noon
The men were busy in filling bed-sacks from the hay-stacks , and in repairing the cabins and articles of furniture . Ten head of beef cattle had been turned over to me with the other property of the camp . I had placed them in charge of a soldier , with orders to herd them in the valley immediately in front of the opening , where they could be plainly seen from the parade as well as the guard-house . At noon two Mexican hunters , father and son , rode up to my door , the former mounted on a mule and the latter on a burro , or donkey . The elder said their names were José and Manuel Cordova , of Cañoncito , that they were looking for deer , and would like permission to make the camp their place of rendezvous . I gave them permission to do so , and their animals were turned loose with our stock . About four o'clock in the afternoon the boy corporals and myself , tired with our work of repairing and arranging quarters , sat down to a lunch of broiled grouse .