last night for Zalapata to meet him, and she is impatient over the
delay. You must be sure she will hasten to obey the request."

Captain Navarro was not wholly free from misgiving.

"I can understand that the General may have reasons of his own for not
coming himself for the Senorita, but I do not understand why her
brother does not hasten to her."

"Heard you not that he was ill with fever and needs his sister to
nurse him?"

For the first time in the interview the Captain laughed.

"I beg you, Martella, not to hint to the General how stupid I was."

"Be assured I shall not. You know how many things we see which we must
not see, and of late I have had many chances to view such things on
the gunboat. I shall say to the General that you were as prompt and
obedient as you always are to do his bidding, and that he has no
better officer in his army than you."

"And you shall not be forgotten, Martella; I will order the horse
saddled for the Senorita."

Each minute added to the tension of the situation. Martella did not
doubt that General Yozarro was on the way to the Castle, and more than
likely was quite near. He was likely to arrive at any moment. He
glanced stealthily around, determined, if he saw him or any of his
escort, to make a break for it, with the chances a hundred to one
against saving his neck.

Every nerve was tugging for haste, yet the first sign of impatience
would ruin everything. He wished inexpressibly that the young woman
should appear and that they could start at once without waiting for
the pony. But that, from the nature of the circumstances, could not
be. With superb coolness and courage, he said:

"While the horse is preparing, I will go and ask her to make ready; I
hope," he added with a light laugh, "that she will not ask too many
questions. Where shall I find her?"

"The room of the Senoritas is in the second story facing the north; a
light is burning within."

Without any injunction to the Captain to make haste, Martella
saluted, and walked deliberately into the building, where no questions
were asked, since he had been seen in converse with the officer and no
one doubted that he came direct from General Yozarro.

Suppose, what was quite likely, that suspicion should again enter
the brain of the Captain, when he gained time to think over the
extraordinary situation? Suppose, what was also likely, that General
Yozarro should arrive while the bogus messenger was inside the Castle?