I dismounted, untied the blankets from behind my saddle, threw them down near the fire on which they were cooking supper, but did not unsaddle my mare.  I was riding Black Bess, and one of them got up and walked around her and examined her closely, and when he returned to the fire he said:  “Esta ismo muya wano cavia,” meaning that is a good horse.  Another one in the crowd said he had in his pocket just ten pairs of ears that he had taken from the heads of Yankees, and this would make the eleventh pair.  Now I thought my time had come, but I had been in tight places before and had always managed in some way to get out.

While it looked very blue, still I made up my mind that when it came to the worst I would get at least one or two of them while they were doing me up.  I did not pretend to pay any attention to their conversation, yet at the same time I could understand all that was uttered by them.  I learned that there were ten in the gang, and the other seven had gone that night to the settlement for the purpose of stealing horses, and were liable to return at any time.  While I was lying there on my blankets I heard them lay their plans to kill me in case I went to sleep, or if I got up and started to my horse they were to shoot me before I got away.  Now the reader can rest assured that this was getting to be a serious affair with me, for I knew that these Mexicans could handle a pistol with good success, while they are as a rule experts with a knife, the latter being a Mexican stand-by.  This was a little the closest place that I had ever been in.  If I attempted to leave they would kill me as sure as I made the start; if I stayed there until the other seven returned, then I would not have a ghost of a show for my life.

I laid there by the fire as though I was worn out entirely, listening to their talk, and more than once heard the big rough-looking Mexican boast of a pair of Yankee ears that he would take from my head.

Their supper being ready, they sat down to eat, but did not invite me to sup with them.  They all three ate out of the same frying pan and poured their coffee out in tin cups.  Two of them had their backs turned toward me, while the other one sat on the opposite side of the frying pan that they were eating out of and facing me, but they were paying but little attention to me.  Black Bess was feeding close by and on the opposite side of them from where I lay.  Now I made up my mind that I would make a desperate effort to extricate myself from this trap, for to stay there I knew meant death and I would rather take my chances with those three than with the entire gang.  They were all sitting flat on the ground, each had a pistol on him and their guns all lay within a few feet of them.  My only show for escape was to kill two of them at the first shot and then I would have an equal show with the other one, but now was the particular part of the work.  Just one false move and the jig was up with me, but it was getting