ao                                 The Gold-Seekers.
" I accept, my lord, I accept ; do not ruin me."
" I was certain you would understand. Be off, scoundrel ; and if it is any con»
solation, know that you will be avenged on the colonel."
"Yes," the landlord muttered to himself, " but who will avenge me on you?
Thanks," he added aloud.
¦ Mind you, no treachery.'*
Saccaplata bowed, but made no reply. He understood that it would have been
better for him to remain at home, and allow matters to follow their course, without
seeking a problematic vengeance which cost him thirty gold ounces and an ear. On
reaching the meson he paid the rest of his ransom, and banging the door in the face
of the bandit who accompanied him, he sank on a bench, and overcome by so many
terrible emotions, fainted away.
CHAPTER IV.
THI   SARRANCA   DEL   MAL   PASO.
Thi rest of the night passed calmly and tranquilly, and nothing occurred to disturb
the iestenjoyed by the guests of the meson of San Juan. About four in the morning
the doors of the travellers' cuartos began to open one after the other, and lights
flashed in the patios.
Don Sebastian, after the suspicions Don Cornelio had suggested to him, did not at
all wish, as he had a young lady with him, to start before sunrise, especially as he
had to traverse the gorge we have already described, and where it would be easy to
form an ambuscade.
By the sunlight he had a better chance, for two reasons : in the first place, the
servants who ace mpai.ied him were old soldiers, accustomed to war, and greatly
attached to him; the second was, that the Mexican brigands are usually great
cowards, and whenever they meet with any serious resistance, immediately give up
the game.
These two reasons, and, before all, the fear of alarming his daughter, and use-
lessly exposing her to danger during the darkness, obliged the colonel to let all the
other travellers start before him.
The Senor Saccaplata, with pallid face, compressed eyebrows, and head
bandaged up, was walking up and down the patio, with his arms behind his
back, every now and then raising his eyes angrily to the colonel's window, and
growling in a low voice,—
" Body and bones! will not that trumpery colonel make up his mind to start
soon, if he is so ready to give the bastinado to poor folk ? But let him do
what he will, he will not escape the fafe t: at awaits him."
At this moment a young man appeared in the patio, strumming a guitar, and
singing in a low voice,—