ush to their horses and
ride off without offering resistance. In the _sauve qui peut_ none of
them will give a thought to the two prisoners lying tied under the tree.
These are to be left behind to the tender mercies of the Tenawa chief.
It will be an act of gallantry to save the female captives by carrying
them off. This Uraga reserves for himself, assisted by Roblez.

Such is his scheme of vicarious assassination; in the atrocity of
conception unequalled, almost incredible. He has no anxiety as to its
success. For himself he is more than ever determined; while Roblez,
restrained by the fiasco following his advice, no longer offers
opposition.

Uraga has no fear the Tenawa chief will fail him. He has never done so
before, and will not now.

The new proposal, which the colonel supposes to have reached the hands
of Horned Lizard in that letter carried by Pedrillo, will be eagerly
accepted. Barbato will bring the chief with his cut-throats to the
Arroyo de Alamo, sure as there is a sun in the sky.

It is but a question of time. They may come up at any hour--any minute;
and having arranged all preliminaries, Uraga remains in his tent to
await the cue for action. He little dreams at the moment he is thus
expecting his red-skinned confederate, that the latter, along with the
best braves of his band, has gone to the happy hunting grounds, while
his go-between, Barbato, is in safe keeping elsewhere.

As the hours pass, and no one is reported as approaching, he becomes
impatient; for the time has long elapsed since the Tenawa chief should
have been upon the spot.

Chafing, he strides forth from the tent, and proceeds towards the place
where the look-out has been stationed. Reaching it, he reconnoitres for
himself, with a telescope he has taken along, to get a better view down
the valley.

At first, levelling the glass, no one can be seen. In the reach of open
ground, dotted here and there with groves, there are deer browsing, and
a grizzly bear is seen crossing between the cliffs, but no shape that
resembles a human being.

He is about lowering the telescope when a new form comes into its field
of view--a horseman riding up the creek. No the animal is a mule. No
matter the rider is a man.

Keenly scrutinising, he perceives it is an Indian, though not one of the
wild sort. His garb betokens him of the tamed.

Another glance through the glass and his individuality declares itself,
Uraga recognising him a