te? or have I been three
days asleep?"

"No," gravely replied the Spaniard, "but there is a serious danger that
menaces our projects--both yours and mine. This young rustic, whom we
found on the road, knows all about the Golden Valley; and what is still
worse, he loves Dona Rosarita, and Dona Rosarita loves him."

Tragaduros, instead of starting up at this announcement, sank back upon
his pillow, crying out.

"Adieu then to the million dollars of dowry! adieu to those beautiful
plains covered with horses and cattle, which I already believed my own!
adieu to the honours of the court of _Carlos el Primero_!"

"Come! all is not yet lost," said Don Estevan. "The evil may be
remedied if taken in time. This young fellow has quitted the hacienda.
It will be necessary to follow and find him before he gets out of the
way. So much the worse for him, if his evil star is in opposition to
yours."

The Spaniard said no more of his designs with regard to Tiburcio. As to
the Senator, it was of little importance to him how he was to be
disembarrassed of so dangerous a rival, so long as he himself should not
be troubled with the matter.

"Whatever may be the end of it," added Don Estevan, "one thing is
certain--the young fellow will never be allowed to come back to this
house, for I shall arrange that with Don Augustin. You will therefore
be master of the situation, and will have everything your own way. Make
the young lady love you--it will be easy enough--your rival will be
absent, he may be _dead_--for these deserts are dangerous, and you know
the old proverb about absence?"

"I shall make myself irresistible!" said the Senator, "for since
yesterday I feel as if I was on fire about this lovely creature, who
appears to have come down direct from heaven--and with--such a dowry!"

"No man ever aimed at an object more desirable than this immense dowry
and this fair flower of the desert. Spare no pains, therefore, to win
both the lady and the fortune."

"If necessary I shall spin for her, as Hercules at the feet of Omphale."

"Ha, ha ha!" laughed the Spaniard. "If Hercules had any merits in the
eyes of Omphale, it was not on account of his spinning, but because he
was Hercules. No--do better than spin. To-morrow Don Augustin has a
hunt among his wild steeds; there will be an opportunity for you to
distinguish yourself by some daring exploit. Mount one of the wildest
of the horses, for the honour of the beautiful eye