"And suppose I refuse?"

"You will not do so,"

"For what reason?"

"Because you are furious with me, and hope to avenge yourself some day."

"Excellently reasoned; but supposing I _do_ refuse?"

"In that case, I will treat you and yours exactly as you intended to treat me and mine."

"That is to say?"

"You will be all shot within a quarter of an hour."

There was a mournful silence. No other sound could be heard but the dry and monotonous one produced by the escapement of the clock. These men, collected without seeing each other, in so narrow a s.p.a.ce, felt their hearts beat as if to burst their chests; they trembled with impotent rage, for they recognised that they were really in the hands of an implacable foe, against whom any struggle was mad, if not impossible.

"Viva Dios!" the Colonel shouted; "better to die than surrender thus!"

And he rushed forward with uplifted sabre. Suddenly a hand of iron clutched him, threw him down, and he felt the point of his own sword, which he had let fall, slightly p.r.i.c.k his throat.

"Surrender, or you are a dead man," a rough voice shouted in his ear.

"No; mil Demonios!" the Colonel said, furiously; "I will not surrender to a bandit; kill me."

"Stop," the Jaguar said, "I insist."

The man who held the Colonel down left him at liberty, and the latter rose, ashamed and partly stunned.

"Well," the young man continued, "do you accept, General?"

"Yes, demon," the latter replied pa.s.sionately; "but I shall revenge myself."

"Then, you give me your word as a soldier that the conditions I impose on you will be legally carried out by you?"

"I give it; but who guarantees me that you will act honourably on your side?"

"My honour, Senor General," the Jaguar answered, proudly; "my honour, which, as you know, is as unsullied as your own."

"Very good, Senor, I trust to you as you do to me. Must we surrender our swords?"

"General," the Jaguar answered n.o.bly, "a brave soldier never separates from his weapons; I should blush to deprive you of yours. Your companions, like yourself, can keep their swords."

"Thanks for that courtesy, Caballero, for it proves to me that every good feeling is not dead in your heart. Now I am waiting for you to supply me with the means for leaving the place into which you made me fall so skilfully."

"You shall be satisfied, Senor General. As for you, Colonel, you can retire, for the door is now open."

"Not before I have seen you," the officer answered.

"What good would that do, since you have not recognised me?" the young man said, rea.s.suming his natural voice.

"The Jaguar!" the Colonel e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed in surprise.

"Ah! I might have expected that; I shall certainly remain now," he added, with a singular inflection in his voice.

"Very good," said the Chief, "remain."

He clapped his hands, and four peons entered with lighted candelabra. So soon as the saloon was lit up, the young officer perceived the General and his aides-de-camp standing up in the vault. A criado brought a ladder to the trap, and the Mexicans ascended--half-pleased, half-ashamed.

"Gentlemen," the insurgent continued, "you are free. Any other in my place would, doubtless, have profited by the bad position in which you were, to impose on you conditions far harder than those I demanded of you; but I only understand a fair fight, steel against steel, chest against chest. Go in peace, but take care, for hostilities have begun between us, and the war will be rude."

"One word before separating," said the General.

"I listen, Caballero."

"Whatever may be the circ.u.mstances under which we may meet at a later date, I shall not forget your conduct of this day."

"I dispense you from any grat.i.tude on that account, General; the more so, because if I acted thus it was for reasons entirely strange to you."

"Whatever be the motive of your conduct, my honour urges me to remember your conduct."

"As you please; I only ask you to remember our conditions."

"They shall be punctually carried out."

The Jaguar, upon this, bowed to the General; the latter returned his salute, and, making a sign to his officers to follow him, left the room. The young Chief listened attentively to the sound of the retiring footsteps, and then drew himself up.

"What!" he exclaimed with surprise, on perceiving the Colonel, "are you still here, Senor Don Juan?"

"Yes, brother," the latter answered, in a sad voice, "I am still here."

The Jaguar walked rapidly up to him, and took his hand.

"What have you to say to me, brother?--have you a fresh misfortune to announce?"

"Alas, friend, what greater misfortune could I tell you of than that which, by ruining our dearest hopes, has plunged us into despair?"

"Have you received news of our friends?"

"None."

"Tranquil?"

"I know not what has become of him."

"Loyal Heart?"

"Has also disappeared."