le thing was, that the soldiers themselves who had
taken part in the imaginary "fight" could not answer these questions.
Some said this, and some that. Many had heard the conversation between
Carlos and the officers; but that portion of the affair, though
perfectly natural in itself when taken in connexion with after
circumstances, only rendered the whole more complicated and mysterious!
The soldiers could give no explanation; and the people returned home, to
canvass and discuss the affair among themselves. Various versions were
in vogue. Some believed that the cibolero had come with the _bona fide_
desire to obtain help against the Indians--that those who accompanied
him were only a few Tagnos whom he had collected to aid in the pursuit--
and that the Comandante, having first promised to aid him, had
afterwards refused, and that this had led to the strange conduct of the
cibolero!

There was another hypothesis that gained more credit than this. It was
that Captain Roblado was the man whom the cibolero had desired to make a
victim; that he was guided against him by motives of jealousy; for the
conduct of Carlos on the day of the fiesta was well-known, and had been
much ridiculed--that, in failing to reach Roblado, he had quarrelled
with the Comandante, and so forth.

Improbable as was this conjecture, it had many supporters, in the
absence of the true motive for the conduct of the cibolero. There were
but four men within the Presidio to whom this was known, and only three
outside of it. By the general public it was not even suspected.

In one thing all agreed--in condemning Carlos the cibolero. The garotta
was too good for him; and when taken, they could all promise him ample
punishment. The very ingratitude of the act was magnified. It was but
the day before that these same officers had gone forth with their
valiant soldiers to do him a service! The man must have been mad! His
mother had no doubt bewitched him.

To have killed Lieutenant Garcia!--he who was such a favourite!
_Carrambo_!

This was true. Garcia was liked by the people of the settlement--
perhaps not so much from the possession of any peculiar virtues, but in
contrast with his superiors. He was an affable, harmless sort of
person, and had won general esteem.

That night the cibolero had not one friend in San Ildefonso. Nay, we
speak wrongly. He had _one_. There was one heart beating for him as
fondly as ever--Catalina's--but she, to