d daughter? Or were the shots fired by
Halberger, killing Valdez himself and the two who went with him? No;
that cannot be; else why should the girl's lamenting cries be heard
afterwards? But then again, why have they ceased so suddenly?

While thus anxiously conjecturing, he again hears the trampling of
horses among the trees; this time evidently in return towards him. And
soon after sees the horses themselves, with their riders--four of them.
Three are the same as late left him, but looking differently. The
Paraguayan has one arm hanging down by his side, to all appearance
broken, with blood dripping from the tips of his fingers; while the
steel blade of his spear, borne in the other, is alike reddened. And
there is blood elsewhere--streaming down the breast of one of the young
Indians who seems to have difficulty in keeping upon his horse's back.
The fourth individual in the returning cavalcade is a young girl, with a
cloth tied over her head, as if to hinder her from crying out; seated
upon the back of a pony, this led by the Indian who is still unhurt.

At a glance, Aguara sees it is Francesca Halberger, though he needs not
seeing her to know that. For he had already recognised her voice--well
knew it, even in its wailing.

"Her father--what of him?" he asks, addressing Valdez, soon as the
latter is up to him, and speaking in undertone.

"No matter what," rejoins the ruffian, with a demoniac leer. "The
father is my affair, and he has come very near making it an ugly one for
me. Look at this!" he continues, indicating the left arm which hangs
loose by his side. "And at that!" he adds, glancing up to the point of
his spear.

"Blood on both, as you see. So, Senor Aguara, you may draw your
deductions. Your affair is yonder," he nods towards the muffled figure
on the pony's back; "and you can now choose between taking her home to
her mother--her handsome cousin as well--or carrying her to _your_ home,
as the queen that is to be of the Tovas."

The young cacique is not slow in deciding which course to pursue. The
allusion to the "handsome cousin" again excites his jealousy and his
ire. Its influence is irresistible, as sinister; and when he and his
followers take departure from that spot--which they do almost on the
instant--it is to recross the stream, and head their horses homeward--
Francesca Halberger carried captive along with them.

CHAPTER TEN.

GASPAR, THE GAUCHO.

Over the broad undu