watches over her child, having only one desire-that of reaching the rancho as soon as possible, in order to give this stranger,

e gunshots of the rancho, he noticed some persons running towards him. Though he did not recognize them at first, his joy was great, for it was help arriving for him; and though he would assuredly have been unwilling to allow it, he recognized its extreme necessity for himself, a

him, he stopped and shouted to them with a joyous air, like

! You ought to have

adventurer asked in French. "What

I fancy. Don't you see that

bound, which brought him up to the young man'

ot be sorry to see in a good bed; of which, between ourselves, he has the greatest need: for

an expression of agony, grief, anger and regret, impossible to describe. His face, which had suddenly turned pale, assumed a cadaverous h

by the storm that agitated his heart; "Tha

zed at Oliver with amazement, not knowing

an-Heaven knows how-by my care: in spite of a thousand difficulties I succeed in bringing here this poo

nt; "You have committed a good action. I congratulate you on it, Do

ot understand you!" t

nful shrug of his shoulders. "You have acted according to your nature, without reflection or

; what do

know t

How should

now him, how is it that you are bringing h

, groaning like a bull in the death throes. What could I do? Did not humanity command me to suc

meet one of his fellow men in this cruel condition without assisting him." Then, suddenly changing his tone, and shrugging

ed to answer, but he

it. López will convey him to the cavern of the rancho, where he will nurse hi

ehend that possibly his heart had deceived him, and that he had too easily give

and had already disappeared in the cavern. Oliver and Dominique, standing face t

spoken wit

a few

id he t

talked to me about an attack t

that

or nea

ell you h

t ask him

have told y

sly from Veracruz and was proceeding to Mexico, when he was attack

ng else about his

not a

remained pensiv

"and do not take what I am go

ll hear anything you have the

member how we be

he streets of Mexico: you took pity on me, you clothed and fed me: not satisfied w

o

least the persons who brought me up, and whom, in de

what

that as well as I

but I wish you to

ed buffalo: at the end of two or three years, you caused me to be adopted by a Comanche tribe, and you left me, ordering

that you have a go

nks of the Río Gila, where I was at the time, and you told me that you had come to fetch me and that I must follow you.

ll retain the

e changed? You ar

re resolved to obey

sitation, I

Veracruz, it is not true that he is going to Mexico, and lastly it is not true that he was attacked and plundered by strangers. This man I know: he has been in Mexico for the last eight months, he lives in Puebla, he was condemned to death by men who had a right to try him and with whom he is pe

e young man, "thi

you have pledged

you mean

enses and was able to speak, impl

rue, Maste

hat did you

ult for me to abandon the poor fellow in the state h

ood; wha

I promised t

ing e

ll

ly promised

ledged m

gave a start

rselves seems rather doubtful; when he is in a good state of

ter Oliver,

, it is only

I do not at all

arn that you have not a lu

cau

and on whom you lavished such devot

h an astonishment mingled with doubt; "But I

ut be convinced that I am not dece

s str

but it is so: this man is ev

s to be

the most formidable of all, was dead: you took care to make me a liar. After all, perhaps it is better it shou

is your in

the greatest care of, but you will not see him again, as it is unnecessary for you to know any more about him at

, Master Oliver: but when he

find him again without difficulty when we want him: of course it is understood

will tell them so, for

t see him either; López alone

thing more t

to take you away wit

e we go

o to the rancho and prepare every

eady," he i

ot; have I not to give López

esides I must say go

er, as you will probabl

, we are going to h

turer said with an equivocal smile; "b

are. I will hunt in wh

come, we have lost to

too long in the desert to let the truth be drawn from his heart when he thought proper to conceal it. Under these circumstances, all the questions they showered on him were thrown away; he only answered by clever evasions, and at last his father and the two women, despairing of ma

Oliver reappeared. Dominique ro

g him with you

r a few days; we are going

sly; "you know that Juárez' gue

ced her; "we shall be prudent. I will bring you back a handke

not leaving us, Domini

ked gaily; "do not be alarmed, I w

good spirits. The latter then left the rancho, descended the mound, and found their horses, ready to be mounted, awaiting them, tied up to a liquidambar tree. After giving a last p

lands?" Dominique asked, while

only taking you a few miles off to a hacienda

re very little for

ll be very u

nt. I confess to you that I am

will be introduced is

t why do you talk in that mysterious w

whom you know, and for w

are you a

eo Ca

of the hacien

mse

we are going t

he majordomo a rendezvous, where he will

I shall be delighted to see Leo C

and trust," Oliver