which
my countryman had pointed out to me. But
my horse was worthy of the colonel's
admiration; and, in spite not only of the roundabout
way I had taken in accordance with my
friend's advice, and half-an-hour's delay for
rest at Jose Maria, it was but five in the
evening when I reached this melancholy spot.

I stopped and looked about me. The
surrounding country was all barren and desolate,
the soil sterile. There was a wooden cross
erected on the spot of the murder, and
beneath it lay the mortal remains of the man
whom I had known in the full glow and joy
of youth.

A strange feeling made me linger in that
place. The little rivulet smoothly gliding
eastward showed me the way I was to go.
I could follow its course with my eyes to a
far distant forest, the high grass of the prairie
having burnt a track down, as it always does
at this time of year. Yet I still lingered.

The horse began to neigh softly, and to
prick up his ears. He was familiar with these
prairies, as I had bought him but a few
months ago at Little Rock, in Arkansas.
There was something the matter.

I listened, but heard absolutely nothing.
I alighted, and, pressing my ear to the
ground, listened again. The earth trembled
faintly with the tread of horses yet at a
long distance; but, when I mounted again,
I could hear the sound. It was rapidly
approaching from the direction of Jose
Maria, and, although the woods on that side
of me prevented me from seeing anything, I
had but little doubt who were the horsemen.
Now, colonels, majors, captains, let us see what
can be done! My horse gave such a sudden
and vigorous jump when I merely touched him,
with the whip, that I was almost thrown
from my seat. I lost my cap, and a gust of
wind threw it against that very mound by
which I had been bound to the ravine. To
pick it up would have been waste of time;
and, as I wished to be out of sight before rny
pursuers had set foot upon the prairie, I left
it and sped away, taking as straight a line as
possible in the direction of the distant forest,
to avoid the windings of the little brook, yet
without losing sight of it. In the brave
horse there was no slackening of pace; there
was no stumbling. I turned round three or
four times during my rapid course, but,
except a long thin cloud of dust and ashes,
raised by myself, I saw nothing whatever.