“While there, my attention was called to one of the warriors, a tall, well-proportioned and very dignified Indian, about forty years of age.  He weighed nearly two hundred pounds, and, with his broad shoulders, deep chest, and splendid muscle, was one of the finest-formed men I ever saw, as well as one of the ugliest; for his face was certainly the most hideous I ever beheld, being terribly disfigured by a broad, livid scar, that extended from the corner of his mouth to his ear.  Notwithstanding this, the fellow was a great dandy, spending many hours each day in greasing and arranging his long coarse hair, which he ornamented with plates of silver, bits of gaudy-colored cloth, bright feathers, and tinsel.  Every hair was scrupulously plucked from his brows and eyelashes, and the lids of his eyes were painted a bright vermilion, giving to his face the expression of a demon rather than anything human.

“That he was hideously ugly, and never known to smile, were two indisputable facts; while it was equally sure that there was no greater favorite with the Apache belles, no braver warrior, more sagacious counselor, mighty hunter, or expert thief in the whole tribe.

“I learned that his name was Cadette, and that he obtained it in the following manner:—­

“Upon the headwaters of the Rio Gila, in Arizona, is a vast forest, that has been the hunting-ground, as well as the home of the Apaches for centuries.  Here they have never been disturbed by the visits of the ‘White Eyes,’ as they term all Americans.

“Occasionally a party of hardy prospectors, lured by reports of fabulous quantities of gold and silver in the possession of these Indians, would venture within the gloomy recesses of this unexplored region; but few of them ever returned.

“One day, while passing near the banks of the river, Cadette discovered the footprints of a very large lion in the sand.  Though armed with no weapon but his spear, he at once determined to follow the trail.  This he decided, after a careful examination, to have been made some four hours previous, in the early morning.  It led towards a dense jungle, some two or three miles down the river, which he concluded was the creature’s lair.

“As he drew near the thicket, he dismounted from his pony and approached the jungle with great caution.  At this place, the river was quite narrow and very deep, and upon its bank stood a large cedar, whose wide, spreading branches, extending far over the stream, afforded him an excellent opportunity to examine the interior of the thicket.

“Into this tree the Indian climbed, and crawled out upon a large limb directly over the river, which he fancied would enable him to obtain a view of the supposed lair.

“While he was peering into the jungle, he became suddenly conscious of a movement in the thick branches over his head.  Looking up, he discovered, lying upon a large limb about ten feet above him, a panther.  The animal was preparing to spring; and, in an instant, like a flash, it sprang towards him.