omen.

"Keep still, everybody!" shouted the sergeant. "Shoot any one who
moves!"

In spite of this blustering command, Ibarra arose and approached the
sergeant. "What do you want?" he asked.

"That you deliver to us at once a criminal named Elias, who was your
pilot this morning," was the threatening reply.

"A criminal--the pilot? You must be mistaken," answered Ibarra.

"No, sir, this Elias has just been accused of putting his hand on
a priest--"

"Oh, was that the pilot?"

"The very same, according to reports. You admit persons of bad
character into your fiestas, Senor Ibarra."

Ibarra looked him over from head to foot and replied with great
disdain, "I don't have to give you an account of my actions! At our
fiestas all are welcome. Had you yourself come, you would have found
a place at our table, just as did your alferez, who was with us a
couple of hours ago." With this he turned his back.

The sergeant gnawed at the ends of his mustache but, considering
himself the weaker party, ordered the soldiers to institute a search,
especially among the trees, for the pilot, a description of whom he
carried on a piece of paper.

Don Filipo said to him, "Notice that this description fits nine tenths
of the natives. Don't make any false move!"

After a time the soldiers returned with the report that they
had been unable to see either banka or man that could be called
suspicious-looking, so the sergeant muttered a few words and went
away as he had come--in the manner of the Civil Guard!

The merriment was little by little restored, amid questions and
comments.

"So that's the Elias who threw the alferez into the mudhole," said
Leon thoughtfully.

"How did that happen? How was it?" asked some of the more curious.

"They say that on a very rainy day in September the alferez met a man
who was carrying a bundle of firewood. The road was very muddy and
there was only a narrow path at the side, wide enough for but one
person. They say that the alferez, instead of reining in his pony,
put spurs to it, at the same time calling to the man to get out
of the way. It seemed that this man, on account of the heavy load
he was carrying on his shoulder, had little relish for going back
nor did he want to be swallowed up in the mud, so he continued on
his way forward. The alferez in irritation tried to knock him down,
but he snatched a piece of wood from his bundle and struck the pony
on the head with such great force that