sent to his betrothed, Ibarra was so happy that he
began to play without stopping to think or even examining carefully
the position of the chess. As a result, although Captain Basilio had
defended himself only by the greatest effort, the young man made so
many mistakes that the game resulted in a draw.

"We end the suit, we end the suit!" said Captain Basilio, happy over
his success.

"Yes, we declare it off," repeated the young man, "whatever decision
the judges may have been able to reach."

Each grasped the hand of the other and shook it with effusion.

In the meantime, while those present were celebrating the ending of
the law-suit, of which both had long been tired, four Civil Guards
and a sergeant suddenly arrived on the scene. They were all armed
and had their bayonets fixed, a fact which naturally disturbed the
merriment and brought fright into the circle of women.

"Let everybody be quiet!" cried the sergeant. "Whoever moves will
be shot!"

In spite of this gruff boast, Ibarra rose to his feet and approached
the sergeant.

"What do you wish?" he asked.

"That you give up at once the criminal named Elias who acted as pilot
for your party this morning," he replied, in a threatening tone.

"A criminal? The pilot? You must be mistaken!" replied Ibarra.

"No, sir; that Elias is now accused of another crime, of having laid
his hands on a priest----"

"Ah! And is the pilot the one?"

"He is the same one, so we are told. You are allowing people of bad
reputation to attend your festivals, Senor Ibarra."

Ibarra looked at him from head to foot and replied with supreme
contempt: "I don't have to account to you for my actions. At our
festivals everybody is well received, and you yourself, if you had
come, would have been given a seat at the table, the same as the
alferez who was here among us two hours ago."

Saying this, Ibarra turned his back to him. The sergeant bit his
mustache and ordered his men to search everywhere among the trees
for the pilot, whose description he had on a piece of paper.

Don Filipo said to him: "Take note that this description corresponds
to that of nine-tenths of the natives. Take care that you do not make
a mistake!"

At last the soldiers returned, saying that they had not been able to
discover either a banca, or a man that aroused their suspicion. The
sergeant murmured a few indistinct words and then marched off.

Soon the people became jolly again, but questions, wonder