s, from all curious ears; for the Alameda, being but a
forlorn place, has few visitors.

She motioned him to a seat beside her, and said, hurriedly:

"The _capitan_ Pepe will bring three great trains of _contrabando_
on Friday night into Monterey."

"Yes. He is your lover?"

She flashed her glittering black eyes on him savagely. "It is no
affair of yours who my lover may be. But I will tell you this: Pepe
is the lover of Tobalito's Pancha--the girl whom you love."

She marked with satisfaction how he winced under her words, the gleam
of anger that came into his eyes. But, without giving him time to
speak, she went on rapidly to tell of Pepe's plan, and with a
clearness and precision that left no room for doubting that she told
the truth. Her excitement increased as she spoke. Her black eyes grew
blacker as the pupils dilated; her breath came short as her bosom rose
and fell tremblingly; twice or thrice she pressed her hand upon her
heart. As she ended she sprang to her feet and held erect her superb
form. Her eyes gleamed with the anger of hate, her hands were
clinched, her guardedly low voice quivered with a passionate energy.

"I have betrayed him into your hands, even as he has betrayed my
offered love. Take him! Kill him! He has only my hate. And remember,
it is he who has won from you Pancha's love. He must die!" In an
instant she had plunged into the thicket of canes. For a few moments
the rustling of the leaves sounded hissingly as she fleetly pushed her
way between them; the sound grew fainter; presently it faded out of
hearing, and all was still.

Pedro stood for awhile motionless, vacantly staring at the place in
the cane-thicket, still marked by the swaying leaves, where she had
disappeared. Then slowly he passed through the gap in the hedge, and
slowly walked across the Alameda. When he came to the circle of stone
benches he sat down wearily. He did not in the least particular doubt
the truth of what Chona had told him; and because he knew so surely
that it was all true a great sorrow weighed upon him, a cruel conflict
arose in his heart. Chona had told him too much. Had she told him only
of Pepe's plans, her purpose would have been easily gained; for in a
strictly professional and matter-of-course way he would have crushed
the smugglers' scheme effectually, and probably the smugglers with it.
Chona, judging his nature by her own, had overshot her mark. The very
fact that Pepe was Pancha's lover, tha