Pancha's father, Christobal, a worthy _cargador_ who never in the whole twenty years that he had discharged the responsible duties of his calling had lost or injured a single article confided to his care, and old Manuel, who held the honorable position of _sereno_--a member of the night-watch--in the city of Monterey, had known each other from a time long before Pancha was born; and from a full understanding of each other's good qualities, and from certain affinities and common tastes, the two old fellows had come in the course of years to be the closest friends. Christobal the _cargador_--better known, being a little bandy-legged man, as Tobalito--was scarcely less delighted than was Manuel himself when Pepe--a motherless lad who had grown to manhood in the care of a good aunt--came up from his home in Tamaulipas that Easter-tide to tell of his good fortune. The boy was a gallant boy, they both agreed,--as they drank his health more times than was quite good for them in Paras brandy of the best, on which never a _tlaco_ of duty had been paid,--and before him had opened now a magnificent future. Being a captain of _contrabandistas_ at twenty-two, what might he not be at thirty? His fortune was assured! And old Catalina shared in this joy of her husband's and of her husband's friend, and drank also, relishingly, a little mug of brandy to Pepe's good fortune--present and to come. Even the twins, Antonio and Antonia, entered into the spirit of the festive occasion, and manifested their appreciation of it by refraining from signal mischief for the space of a whole hour: at the end of which period Pancha, perceiving that they were engaged in imitating the process of washing clothes in the stream, and judging rightly that the earnestness of their operations boded no good, was just in time to rescue the yellow cat from a watery grave. And it was on this happy day, as Pancha knew afterward, that her love for Pepe first began. This was a year past, now; and for many months Pancha had been gladdened by the knowledge that her love was returned--though, as yet, this sweet certainty had not come to her in words. Indeed, during the past twelvemonth Pepe had been but little in Monterey. As became a young captain of _contrabandistas_ who longed to prove that he deserved to wear his spurs, his time had been passed for the most part in making handsome dashes from the Zona Libre into the interior. Already the fame of his brilliant exploits was great along the frontier; already to the luckless officers of the _contraresguardo_ his name was a mocking and a reproach. What with his knowledge of the mountain paths and hiding-places, his boldness and his prudence, his information--coming it might be treason to say from where, but always exact and trustworthy--of where the revenue people would be at any hour of any day or night, the _contraresguardo_ seemed to have no more chance of catching him than they had of catching the wind of heaven or the moon itself.