. Yes; and off to a hiding-place he has elsewhere--a safer
one--somewhere in the Sierras. Confound those Sierras with their
caverns and forests. They're full of my enemies, rebels, and robbers.
But I'll have them rooted out, hanged, shot, till I clear the country of
disaffection. _Carajo_! I shall be master of Mexico, not only in name,
but deeds. Emperor in reality!"

Excited by the thought of unrestrained rule and dreams of vengeance--
sweet to the despot as blood to the tiger--he sprang out of his chair,
and paced to and fro, gesticulating in a violent manner.

"Yes, Senor Colonel!" he continued in tone satisfied as triumphant.
"Other matters have hindered me from looking after these skulking
proscripts. But our victory over the Tejanos has given me the power
now, and I intend using it. These men must be recaptured at all cost--
if it take my whole army to do it. To you, Don Carlos Santander, I
entrust the task--its whole management. You have my authority to
requisition troops, and spend whatever money may be needed to ensure
success. And," he added, stepping close to his subordinate, and
speaking in a confidential way, "if you can bring me back Ruperto Rivas,
_or his head so that I can recognise it_, I shall thank you not as
_Colonel_, but as _General_ Santander."

The expression upon his face as he said this was truly Satanic. Equally
so that on his to whom the horrid hint was given. Alike cruel in their
instincts, with aims closely corresponding, it would be strange if the
fugitive prisoners were not retaken.

CHAPTER THIRTY NINE.

UP THE MOUNTAIN.

"We're going to have a night black as charcoal," said Rivas, running his
eye along the outline of the Cordilleras, and taking survey of the sky
beyond.

"Will that be against us?" queried the young Irishman.

"In one way, yes; in another, for us. Our pursuers will be sure to ride
all round the Pedregal, and leave a picket wherever they see the
resemblance of path or trail leading out. If it were to come on
moonlight--as luckily it won't--we'd had but a poor chance to get past
them without being seen. And that would signify a fight against awkward
odds--numbers, arms, everything. We must steal past somehow, and so the
darkness will be in our favour."

As may be deduced from this snatch of dialogue, they were still in the
Pedregal. But the purple twilight was now around them, soon to deepen
into the obscurity of night; sooner from their ha