and his
companion had started on their expedition. Those who sent them were
beginning to grow impatient for some news of them. They did not allow
themselves to doubt of the zeal of their employes,--the reward would
secure that,--and scarce did they doubt of their success. The latter
seemed to all three--Roblado, Vizcarra, and the Padre--but a consequence
of the former. Still they were impatient for some report from the
hunters--if not of the actual capture, at least that the outlaw had been
seen, or that they were upon his trail.

On reflection, however, both Padre and officers saw that it would not be
likely they should have any report before the hunters themselves came
back, either with or without their captive.

"No doubt," suggested the monk, "they are after him every hour, and we
shall hear nothing of them until they have laid hands upon the heretic
rascal."

What a startling piece of news it was to this charming trio, when a
_hatero_ brought the information to the settlement that he had seen two
dead bodies upon the plain, which he recognised as those of the Mission
hunters--Manuel and Pepe.

His report was that he had seen them near a grove upon the Pecos,--that
they were torn by the wolves and vultures--but that what still remained
of their dress and equipments enabled him to make out who they were--for
the hatero had chanced to know these men personally. He was sure they
were the mulatto and Zambo, the hunters of the mission.

At first this "mysterious murder," as it was termed, could not be
explained--except upon the supposition that the "Indios bravos" had done
it. The people knew nothing of the duty upon which the hunters had been
lately employed. Both were well enough known, though but little notice
was taken of their movements, which lay generally beyond the observation
of the citizen community. It was supposed they had been out upon one of
their usual hunts, and had fallen in with a roving band of savages.

A party of dragoons, guided by the hatero, proceeded to the grove; and
these returned with a very different version of the story.

They had ascertained beyond a doubt that both the hunters had been
killed, not by Indian arrows, but by the weapons of a white man.
Furthermore, their horses had been left, while their dogs had been
killed--the skeletons of the latter were found lying upon the bank of
the river.

It could not have been Indians, then. They would have carried off the
anima