that Roblado had already assured him that his wound was not of
the slightest danger, and would heal in a couple of weeks.

Roblado had given him assurance of this by calling the doctor a fool,
and heaping upon him other opprobrious epithets. The delivery,
therefore, from the fear of apprehended death, as well as from the other
thought that was torturing him, had restored Vizcarra to a composure he
had not enjoyed for the twenty-four hours preceding; and he now began to
imbibe, to its full extent, another passion--that of vengeance against
the cibolero.

That night, after tattoo had sounded, and the soldiers had retired to
their respective quarters, a small mounted party was seen to issue from
the gateway of the Presidio, and take a road that led in the direction
of the mountains. The party consisted of three individuals. One,
closely wrapped, and mounted upon a mule, appeared to be a female. The
other two, oddly attired, and fantastically adorned with paint and
feathers, might have been taken for a brace of Indian warriors. But
they were not Indians. They were Spanish soldiers in Indian disguise.
They were Sergeant Gomez and the soldier Jose in charge of the
cibolero's sister.

CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT.

When Carlos reached the edge of the chapparal, his pursuers were still
only parting from the walls of the Presidio. Of course none followed
him on foot, and it had taken the men some time to get their arms and
horses ready. So far as he was concerned, he no longer feared pursuit,
and would have scorned to take a circuitous path. He had such
confidence in the steed he bestrode, that he knew he could escape before
the eyes of his pursuers, and need not have hidden himself in the
chapparal.

As he rode into the ambuscade he was thinking no longer of his own
safety, but of that of Don Juan and his party. Their critical situation
suddenly came before his mind. How were _they_ to escape?

Even before he had half crossed the open ground this thought had
troubled him more than his own peril, and a plan had been before him:--
to make direct for the pass of La Nina, and shun the chapparal
altogether. This would have drawn the dragoons in the same direct
course; and Don Juan, with his Tagnos, might have got off at their
leisure.

Carlos would have put this plan in execution, could he have trusted to
the prudence of Don Juan; but he feared to do so. The latter was
somewhat rash, and not over-sagacious. Seein