“It was not then as now. There was no ferry, and one must cross by a foot-bridge. The freshet of the spring-time it had washed the bridge away. Very high was then the Stanislaus! When the foot-bridge it was go, one must wait, and wait, and wait--he must wait for the going down of the water and for the _mineros_ a new bridge to build. “In the cabin of a _minero_ away up on the mountain side the Englishman was wait for the water to go down and the bridge to be built. Here it was that Juan find him. “He could fight, could that cursed _Inglés_, and he was so strong that in his hands only a child was that little Juan! But the boy he have the courage, and the right--and, _Señor_, he have the poniard. It is the poniard that makes the strength as nothing. “In the cabin of the _minero_ the fight began, and so weak was Juan in the hands of _el Inglés_ that he was by him push through the door and to the edge of the canyon. It is very deep, that canyon, and to the bottom a very long way, and Juan he know what happen if he is not quick and sure. “The wrist of Juan it is not strong, and his enemy he hold it tight in his hand, so! But, when the Englishman he take the boy around the waist for throw him over the side of the canyon, his foot it make the slip and he fall back! As he fall he let go the wrist of Juan! “Ah! now for Milord is there no more chance! He must sure die! Quick, like the rattlesnake, struck the boy! One! Two! Three!--five times he bury the knife in the Englishman! “And when the Englishman fall limp on the ground, Juan is cover thick with the hot red blood. It have spurt, and spurt--all over him it have spurt! “The Englishman he is not yet so dead that he does not understand when Juan say: ‘My Chiquita, she have send her love to the Milord who was so kind as to show to her in the looking-glass her face.’ “And then Juan laugh in the man’s face as he die. “When the Englishman he was no more, Juan roll and roll him to the edge of the canyon. He was not strong for the lift, but he could make the push and the roll of the body. When the body was at the edge, Juan make one grand push and crash! over the Englishman go! “Perhaps _el Señor_ he not _comprende_--he have not the hot blood of _un Español_. But, maybe, he too have enemies, and knows the hate, and the feelings of Juan can understand. “Never was music so sweet to the ear of that little Juan, as the sound of the dead Englishman making the fall. Every time the body it strike the rocks, it bound off like the ball, and spatter much blood! Very beautiful to the eyes of Juan was the red trail of the body on the canyon side. “When the body of Milord reach the bottom, he look no more like a man--he is like he is blown to the mince-meat by the blast of powder. He fall into the Stanislaus in many pieces, splash! splash! and when Juan saw this, he was happy--_Dios!_ for the one minute he forget.