e, hombre! How else could I threaten to expose them for
contributing to the rebels?"

"Bien, it's next week. You will meet them this side of Valles, some time
Thursday or Friday.--Now I'm off. Adios."

"Stay. You'll find your horse down by the river. The administrator is
waiting with it. And Rodrigo, don't you want your pistol? Be more
careful another time, and keep it loaded."

Something in his tone nettled the brigand. "What do you mean? Give me my
pistol."

Tiburcio pointed it at him instead. "When you cool a little, yes.
But it takes a good marksman to hit a Frenchman with an empty
pistol--especially when one wakes up and finds himself tied."

Rodrigo stiffened. This was menacing to his dignity.

"Both lassoed," Tiburcio went on, "and no telling which was heifer and
which vaquero, stampeding down on poor Max.--Ai de mi, I never thought
it could be so funny!"

"Give me my pistol!"

"Slumbering like two babes in the wood, and your sweet innocent breaths
perfuming the woody forest. I'd have covered you with leaves, like the
little robins, only----"

"Was it you tied us, you----"

"Just like two babes, but," and Tiburcio pointed his thumb to his mouth
and shook his head sorrowfully, "that's bad, very bad. Why didn't you
leave me some? Of the cognac, especially?"

"If you don't explain----"

"Softly there, amigo. Yes, I tied you."

"Another of your jokes----"

"Inspired of the Evil One? Oh no, it was--precaution. Yes, that was it,
come to think; just precaution. You see, I and Dupin had scattered your
guerrillas, and I was scouting ahead, to stir up any ambush waiting for
us--which I did later, when we chased them, and burned Culebra. But
going along, I heard snoring, and found you two, like two----Now sit
still!"

"Why didn't you wake me? Then we could have roped the Frenchman."

"And have him identify me after we'd gotten the ransom? Oh, no, I'm a
loyal Imperialist. Now listen a minute, will you?--Our Contras were
following me not a half mile behind. That meant I had to work quick. You
see, I wanted to find you both there when I could come back alone. And
meantime, I didn't want you to hurt each other. If either got killed,
there'd be no ransom. So I took your knife and his sabre. Then I tied
you both with my lariat. I was going to get your lariat too, and tether
the pair of you to a tree, hoping you'd hold each other there till I got
back. _You_ would do it, for I meant to pin a note on your sleev