and
the carcass went thudding across the yard. The bear gave a furious howl
and plunged after. The boys scampered up the ladder. Don Jose took each
by the collar and shook them soundly. When they were released they
embraced each other.

"Ay! but I was inhospitable to fight my guest," sobbed Benito.

"Ay, my friend," said Roldan, with dignity, winking back the tears
started by various emotions. "It is I who should have had my ears boxed
by the bear for insulting my host, and bringing anguish to the house of
Perez." Then he embraced Adan, but this time mutely.

Dona Theresa had been carried to her room, where she lay prostrated
with a nervous headache; but her family and guests did ample justice to
the chickens stewed in tomatoes, the red peppers and onions, the fried
rice, tamales, and dulces which her cook had prepared in honour of the
event. Excitement and good will reigned; even Don Jose had forgiven the
young offenders, and they all talked at once, at the top of their
voices, as fast as they could rattle and with no falling inflection.
Roldan and Adan were pressed to remain at the Hacienda Perez until the
search was over, and although the former had a secret yearning for
adventure he was more than half inclined to consent.

After a brief siesta the entire male population of the hacienda retired
to the wall of the corral to pot the bear. It was agreed that each
should fire at once, and that he who missed should have no dulces for a
week.

The bear was sitting near the middle of the corral, surly but replete,
for he had eaten of the bull. Don Jose gave the signal. Twenty-two
shots were fired. The bear gave a roar which awoke the echoes of the
forest, lunged frantically on shattered legs, then fell, an ugly heap
of dusty grey hair.

As the smoke cleared and Don Jose was announcing that only two Indian
servants had missed, Benito clutched Roldan's arm suddenly.

"Look up," he said. "Do you see anything? Are not those men; soldiers?"

Roldan looked up to a ledge of the high mountain before the house. A
bend of the trail traversed a clearing. In this open were three men on
horseback, motionless for the moment.

"Adan!" shouted Roldan. He ran down the ladder.

"I cannot be sure that those are the soldiers," he called up to Don
Jose. "But I take no risks. We must go."

The others descended hastily. "My sons will have to hide too," said Don
Jose. "There is plenty of time. In a moment those men will be in the
fo