When I staggered to my feet, I was alone, sorely bruised and wounded, but master of the field.  I recovered my revolver, which lay at my feet and contrived to mount my horse, whose bridle had caught on the greasewood brush, and I headed for home.

Not long thereafter I met my friend Reyes, who was followed by a retinue of peons.  “Gracias a Dios.  Amigo!” he exclaimed, on seeing me.  “I came after your body, if it were to be found, and here you are alive.  When I heard the report of firearms and knowing that those devils had your weapon, I feared the worst.  How on earth did you manage to escape them?  Seeing you down and beset by the whole tribe, I gave you up for dead and fled.”

I told my friend that with God’s help and the phantom dog’s assistance I had beaten off my assailants, and I thought that the cacique had been sorely bitten by the dog.  Dona Josefita was very anxious and excited.  When she saw me coming, she cried, “The saints preserve us, oh here he is!  Mercy, how he looks, pobrecito! he is cut all to pieces.  Hurry, Reyes, bring him in here and lay him gently down.  Hombre, husband, coward! how couldst thou abandon thy friend who fought for thy honor, not fearing the death.  I wager that pale hussy, Jtz-Li-Cama, was, as usual, the cause of this strife between men!”

The kind lady then attended deftly and skillfully to the dressing of my wounds, applying soothing herbs and healing ointments, which tended to allay the fever, and she nursed me with the tenderest care, so that in a week’s time I was as well as ever, though not without a feeling of regret for my too speedy recovery.

Of course, there arose the rumor of a fierce battle between Americans and Indians.  To silence this silly talk and to avoid unpleasant complications, I surrendered myself to the alcalde of the precinct and accused myself of having disturbed the peace of the realm.  Pleading my case, I stated that as there was nobody but the peace disturbers involved, and as said parties did not make any further claim upon the Honorable Court, therefore, under the statute of the Territory and the Constitution of the United States, the law required that the court mulct the guilty parties in the payment of a nominal fine and discharge the culprits.  The Honorable Court decreed that I as an American ought to know the American law best, and discharged me after I paid my self-imposed fine.  The administering of justice in cases of importance was, of course, relegated to the United States Circuit Courts, but Uncle Sam did not care to meddle with the many troublesome alcaldes or justices of the peace, as he did not understand the Spanish language very well.  This was certainly humiliating and embarrassing, but who can blame him, as no one is over anxious to be rated an ignorant person.