ence to suffering is by no means a characteristic of the
New Mexican people--I should rather say of the females of that land--for
the men are brutal enough. As regards the former, the very opposite
character is theirs.

Their conduct would be unaccountable, therefore, but for the knowledge
of a fact which guided it on this occasion. They knew who the captive
girl was--they knew she was the sister of Carlos the cibolero--Carlos
_the murderer_! This it was that checked the flow of their bettor
feelings.

Against Carlos the popular indignation was strong. "Asesino", "ladron,"
"ingrato," were the terms used in speaking of him. A wretch! to have
murdered the good lieutenant--the favourite of the place; and for what
motive? Some paltry quarrel or jealousy! What motive, indeed? There
seemed no motive but a thirst of blood on the part of this "demonio,"
this "guero heretico." Ungrateful wretch, too, to have attempted the
life of the valiant Comandante--he who had been striving all he could to
recover the assassin's sister from the Indian savages!

And now he had actually succeeded! Only think of it! There she was,
brought safe home again by the agency of this very Comandante, who had
sent his captain and soldiers for her,--this very man whom he would have
killed! _Demonio! asesino! ladron_! They would all be glad to see him
seated in the chair of the "garrote." No "buen Catolico" would have
acted as he had done--no one but a sinful "heretico"--a blood-loving
"Americano"! How he would be punished _when caught_!

Such were the feelings of all the populace, except, perhaps, the poor
slaves--the _mansos_--and a very few Criollos, who, although not
approving of the acts of Carlos, held revolutionary principles, and
hated the Spanish _regime_ with all their hearts.

With such prejudice against the cibolero, no wonder that there was but
little sympathy for the forlorn creature, his sister:

That it _was_ his sister no one doubted, although there were few on the
spot who knew either. Up to the day of the fiesta her brother, now so
notorious, was but little known to the inhabitants of the town, which he
rarely visited--she less; and there were but few in the place who had
ever seen her before that hour. But the identity was unmistakeable.
The fair, golden hair, the white skin, the glowing red of the cheeks,
though common in other parts of the world, were rare characteristics in
North Mexico. The proclamation upon