"It's a ransom, boy,--a forfeit,--not a present," said he, gravely.

"Let us see if you can enforce it, then," said I, instinctively

"There, now, you're angry again!" said he, with his imperturbable smile;
"if we're to have a deal together, let us do it like gentlemen."

Now, probably a more ludicrous caricature of that character could not
have been drawn than either in the persons, the manners, or the subject
of the transaction in hand; but the word was talismanic, and no
sooner had he uttered it than I became amenable to his very slightest
suggestion.

"Let me have the beast,--I want him; and I see your holsters and
saddle-bags have a jingle in them that tells me dollars are plenty with
you; and as to this,"--he threw the piece of paper offering the reward
at his feet,--"the man who says anything about it will have to account
with Seth Chiselier, that's all."

"How far is it from this to Guajuaqualla?"

"About a hundred and twenty miles by the regular road; but there 's a
trail the miners follow makes it forty less. Not that I would advise
you to try that line; the runaway niggers and the half-breeds are always
loitering about there, and they 're over ready with the bowie-knife, if
tempted by a dollar or two."

Our conversation now took an easy, almost a friendly tone. Seth knew the
country and its inhabitants perfectly, and became freely communicative
in discussing them and all his dealings with them.

"Let us have a flask of 'Aguadente,'" said he, at last, "and then we 'll
join the fandango in the court beneath."

Both propositions were sufficiently to my taste; and by way of showing
that no trace of any ill-feeling lingered in my mind, I ordered an
excellent supper and two flasks of the best Amontillado.

Seth expanded, under the influence of the grape, into a most agreeable
companion. His personal adventures had been most numerous, and many of
them highly exciting; and although a certain Yankee suspiciousness of
every man and his motives tinged all he said, there was a hearty tone of
good-nature about him vastly different from what I had given him credit
for.

The Amontillado being discussed, Seth ordered some Mexican "Paquaretta,"
of delicious flavor, of which every glass seemed to inspire one with
brighter views of life; nor is it any wonder if my fancy converted the
rural belles of the courtyard into beauties of the first order.

The scene was a very picturesque one. A trellised passage, roofed
w