Ha! ha! He'll
not do that--the fellow hasn't influence enough, and nobody cares either
about his cattle or the witch's daughter. Had it been some one else the
case might have been different. As it is, there's no fear of discovery,
even were the cibolero himself to make his appearance--"

"Roblado!" cried the Comandante, interrupting him, and speaking in a
deep earnest voice.

"Well?" inquired the captain, regarding Vizcarra with astonishment.

"I have had a dream--a fearful dream; and that--not the ravings of the
girl--it is that is now troubling me. _Diablos_! a fearful dream!"

"You, Comandante--a valiant soldier--to let a silly dream trouble you!
But come! what was it? I'm a good interpreter of dreams. I warrant I
read it to your bettor satisfaction."

"Simple enough it is, then. I thought myself upon the cliff of La Nina.
I thought that I was alone with Carlos the cibolero! I thought that he
knew all, and that he had brought me there to punish me--to avenge
_her_. I had no power to resist, but was led forward to the brink. I
thought that we closed and struggled for a while; but at length I was
shaken from his grasp, and pushed over the precipice! I felt myself
falling--falling! I could see above me the cibolero, with his sister by
his side, and on the extremest point the hideous witch their mother, who
laughed a wild maniac laugh, and clapped her long bony hands! I felt
myself falling--falling--yet still not reaching the ground; and this
horrible feeling continued for a long, long time--in fact, until the
fearful thought awoke me. Even then I could scarce believe I had been
dreaming, so palpable was the impression that remained. Oh, comrade, it
was a dreadful dream!"

"And _but_ a dream; and what signifies--"

"Stay, Roblado! I have not told you all. Within the hour--ay, within
the quarter of that time--while I was on this spot thinking over it, I
chanced to look up to the cliff; and yonder, upon the extreme point, was
a horseman clearly outlined against the sky--and that horseman the very
image of the cibolero! I noted the horse and the seat of the rider,
which I well remember. I could not trust my eyes to look at him. I
averted them for a moment--only a moment; and when I looked again he was
gone! So quickly had he retired, that I was inclined to think it was
only a fancy--that there had been none--and that my dream had produced
the illusion!"

"That is likely enough," said Roblado,