How be you goin' to he'p it, onless you piles up shore-enough disgrace by desertin' them lancers of yours ?" "'"Which if we has the luck," says this Captain Edson, "to cross up with any Yanks who's capable of aimin' low an' shootin' half way troo, I'll find a way to dodge that goin' back without desertin'." "'No, I don't make no argyments with him; it's hopeless talkin' to a gent who's melancholly an' who's pride's been jarred; thar's nothing but time can fix things up for him.

An' I allers allows that this boy Captain would have emerged from the clouds eventooal, only it happens he don't get the time.

His chance comes too soon; an' he shore plays it desperate.
"'Our first offishul act after reachin' the Rio Grande is to lay for a passel of Yank cavalry--thar's two thousand of 'em I reckons.

We rides up on these yere lively persons as we sounds a halt for the evenin'.
It looks like our boogles is a summons, for they comes buttin' into view through a dry arroya an' out onto the wide green bottoms of the Rio Grande at the first call.

They're about a mile away, an' at sight of us they begins in a fashion of idle indifference to throw out a line of battle.