"I have told you," replied Clara, in a resolute tone, "that I wish for gold; and it matters little to me whether Tlaloc or his wife shows me the _placer_ where it is to be found. By all the gods, Christian and pagan! I have not come thus far to be frightened back without better reason than that. No!" "You are firmly resolved, comrade? I see you are. Now, then--I shall proceed to invoke my gods." On saying these words, the Indian took up a large stone, and advancing to the boulder of obsidian, struck the stone against one of its angles with all his might. The collision produced a sound resembling that of a brazen instrument; in fact, like the stroke of a bell. Twelve times did Costal repeat the stroke, each time with equal force. The sounds echoed over the waters of the lake, and through the aisles of the forest on its shores; but their distant murmurings had scarce died upon the air, when a response came from the woods. This was given in a series of the most frightful howlings--the same which had terrified Captain Lantejas upon his tree, and which Don Mariano had found himself unable to explain. Clara partook of a terror almost equal to that of Don Cornelio, but it arose from a different cause. He had no other belief, but that the howling thus heard was the response vouchsafed by the pagan gods to the invocation of his companion. After a moment his confidence became restored, and he signed to Costal to continue. "Sound again!" said he, in a low but firm voice, "it is Tlaloc who has responded. Sound again!" The Indian cast a glance upon his companion, to assure himself that he was in earnest. The moon showed his face of a greyish tint; but the expression of his features told that he spoke seriously. "Bah!" exclaimed Costal, with a sneer, "are you so little skilled in the ways of the woods, as to mistake the voice of a vile animal for that of the gods of the Zapoteque?" "What an animal to make a noise like that?" interrogated Clara, in a tone of surprise. "Of course it is an animal," rejoined Costal, "that howls so. Sufficiently frightful, I admit--to those who do not know what sort of creature it is; but to those who do, it is nothing." "What kind of animal is it?" demanded Clara. "Why, an ape; what else? A poor devil of a monkey, that you could knock over with a bit of a stick; as easily as you could kill an opossum. Ah, _hombre_! the voice of the great Tlaloc is more terrible than that. But see! what have we yonder?" As Costal spoke, he pointed to the shore of the lake whence they had come, and near the point where they had left their horses. It was in this direction, moreover, the howlings of the ape had been heard. Clara followed the pointing of his companion, and both now saw what gave a sudden turn to their thoughts--a party of horsemen carrying torches, and scouring the selvage of the woods, as if in search of something they had lost.