h three or four opportunities offered for him to
do so without detection.

A few days later I had a still greater surprise than the mystery of the
envoy to Mexico. It came in the form of an invitation for the Lieutenant
and myself to dine at Don Pedro's. Hope, ever unquenchable in the heart
of a lover, told me that the don had repented of his harsh patriotism
and was thinking to save his niece from a fate worse than death. Never
was a lover more bitterly disappointed! Don Pedro and Dona Marguerite
received us with the most suave and cordial hospitality--but Alisanda
did not appear.

In answer to the Lieutenant's inquiries, Dona Marguerite explained, with
affected regret, that Senorita Alisanda was indisposed, and so could not
join us. I needed no more to assure me that the dear girl was under
restraint. What I could not understand was why I should have been
invited to dine.

The nearest I could come to an explanation was a repeated assurance from
Don Pedro that he and his friends were doing their utmost to persuade
Salcedo that it would be advisable to hurry me out of the country with
my fellow members of the expedition. This I took as an intimation that
our host still regarded me as a friend, but that the sooner I was sent
away from Chihuahua the more pleased he would be. When we left, shortly
before the beginning of the siesta, I had not been favored with so much
as a glimpse of my lady, nor even of Chita.

That evening we went to bid farewell to Colonel Mayron, who had been
ordered to a command in Sonora. Dona Dolores had no word for me other
than her assurance that I might rely upon the constancy of Alisanda. Of
that I was already certain, yet it pleased me to receive the
confirmation of the fact from her true friend.

On the other hand, I experienced a kind of savage joy when Malgares took
occasion to draw me aside and warn me that Medina was looking for the
first opportunity to force a duel. I made no other reply than to request
that every effort be made to keep Pike in ignorance of my private
troubles, and to ask Malgares to act as my second.

Being at such a disadvantage with the Government, I thought it as well
to refrain from explaining that Medina would not need to force me very
hard to reach an issue. Also I feared that a display of eagerness on my
part might cause even so noted a duellist as the aide to hesitate, and I
had become desperately desirous to break the blockade of events.

Medina did not