At the break of day, on the next morning, the soldiers were up and preparing for their march.  The Indians had, on this morning, made fires, and even presented themselves to view on the mountains, but they were few in number, and it was well known that this was only a ruse to allure the white men to the wrong trail, while their families should have time to escape in the contrary direction; hence, but little notice was taken of these demonstrations.

Col.  Fauntleroy here determined to relieve himself of all drawbacks which should in the least tend to prevent his now giving full chase to the Indians.  Accordingly, he left his baggage and provision train under escort of the foot company and quartermaster men, the whole being placed under the command of Lieutenant Lloyd Beall, of the Second Regiment U.S.  Artillery, with instructions to meet him at an appointed rendezvous in the Wet Mountain Valley.  It required but a short search by his guide, Kit Carson, and his spies, to put him on the right trail taken by the main portion of the enemy.  When it was found, the pursuit was resumed and kept up vigorously.  Late and early, the soldiers followed on this trail, and although the Indians purposely led them over the worst conceivable routes, yet they gained nothing substantial by it.  On one occasion, when the men were pushing on as fast as possible, their advance guard surprised three Indians, one of them a woman, while they were leisurely watering their ponies.  These Indians attempted to fly, and succeeded in making a good run for about four miles, but, at the end of that distance, two of them were overtaken.  A Mexican, who was mounted on a very swift horse, was the first to come up with the savages.  He fired and brought the woman to the ground.  Quickly dismounting, he made a trophy of her scalp.  The other Indian, being arrested by a slight wound, was made a prisoner.  On questioning him, it was found that they all belonged to one family.  The man who had made his escape, was the husband of the woman who was killed, while the prisoner was her brother.  These Indians had heard nothing of the recent fight in the Saquachi Pass, and, had the soldiers dropped down from the heavens, they could not have been more surprised at thus unceremoniously meeting them.  It was very much regretted by those present that this Indian woman had lost her life; but, as she was dressed in the disguise of a man, her sex could not be recognized.  There are many of our readers who will perhaps censure this Mexican for his barbarous action of scalping a human being, but it must be remembered that the education of his people is different from our own.  The taking of Indian scalps for a long time has been authorized by the Mexican Government, as a means of lessening their savage enemies, and handsome premiums have been offered as an inducement to obtain them.  In the case of this Mexican, there were extenuating circumstances which, if they did not warrant such a cruel act, yet