Don Estevan.

"Do not ask to share his fate," said Pepe; "that man's days are
numbered."

"Whatever his fate is to be, I wish to share it," cried Diaz, vainly
trying to free himself. "I accept from you neither quarter nor mercy."

"Do not play with our anger!" said Pepe, whose passions were roused; "I
am not in the habit of offering mercy twice."

"I know how to make him accept it," said Fabian, picking up the fallen
knife. "Let him go, Pepe; with a man like Diaz, one can always come to
terms."

Fabian's tone was so firm, that Pepe opened his arms and loosened the
iron grasp in which the Mexican was bound.

"Here, Diaz," said Fabian, "take your weapon, and listen to me."

So saying, Fabian advanced and offered him his knife without any attempt
at guarding himself. Diaz took the weapon, but his adversary had not
presumed too far; at the heroic simplicity of Fabian his anger vanished
on the instant.

"I listen," said he, flinging his knife to the ground.

"I knew it would be so," replied Fabian, with a smile. "You interposed
unknowingly between crime and the just vengeance which pursued it. Do
you know who is the man for whom you wish to expose your life? and who
are those who have spared it? Do you know whether or not we have the
right to demand from him, whom you doubtless know only as Don Estevan, a
terrible account of the past? Reply honestly to the questions that I
shall put to you, and then decide on which side justice lies."

Astonished at these words, Diaz listened in silence, and Fabian went on:

"If you had been born in a privileged class, heir to a great fortune; if
a man had taken from you your fortune and your name, and reduced you to
the rank of those who have to work for their daily bread, should you be
the friend of that man?"

"No, I should be his enemy."

"If that man, to destroy the last souvenir of your birth, had murdered
your mother, what would he deserve from you?"

"Blow for blow--blood for blood."

"If, after a long and difficult pursuit, fate had at last delivered the
spoiler into your hands, what would you do?"

"I should think myself guilty towards God and man if I spared him."

"Well, then, Diaz," cried Fabian, "there is a man who has taken from me
my name, my fortune, and murdered my mother; I have pursued this
murderer and spoiler--fate has delivered him into my hands, and there he
lies!"

A cloud passed over the eyes of Diaz at the sight of the chief whose
doom