All at once he heard shouts behind him, and the trampling of horses. These sounds were caused by the party sent in pursuit of him by Arroyo, and who were now returning to the camp. It need not be said that they had been unsuccessful, as they brought back with them, instead of the Colonel and the two runaways, only Suarez and Pacheco, still alive and well, but terribly frightened. For better security, Don Rafael advanced still further among the bamboos, carefully parting them with his hands as he moved forward; and the horsemen, though they rode past along the bank, only a short distance from where he was concealed, had not the slightest suspicion their enemy was so near. The most sharp-sighted eye could not have discovered his place of concealment. Still continuing to listen, he heard the plashing of the horses as they forded the crossing; and a few minutes after a profound silence reigned over the scene. CHAPTER SIXTY THREE. AN UNWILLING AMBASSADOR. On the afternoon of that same day--a little after the time when Don Rafael buried himself among the bamboos--the ex-student of theology, accompanied by Costal and Clara, was riding along the Huajapam road, at no great distance from the ford of the Ostuta. When near to this famous crossing, the three halted; and while their horses were picking up a little grass, Costal kept on a little further afoot--for the purpose of reconnoitring the ground upon the banks of the river. Meanwhile Clara busied himself in roasting, over a fire he had kindled, some green ears of maize corn, which, with a few pieces of dried beef (_cecina_), were to constitute the dinner of the party. Clara had taken the materials from his _alforjas_. After an interval of silence, the Captain commenced a conversation with the object of making to the negro a communication evidently deemed by him of some importance. "Listen to me, Clara!" said he; "we are entrusted with a commission which I need not tell you will require us to act with the greatest circumspection. I need not tell you that our carrying to this Captain Arroyo the threats of the General is a sufficiently dangerous errand. No more need I assure you that to enter the town of Oajaca is of a similar character. There the Royalists think no more of the head of an insurgent, than you of one of those ears of corn that you are roasting in the fire. What I wish of you, then, is--that you will drop the bad habit you have of calling me by the name of Lantejas; which, up to the present time, has brought me nothing but ill fortune. It was under that name I was proscribed; and I beg of you, therefore, that, for the future, both you and Costal will know me only by the name of _Don Lucas Alacuesta_. This last is the name of my mother's family, and it will serve my purpose as well as any other." "Enough said, Captain," rejoined the negro; "I shall not forget to obey your orders--even though I should have the axe of the executioner raised over my neck."