he had recently
made, was yet at least as useful in extricating him from a dangerous
position.

"_Picaro!_" shouted one of the Zambos, whose machete had harmlessly
stabbed the air, instead of piercing, as was intended, Don Manuel's heart.

"_Maldito Gachupin!_" cried the other, who had swung his club with a like
innocuous result.

The attack of the two bravoes was made so suddenly and unexpectedly, that
Manuel had barely time to jump aside. With wonderful coolness and presence
of mind he sprang to the shelter of the rock, at the same moment throwing
his hands forward so suddenly that one of the Zambos, in his hurry to
escape, nearly ran over his companion. A brace of pistols, which the young
man had drawn from the breast of his jacket, were the cause of this sudden
change in the tactics of the bandits, who now retired hastily into the
thicket. Don Manuel gazed after them for a few moments, and then again
approached the edge of the barranca, from the top of which the mules were
now no longer very distant. Not a word had escaped him during the short
scuffle, and to judge from the cool indifference he had manifested, the
occurrence was one of neither a rare nor extraordinary nature.

The nephew of the Conde de San Jago had not long relapsed into
contemplation when he was again disturbed by a loud _halto!_ proceeding
from the same thicket from which it had been already shouted to the
Zambos, and the next instant the patriot captain issued forth with
levelled carbine. No ways discomposed, the young don raised a pistol.

"Down with your gun, or I fire!" cried he.

"Indeed," said the captain, "you should be a bold cock, to judge from your
crow."

"You will soon find out what I am," replied the young man dryly.

"_C--jo!_" quoth the captain, and removed the carbine from his shoulder.

The appearance of the patriot or rebel officer, whichever he may be
styled, although less bandit-like than that of the two Zambos, was not
calculated to inspire much confidence. His face was shadowed, indeed
concealed, by a thick mass of black hair, which hung down over forehead,
cheeks, and neck, and allowed scarcely any part of his countenance to be
visible, except a pair of coal-black eyes of somewhat oblique expression.
Although not of a particularly strong build, his frame was muscular, and
apparently inured to hardship. He wore a round, high-crowned, Guadalajara
hat, encircled by a gold band, in which was stuck a large miniature of