This continued irony produced an involuntary impression on the General; the calm and coldly mocking attitude of the young man troubled him in his heart; he feared a snare, without knowing when or how it would reveal itself. "Pay attention, Caballero," he said in a menacing tone to the Jaguar; "I know for a fact that when I arrived you had a large party assembled here; on my entrance, your comrades fled by that door." "That is true," the young man said with a nod of assent. "Take care," the General continued, "that if assassins are hidden behind that door, the blood shed will fall on your head." "General," the Jaguar said seriously, "press the spring, the passage is empty; I require no aid but my own to deliver myself from your clutches when I think proper." The Governor no longer hesitated; he walked resolutely to the wall, and pressed the spring; his officers had followed him, ready to aid him if any danger presented itself. The Jaguar did not stir. The door opened, and displayed a long and completely deserted corridor. "Well, General, have I kept my word?" the Jaguar said. "Yes, Señor, I must concede it. Now, Caballeros," the General continued, addressing his officers, "draw swords, and forward!" "One moment, if you please," said the Jaguar. "What do you want, Señor?" "You will remember that I warned you you would end your domiciliary visit with this room?" "Well?" "I will keep that second promise as I did the first." At the same instant, and ere the General and his officers could account for what was happening, they felt the flooring give way beneath their feet, and they rolled to the bottom of a vault, of slight depth, it is true, but buried in the most intense gloom. "A pleasant journey!" the Jaguar said with a laugh, as he closed the trap again. CHAPTER XVII. THE SPY. While these events were occurring, the sun had set, and night almost immediately succeeded day. So soon as the Jaguar had closed the trap on his prisoners, he proceeded toward the masked door to rejoin his comrades; but a sound of footsteps he heard outside, made him change his plans; he shut the door again, and returned to his old position to await the newcomer. The latter did not delay long. Although the night was too dark to allow the Jaguar to recognise his features, by the sparkling of his gold lace, and the clank of his spurs and steel scabbard on the pavement, he saw that he was once more in the presence of a Mexican officer high in command. At the end of a moment, however, the Jaguar's eyes, gifted possibly with that precious quality possessed by animals of the feline race to see through the darkness, appeared to have recognised the stranger. The young man frowned, and gave a start of disappointment. "Is there no one here?" the officer asked, as he stopped in the doorway with very excusable hesitation. "Who are you, and what do you want?" the Jaguar answered, disguising his voice.