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It was to my enemies you first ran, though my blood was spilling; all your fears appeared to be for Don Estevan." "God knows that I do not deserve this reproach," said the young girl, as with a look of terror she saw the blood streaming to the ground. At the same instant she advanced to examine the wound. Tiburcio repulsed her by stepping backward.
No former expedition had penetrated so far into the desert as had this one, under the guidance of its skillful chief. The responsibility which weighed upon Don Estevan would of itself have been enough to account for the clouds upon his brow; but perhaps he thought more of the past than of the present or the future.
Fabian, his clothes torn to pieces by the brambles, and his face so transformed by fury as to be scarcely recognisable, rushed forward in his blind rage to cross the river. But his horse reared violently and refused to proceed. "Fire on him!" cried Don Estevan, "or the madman will derange all our plans. Fire, I tell you!"
While Don Estevan was entertaining his host with some account of what had happened on their journey, the Senator appeared to have eyes only for the beautiful Rosarita upon whom he was not slow in lavishing a string of empty compliments.
One of them returned, but the crew of the other, instigated by the traitor Estevan Gomez, finding themselves away from the Admiral, rose on their captain and officers, and, confining them below, insisted on returning homewards. In vain the Admiral looked out, expecting her to rejoin him.
Don Estevan now mounted his horse, and the two set off in, the direction of the mountains. While the Indians, united in council, were deliberating on the means of attacking the camp of the gold-seekers, let us see how the three men on the island were occupied. It was about four o'clock, and the fog was beginning to rise slowly from the water.
"There!" cried he, "I see a man approaching at full gallop: it is Gayferos or Cuchillo?" "Pray God it be the latter," said Don Estevan. "I prefer having him near rather than far from my sight." "I think I recognise his grey horse." In a minute, indeed, they recognised Cuchillo himself.
However, at the expiration of six months, it was determined to put an end to the uncertainty by sending to the Presidio for information concerning the expedition commanded by Don Estevan. It was the last respite that poor Rosarita had ventured to demand.
He was accompanied by his two sons, Dom Estevan and Dom Paulo da Gama, on board the Saint Catarina, with numerous officials, and everything calculated to maintain his state, besides a guard of two hundred men with gilt pikes, clothed with his livery. He kept also a magnificent table, at which all his officers dined with him.
The first impulse of Rosarita was to fling herself into the arms of the young man so daring and beautiful. She was restrained only from following this impulse, by a feeling of feminine delicacy; and for an instant Tiburcio seemed the one about whom she was least concerned. "Oh! my God!" cried she, "are you wounded? Don Estevan? Senor Cuchillo?
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