with a price set upon their
heads."

"Then you're not robbers?"

This was said without thought, the words involuntarily escaping
Kearney's lips. But the counterfeit abbot, so far from feeling offence
at them, broke out into a laugh, good-humouredly rejoining--

"Robbers, _amigo mio_! who told you we were that?"

The Irishman felt abashed, seeing he had committed himself.

"Don Ruperto," he exclaimed, hastening to make the best of his blunder,
"I owe you every apology. It arose from some talk I heard passing
around in the prison. Be assured, I neither did nor could believe it."

"Thank you, Senor!" returned the Mexican. "Your apologies are
appreciated. And," he added, putting on a peculiar smile, "in a way
superfluous. I believe we do enjoy that repute among our enemies; and,
to confess the truth, not without some reason."

Kearney pricked up his ears, perplexity, with just a shade of trouble,
again appearing upon his face. He said nothing, however, allowing the
other to proceed.

"_Carramba_, yes!" continued the proscript. "'Tis quite true we do a
little in the plundering line--now and then. We need doing it, Don
Florencio. But for that, I mightn't have been able to set so good a
breakfast before you; nor wines of such quality, nor yet these
delectable cigars. If you look to the right down there, you'll see the
_pueblo_ of San Augustin, and just outside its suburbs, a large yellow
house. From that came our last supply of drinkable and smokeable
materials, including those here, mahogany and everything. A forced
contribution, as I've hinted at. But, Senor, I should be sorry to have
you think we levy blackmail indiscriminately. He from whom they were
taken is one of our bitterest enemies; equally an enemy of our country.
'Twas all in the way of reprisal; fair, as you'll admit, when you come
to comprehend the circumstances."

"I comprehend them now," returned the listener, relieved, "quite; and I
trust you'll accept my apology."

"_Sans arriere pensee_," responded the Mexican, who could speak French,
if not English, "I do frankly, freely. No reproach to you for supposing
us robbers. I believe many others do, among whom we make appearance.
Southward, however, in the State of Oaxaca, we are better known as `the
Free Lances'; a title not so appropriate, either, since our weapons are
only at the disposal of the Republic--our lives as well."

"But," questioned Kearney, "may I ask why you are habite