was about to engage; a venture that infallibly
was to make him a rich man.

The scheme that Pepe had devised was worthy of himself. Its basis was
an arrangement--made who shall say how?--that all the forces of the
_contraresguardo_ and _rurales_ should be sent on a wild-goose chase
into the mountains, and sent far enough to make sure that they should
stay in the mountains for a whole night and a whole day. And, the
coast being thus cleared, it was the purpose of this daring captain of
_contrabandistas_ to come up from the Zona Libre with not one, but
with three great trains of _burros_ laden with _contrabando_, and to
bring these trains, in sections and under cover of darkness, actually
into the city of Monterey! Further, to make quite sure that in the
city he should meet with no hindrance to the execution of his plans,
he had arranged that at the hour his trains were to enter from the
east, a _jacal_ should be set on fire over in the western suburb.
Fires occur but rarely in Monterey, and when one does occur all the
town flocks to see it: it is better than a _fiesta_. It was a stroke
of genius on Pepe's part to think of this diversion; and the man who
owned the doomed _jacal_--one of Pepe's band who himself had a share
in the venture--was eager to put so brilliant a plan into execution.
Indeed, to insure success a dozen _jacals_ might have been profitably
consumed, for the _contrabando_ was to be exceptionally rich in
quality as well as great in quantity, and the profit upon it would be
something that to such simple-minded folk as Manuel and Tobalito and
Catalina seemed almost fabulous.

The very risk of the venture, as Pepe pointed out, constituted its
safety. In the mountains there was a chance at any time of a fight,
but in the city streets there was literally nobody to fear--"unless
the _serenos_ should turn _contraresguardo_!" he suggested; whereat
there was much cheerful laughter, that of the honest _sereno_ Manuel
being loudest of all.

The _lenador_, Tobalito's trusted friend, hearing the sounds of
festivity and snuffing the Paras brandy from afar off, came in to join
them; and being informed of the happy issue of Pepe's love affair, and
of Pepe's noble project, he gladly joined in drinking the double toast
and in adding his good wishes to theirs. So they made merry over their
hopeful prospects; and even when the twins, Antonio and Antonia,
succeeded in an unwatched moment in possessing themselves of the
p