lse Matlacuezc--. Senor Don Cornelio, you
will be good enough to wait for us here. We have important matters on
hand, and need to be alone."

At this moment, however, a new incident arose to interrupt the designs
of Costal. Five horsemen, and a _litera_ carried by mules, appeared
suddenly in the open ground by the edge of the wood. It was Don Mariano
with his domestics.

Having heard Don Cornelio pronounce the well-known names of two of his
old servitors, the haciendado had advanced in the direction whence the
voice proceeded, full of hope in this unexpected succour which heaven
seemed to have sent to him. He had seen the party of brigands as they
rode past with the torches; and his people had easily recognised their
old fellow-servants, Arroyo and Bocardo. It was a relief to know that
two more faithful than they--Costal and Clara--were in the same
neighbourhood. He advanced, therefore, calling them by name, while he
also pronounced the name of Lantejas--asking if it were the Don Cornelio
Lantejas who had once been his guest at the hacienda of Las Palmas.

"Yes; certainly I am the same," replied the Captain, agreeably surprised
at thus finding himself among friends in a place which, up to that
moment, had appeared to him so melancholy and desolate.

Before any conversation could take place between Don Cornelio and his
former host, an incident of a still more thrilling character was to be
enacted on the scene. From behind the belt of the cedrela forest--into
which Arroyo and his followers had ridden but a few minutes before--six
horsemen were seen debouching at full gallop, as if riding for their
lives; while close upon their heels came six others, who appeared
straining after them in eager pursuit!

For a moment the six in front seemed to waver in their course--as if
undecided as to what direction they should take. Only for a moment,
however, and then heading their horses along the shore of the lake, they
pressed on in wildest flight. Galloping at such a rapid pace they
appeared not to see either the party of Don Mariano or Don Cornelio and
his two followers--who on their part had scarce time to draw back into
the bushes, ere the horsemen went sweeping past the spot like a cloud of
dust.

Despite the rapidity of their course, however, the keen eye of Costal
enabled him to distinguish among the horsemen two of his old
fellow-servants of Las Palmas--Arroyo and Bocardo.

"We are on dangerous ground here,