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In the midst of those conjectures, and while it still wanted some hours of midnight, the mulatto, whose eyes were bent down the ravine, was seen suddenly to start, and grasp his companion by the sleeve. "Look! yonder, boy Pepe! Yonder come guero!" The speaker pointed to a form approaching from the plain, and nearing the narrow part of the ravine.
"The guero!" muttered the mulatto; "be sure, boy Pepe." "Trust you for a guess, brother Man'l: you were right about the tracks we first fell in with. The cave's his hiding-place to a certainty. We'll have him sure when he comes back. Carrai! yonder he comes!" As the zambo spake, a tall dark form was perceived approaching down the ravine.
They knew something of the mettle of "el guero," but they trusted to the advantage they should obtain over him by stratagem. On starting out they had resolved to follow him up, and steal upon him when asleep and the plan which they had now formed had been the result of cogitations by the way. In Manuel's mind it had been developed long before the suggestion of the zambo.
By the moon gleaming upon it, they could make out the figure of a horse and rider. They had no longer any doubt it was their intended victim. "Brother Man'l," whispered the zambo, "suppose he passes near! why not bring down the horse? you can't miss in this fine light both of us can aim at the horse; if we stop him we'll easily overtake the guero."
Know that glade cunning place only see fire from two points. Ha! yonder horse!" The figure of a horse standing near the fire was plainly discernible under the light. "Dam!" continued the hunter; "guero bigger fool than thought 'im. Mighty God, see! believe 'im sleep yonder! him, sure!" As the mulatto uttered these words, he pointed to a dark form by the fire.
They had no fear of their tracks being discernible, even should the guero return by daylight, for the path lay over hard rock already marked by the hoofs of his own horse. For all that the mulatto was uneasy; and at intervals repeated half to himself, and half in the hearing of his companion "Dam! dog give trouble, sure give trouble dam!"
Not like Anton meet him at cave guero too sharp for that goes out to meet Anton, sure!" "Might we not track Anton?" "Might track Anton no good that would have to deal with both together. Besides, don't want kill Anton no ill-will to Anton make things worse if find Anton with him. Never do, boy Pepe have hands full with guero himself plenty do capture him.
"Do you know," continued he, striking on a new idea, "the padre don't like the guero family. That's evident from the hints he let drop to-night. We may get this fellow out of the way without much scandal, if the Church will only interfere. The padres can expel him at once from the settlement if they can only satisfy themselves that he is a `heretico. Is it not so?"
"How, brother Man'l? you think he'll not go far off?" "Sure of it. Guero not ride far nowhere to go soon trail 'im find 'im asleep crawl on 'im but for dog crawl on 'im sure." "If you think so, then I don't believe you need trouble yourself about the dog. If he lives twenty minutes after the stab I gave him, he's a tough brute, that's all.
"Asesino", "ladron," "ingrato," were the terms used in speaking of him. A wretch! to have murdered the good lieutenant the favourite of the place; and for what motive? Some paltry quarrel or jealousy! What motive, indeed? There seemed no motive but a thirst of blood on the part of this "demonio," this "guero heretico."
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