oyo
is cursed, without that of Bocardo being mixed up in the malediction."

"Ah, there are too many lying tongues in this world!"

"Besides," continued the brigand, returning to the subject of Madame
Arroyo, "I have another good reason for wishing that no harm should come
to my wife. She is in possession of a scapulary, blessed by the Pope of
Rome; which has the wonderful power of causing the husband of whatever
woman may carry it to die at the same time that his wife does."

"Oh!" rejoined Bocardo in a tone of repudiation, "I did not mean that
you should kill the Senora Arroyo--nothing of the kind. My idea is that
she should be sent to a convent of penitents, where she might occupy her
time in praying for the salvation of her soul, as well as that of her
husband. Then replace her by a pretty young damsel, with eyes and hair
as black as night, lips as red as the flowers of the grenadine, and skin
as white as the _floripondio_. Now you can tell what for the last
half-hour I have been killing myself to make you comprehend."

"And do you know of such a pretty young damsel?" inquired Arroyo after
an interval of silence, which proved that the arguments of his associate
were not lost upon him.

"Of course I do, and so do you as well--one that you could lay your
hands on at any moment."

"Where?"

"Where? At the hacienda of San Carlos. Where else should she be?"

"You mean the Dona Marianita de Silva?"

"Precisely so."

"_Mil demonios, camarado_! Do you intend us to save every hacienda in
the country? Of course it is for the sake of pillaging the house, that
you wish me to possess myself of its mistress?"

"The owner of San Carlos is a Spaniard," rejoined Bocardo, without
making any direct reply to the insinuation of his associate. "It would
surely be no great crime to take either the wife or property of a
_Gachupino_."

"Hold, _amigo_! that Gachupino is as great a friend to the insurgent
cause as you or I. He has furnished us with provisions, and--"

"True; but he does it out of pure fear. How can you suppose that any
one is a true insurgent, who has chests filled with bags of dollars,
drawers crammed with silver plate, and besides," added Bocardo to
conceal his true designs, "such a pretty young wife by his side. Bah!
we were fools that we did not also take Don Mariano's two daughters from
him, at the same time that we disembarrassed him of his plate. We
should have been better off now, and I too