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Hall Jackson Kelley 113

though they had no power of action. A gun in the hands of a foreigner appears terrible to Mexican robbers, and they may have been intimidated by mine, and have thought it a less risk of life to capture me in some other place. I was not much frightened, but, thinking myself in an unsafe place, hastened to get out of it. I soon reached the foot of the mountain and a cluster of cabins (three I recollect), and there saw the five identical men whom I had just passed, still on their horses. I was ordered to dismount. The animals were stripped of their burdens and led to some place where I supposed they were supplied with provender. There were four women, but no children or young persons. With a good deal of presence of mind I made my conversation agreeable to them, spoke of my lonely travels, of robberies and of the loss of my money ; and made them presents, hair combs and scissors, which they seemed to think of great value. In return they gave me food — a bountiful supply of tortilles. Early in the evening they con- ducted me to the place of my lodging. ... I was comfort- able, and slept quietly and safely through the night The women had doubtless induced the men to change their pro- gramme of proceedings from a merciless to a more himiane one — ^to go on with me, and on the way, at some place of ambush, take possession of the mules and their cargoes, and let me go. In the morning I saw the men again on their horses leave the place. Soon after, the treacherous guide brought for- ward and made ready the animals and left with me. At the end of three or four leagues, in a lonely place, the conductor, who had appeared so honest and so much a friend, stopped the largest of the mules, the leading one of them, the one laden with the most valuable and bulky portion of the property, under pretense of adjusting the fastenings of the toad, and said to me, *Go on.' I did so, driving the other mule, then before me. After proceeding a few rods, and looking back, lo, both the mule and driver were missing. They had gone back behind somt, clumps of bushes near the roadside. Moving on some hundred or more rods, and leaving the mule near a lonely