"By my faith!" remarked the messenger, as they journeyed along, "it's a pity now that we did not ask that gentleman his name. It is likely enough that he is some grand officer belonging to the royalist army." "Bah!" replied Zapote. "What good would it be to us to know his name? He's a lost man, I fear. It matters little, therefore, what name he carries." "_Quien sabe_?" doubtingly rejoined the messenger. "I am more vexed," continued Zapote, "that we were not able to do anything for him. It can't be helped, however; and just now, let me tell you, my brave Gaspar, that we have got to look out for ourselves. We are yet far from being out of danger." The two men pursued their route, gliding silently and cautiously under the shadow of the underwood. Scarce ten minutes had elapsed when they again heard the voices of those who were beating the wood in search of the hiding-place of Don Rafael. Both stepped behind a screen of bushes and listened. In the midst of a profound silence, they heard the crackling of branches; and the moment after a man appeared at a short distance from where they stood. He was advancing with stealthy step, carbine in hand, and almost at the same instant two others made their appearance, coming up behind him, and moving forward with like caution. All three were stealthily gliding from tree to tree--making a temporary rampart of the trunks, as they reconnoitred the ground before them. One of these men was recognised by Zapote as an old comrade. "Eh, Perico!" cried he, speaking loud enough to be heard by the men. "Hola! Who calls me?" responded Perico. "I--Juan el Zapote." "Zapote! how is it that you are here? Where did you come from?" "From the camp," replied Zapote, with wondrous impudence. "Our Captain has sent--" "Oh! the Captain knows, then, that we are in pursuit of a royalist who has taken shelter in the _chapparal_? We have had a time of it after him, and he's not found yet. We have scoured the thicket all the night in search of his hiding-place; and, out of ten of us who came after him, eight only remain. Two, Suarez and Pacheco, he has killed somewhere; but if I may judge by the signal cries to which we have responded, there should be at least twenty of our comrades at present looking after him." At this moment another man joined company with the three already on the ground. Fortunately for Juan el Zapote and the messenger, these four were precisely the same whom Pepe Lobos had ordered to go round by the Huajapam road, and as they had not yet been in communication with the party from the camp, they were ignorant of the fact that their old comrade, Zapote, was himself being pursued as a deserter. "Well," continued Zapote, "as I was saying, our Captain has sent me on an errand with my companion, Gaspar, here; and we are in the greatest haste." "What errand?" demanded Perico. "_Carrambo_! A secret mission; one that I daren't disclose to you. _Adios, amigo_! I am in a terrible hurry."