"You may call it a message. We spoke in the presence of Lieutenant Walker. Nor is it the only one. Since the first, we have been loading him with similar information." "Yet Salcedo has not incarcerated you? _Poder de Dios!_ It is a miracle!" "Rather, it is merely that we have outfaced him." "God gave you the wisdom to be bold! Yet the danger is by no means past. He may free your companions, but detain you for years, as he has detained the men of Captain Nolan." "I could fancy a harsher fate, padre. To remain a prisoner, yet have Alisanda to comfort my captivity--" He raised his hand warningly at the sound of sandalled feet scraping along the brick pavement of the corridor. "Let us hope for the best, my son. Go now, and God be with you!" I thanked him with a glance, and hastened out past the withered old priest who was shuffling across the threshold. CHAPTER XXVI A DEFEAT That afternoon, immediately after the siesta, Pike and I received the first fruits of our course of action with regard to the Government. Malgares came to us from His Excellency, bearing a most urbane and ceremonious message. The Governor-General expressed himself as more than pleased to supply us with the official loan for which Pike had applied, and offered to render us any and all other service which lay within his power. Pike returned mellifluous thanks, while I looked at Walker and smiled. In the evening we accompanied Malgares to the south border of the town, where we found a delightful promenade beneath the intertwining boughs of a triple row of fine trees. Here gathered the society of Chihuahua, to loll in the many seats or saunter to and fro, the gentlemen with their _cigarros_, the ladies with their fans, and few of either sex indisposed toward an exchange of ardent glances. All displayed the utmost graciousness toward the _Americano_ guests of the Government, and, as usual, we found ourselves highly entertained. Among the ladies were Senora Vallois and Senora Malgares, and I was pleased that Pike was introduced to them by their husbands. We met many other ladies, but, with one exception, there was none other than Senora Vallois whose husband was sufficiently free from the old Moorish ideas about women to permit his wife to keep a _salon_. Needless to say, this gave me little concern. I was far too disappointed over the absence of Alisanda. When Don Pedro introduced Pike, I asked Dona Marguerite if my friend might not have the pleasure of meeting her niece. She replied, in a most gracious tone, that he should meet her as soon as we called, but that this evening the senorita was indisposed and would not be present. A little later, when the company assembled in the circular seat at the end of the promenade, Dona Dolores found an opportunity to slip me a note.