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It was rash to take things for granted, but he thought he had been made the subject of three experiments. Somebody had put a gold onza in the Indian jar; Olsen had tried to find out if he was ambitious; and the girl in the alameda meant to learn if he could be moved by beauty.
"Well, I am lucky, because I may need friends soon." He got up and when he went down the long arcade Adam looked at Kit with a smile. "When I was your age I wouldn't have taken the onza back. I'd have kept the money and my faith with the president; in fact, in those days, I kept anything I could get. Now the other fellow knows what you're like, I reckon he'll find the owner of the coin."
"Malraya! he won't trouble us any more." "Why think that, boy Pepe?" "Why, brother Man'l! because I had my blade into him. He'll not limp much farther, I warrant." "Dam! wish could think so if could think so, give double onza. But for dog have guero now. But for dog, get guero before sun up. Stop soon don't suspect us yet don't suspect hound stop, I say. By mighty God sure!"
To attempt a similar visit would lead to similar chagrin, perhaps worse. It was plain the girl did not care for him, with all his fine feathers and exalted position. He saw that she was very different from the others with whom he had had dealings different from the dark-eyed doncellas of the valley, most of whom, if not all, would have taken his onza without a word or a blush!
"Well," he said, "I think I'd have kept the onza, whether it was mine or not." He paused and pulled a knife from its sheath. The handle was ornamented and the narrow blade glittered in the light, although its point was dull. "But what is this? Has it a story?" "Take care!" said Kit "It may be poisoned; the Meztisos use a stuff that will kill you if a very small quantity gets into your blood.
They were really awed by the terrible fate which they believed awaited the reckless cibolero. A voice, however, answered him: "Twenty onzas, Carlos, for any other purpose. But I cannot encourage this mad project." It was the young ranchero, his former backer, who spoke. "Thank you, Don Juan," replied the cibolero. "I know you would lend them. Thank you all the same. Do not fear! I'll win the onza.
He had been trained to track slowly in the night, and also to be silent about it, so that the "bay" peculiar to his race was not heard. It was two hours, full time, before they came in sight of the grove where the cibolero had halted. The moment the mulatto saw the timber, he pointed to it, muttering to his companion: "See, boy Pepe! dog make for island see! Bet onza guero there. Dam! there sure!"
"The man doesn't draw breath who will do it," he proclaimed to Charles, at the entrance to the Valla de Gallo. "It's a superstition, but I'd back it with my last onza of gold. I've seen it in you very lately, but give it up. Or don't give it up. Either way you are unimportant. I can't understand why you are still here, why I permit you to live.
"An onza we were both on the same errand!" challenged the padre. "I won't bet, father; you always win." "Come! you'd be glad to give an onza for my news." "What news? what news?" asked the officers at once, and with hurried impatience of manner. "Another cup of Bordeos, or I choke! The dust of that road is worse than purgatory. Ah! this is a relief."
The kind of coin some countries mint but very seldom use. Something of a bargain!" "I suppose it was," Kit replied incautiously. "For all that, the onza wasn't mine, and in a sense my efforts to find the owner cost me a very large sum." Gerald gave him a keen glance. Askew was not boasting; he had enjoyed the command of money.
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