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But before night's darkness is altogether on they see a mounted troop, filing by twos, out from among the toldos, with lances carried aloft, and pennons floating over their heads surely the cuarteleros. There is just light enough left to show two men in the lead, dressed differently from these following.
For such they really are the cuarteleros of Paraguay, with Rufino Valdez riding at their head; not as their commanding officer, but in the exercise of his more proper and special calling of vaqueano, or guide.
By chance, Kaolin himself has a special dislike for the vaqueano Valdez; while as to the others, despite the restored treaty forced upon them by Aguara, their friendship has not been restored with it; and they urge their horses forward, burning for an encounter with the cuarteleros of Paraguay.
In soliloquy he has himself declared it: hastening to communicate news which he knows will be welcome to the Paraguayan tyrant, and afterwards return to Halberger's estancia with a party of those hireling soldiers quaintly termed cuarteleros from their living in barracks, or cuartels.
The first, as can be seen at a glance, is the pursuing party of Tovas youths led by Aguara; while the sun shining upon gilt buttons, with the glittering of lance blades and barrels of guns, tells the other to be a troop of soldiers, beyond doubt the looked for cuarteleros!
But Caspar thinks otherwise; deeming it still unsafe, and pointing out the danger of their being called to account for what they were not guilty of the slaughter of the cuarteleros in the defile.
The scared cuarteleros stay for no more; but, with a cry of treason, turn their horses' heads, and hurry back down the ravine. Nor stop they at the tolderia; but still under the belief of having been betrayed, continue their retreat down the river, and on toward Paraguay, leaving over a dozen of them dead in that dark defile. As for the followers of Aguara, they make no show of fight.
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