hat the avenger of him who lies cold
should be our future chief. We thought not at the time that that brave
warrior was our white brother. But now we know; and should we for that
be false to our vow--to our promised word? No!--not even in thought;
and here, with equal solemnity, we again repeat that oath."

"We repeat it!" echoed around the ring of warriors, while each with
solemnity of manner placed his hand over his heart.

"White warrior!" continued the speaker, "our promise remains sacred.
The honour we offer you is the greatest that we can bestow. It has
never been borne but by a _true_ warrior of the Waco tribe, for no
impotent descendant of even a favourite chief has ever ruled over the
braves of our nation. We do not fear to offer this honour to you. We
would rejoice if you would accept it. Stranger! we will be proud of a
_white_ chief when that chief is a warrior such as you! We know you
better than you think. We have heard of you from our allies the
Comanche--we have heard of _Carlos the Cibolero_!

"We know you are a great warrior; and we know, too, that in your own
country, among your own people, you are nothing. Excuse our freedom,
but speak we not the truth? We despise your people, who are only
tyrants and slaves. All these things have our Comanche brothers told
us, and much more of _you_. We know who you are, then; we knew you when
you came amongst us, and were glad to see you. We traded with you as a
friend.

"We now hail you as a brother, and thus say,--If you have no ties that
bind you to your ungrateful nation, we can offer you one that will not
be ungrateful. Live with us,--be our chief!"

As the speaker ended, his last words were borne like an echo from lip to
lip until they had gone round the full circle of warriors, and then a
breathless silence ensued.

Carlos was so taken by surprise that for some moments he was unable to
make reply, he was not alone surprised by the singular proposal thus
singularly made to him; but the knowledge which the speaker betrayed of
his circumstances quite astonished him. True, he had traded much among
the Comanches, and was on friendly terms with that tribe, some of whom,
in times of peace, even visited the settlement of San Ildefonso; but it
seemed odd that these savages should have noticed the fact--for fact it
was--that the cibolero was somewhat of an outcast among his own people.
Just then he had no time to reflect upon the singularity of th