After a few daring raids into Old Mexico, with Segura, the “Kid” landed in La Mesilla, New Mexico.
Here he fell in with a wild young man by the name of Tom O’Keefe. Together, they started for the Pecos river to meet Jesse Evans and his companions.
Instead of taking the wagon road, the two venturesome boys cut across the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation, which took in most of the high Guadalupe range of mountains, which separates the Pecos and Rio Grande rivers.
First they rode into El Paso, Texas, and loaded a pack mule with provisions.
A few days out of El Paso, the boys ran out of water, and were puzzled as to which way to ride.
Finally a fresh Indian trail was found, evidently leading to water. It was followed to the mouth of a deep canyon. For fear of running into a trap, the “Kid” decided to take the canteen and go afoot, leaving his mount and the pack mule with O’Keefe, who was instructed to come to his rescue should he hear yelling and shooting.
A mile of cautious traveling brought the “Kid” to a cool spring of water. The ground was tramped hard with fresh pony and Indian tracks.
After filling the canteen, and drinking all the water he could hold, the “Kid” started down the canyon to join his companion.
He hadn’t gone far when Indians, afoot, began pouring out of the cliff to the right, which cut off his retreat down the canyon. There was nothing to do but return towards the spring, as fast as his legs could carry him.
The twenty half-naked braves were gaining on him, and shouting blood-curdling war-whoops.