rpion, of which, truth to tell, there were
enough and to spare in and about Chihuahua.

The Lieutenant returned much sooner than I had expected. He had been
informed that His Excellency was closeted with Father Rocus, and could
see no callers. This he took as an unfavorable indication of Salcedo's
temper, until I assured him I had reason to believe that the padre was a
friend and had called on the Governor-General in our behalf. The
confirmation came during the afternoon in the form of a polite message,
brought by Walker, requesting Pike to call at the _palacio_ that evening
without ceremony.

When he returned, it was with the news that all was settled except as to
myself. The papers of the expedition were to be held, but Pike and the
six men with him were to march for Natchitoches in three or four days,
to be followed shortly by the detachment under Sergeant Meek, which all
this time had been carefully held back somewhere on the El Paso road.
The Lieutenant was inclined to be anxious over my fate, but I could not
but trust to the good offices of Father Rocus.

He met the padre at Salcedo's table the following noon, and answered in
his usual fearless manner the adroit questions put to him by His
Reverence. This, I believe, must have proved the last straw to the
Governor-General, for that evening, while we were visiting Malgares,
Walker brought word that I was free to accompany Pike. In his
excitement, he spoke of the padre's cleverness in mollifying His
Excellency over the death of Medina, but Malgares averted a disclosure
of my share in the affair by the laconic statement to Pike that he had
killed the aide during a duel.

Such a happy termination of the affair would have given me great
satisfaction had I not been distressed over my failure to hear a word
either of or from Alisanda. Even Dona Dolores was still refused
admittance to her.

This was on a Sunday. Monday we spent in our preparations for marching.
I had need of all the diversion I could find, to keep down the maddening
thought that I should have to go without seeing my lady. In my despair I
called upon Father Rocus, who counselled patience, and promised to do
what he could to obtain for me a last meeting. But he warned me that
even should he succeed, I could expect to see her only in the presence
of the family. I begged him to give me some hope for the future. But he
shook his head.

"_Sabe Dios!--Quien sabe?_" he said. "All that I can now say is that