"'"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. They fights on foot, them bloo folks do; dismounting with
every fourth man to hold the hosses. They displays a heap of insolence
for nothin' but cavalry an' no big guns; but as they fights like
infantry an' is armed with Spencer seven-shooters besides, the play
ain't so owdacious neither.

"'Thar's mebby a hour of sun an' I'm feelin' mighty surly as I gets my
battery into line. I'm disgusted to think we've got to fight for our
night's camp, an' swearin' to myse'f in a low tone, so's not to set
profane examples to my men, at the idee that these yere Yanks is that
preecip'tate they can't wait till mornin' for their war-jig. But I
can't he'p myse'f. That proverb about it takin' two to make a fight is