“I fight you for him!” he roared, and started to draw blade. Nor was Gonzales a bit backward. In an instant their swords had crossed, in another they would have been at it. But Ensign Sanchez, who had come from the guest house with the _comandante_, interposed his own blade and separated them. “A truce to such quarreling!” he ordered. “This Fly-by-Night is my quarry, _señores_! He is to be left to me, I would have all men know. Did he not make a dunce of me at Santa Barbara? ‘Can you conceive a reason why a gentleman might not want his name shouted for all men to hear?’ he asked. ‘You know the state of the times, I take it.’ Hah! Did I not wine and dine him? He comes to my blade!” “Now, by the saints! If this rogue appears at any of the four points of the compass, he meets a _señor_ awaiting him!” Cassara said. “’Tis to be a matter of luck, then.” A fray entered the conversation. “Were Rojerio Rocha with us, no doubt he would want to claim this Fly-by-Night,” he said. “Rojerio Rocha had his chance at him,” Cassara replied. “And did not you?” Ensign Sanchez demanded. “Did he not stand up to you at Santa Barbara?” “Devil and Hades!” the sergeant cried. “I shall go mad! Hah! May the imps of evil, even, pity the scoundrel when I meet him! The more I think of it--Juan and Claudio, eh? Hah! Play cards for a mule? ‘Not that pack of cards, _señor_,’ the wretch says. ‘This is to be a game of chance, not of skill,’ he says. Fury! ‘Do you keep up your fencing practice,’ he says. _I shall go mad!_” Cassara swept his naked blade in a great circle at arm’s length, and the others sprang out of his way roaring with laughter. Across the plaza stamped the irate man, stopping before the store house to lift a water jug and drink deeply. And then a neophyte stopped before the _comandante_ and ensign and bowed respectfully. “_Señores_,” he begged, “allow me to say it is an easy matter to settle this quarrel. I am Pedro, servant at the guest house, and I swear by the saints I am a loyal neophyte and ready to die for the frailes and the _señores_. Moreover, I have been servant to the Señorita Anita since she has abided at the mission----” “But the quarrel, man! How settle it?” laughed the _comandante_. “This Captain Fly-by-Night boasted concerning the _señorita_, thus insulting her; did he not? Do you four _señores_ fight bravely against the others--and let me kill this Fly-by-Night!” A roar of laughter answered him. He bowed again, but did not turn away, and they saw he was sincere in his request. “This Fly-by-Night appears to be loved with an enduring affection,” Ensign Sanchez said, sarcastically. “I suppose we must leave the matter to chance, and each of us pray the rogue falls to his blade.” CHAPTER XIX CASSARA SEES A GHOST Men spent the afternoon in boisterous revelry, for all preparations to withstand a siege had been made and they awaited the attack, but they grew silent toward evening, pondering over what might occur.