The crowd pressed around her, all eager to gratify their curiosity. Strange to say that this feeling predominated. There was less appearance of sympathy than might have been looked for under the circumstances. The number of those that uttered the "pobrecita!"--that tender expression of Mexican pity--was few; and they were principally the poor dark-skinned native women. The well-dressed shopkeepers, both Gachupinos and Criollos, both met and women, looked on with indifference, or with no other feeling than that of morbid curiosity. Such an indifference to suffering is by no means a characteristic of the New Mexican people--I should rather say of the females of that land--for the men are brutal enough. As regards the former, the very opposite character is theirs. Their conduct would be unaccountable, therefore, but for the knowledge of a fact which guided it on this occasion. They knew who the captive girl was--they knew she was the sister of Carlos the cibolero--Carlos _the murderer_! This it was that checked the flow of their bettor feelings. Against Carlos the popular indignation was strong. "Asesino", "ladron," "ingrato," were the terms used in speaking of him. A wretch! to have murdered the good lieutenant--the favourite of the place; and for what motive? Some paltry quarrel or jealousy! What motive, indeed? There seemed no motive but a thirst of blood on the part of this "demonio," this "guero heretico." Ungrateful wretch, too, to have attempted the life of the valiant Comandante--he who had been striving all he could to recover the assassin's sister from the Indian savages! And now he had actually succeeded! Only think of it! There she was, brought safe home again by the agency of this very Comandante, who had sent his captain and soldiers for her,--this very man whom he would have killed! _Demonio! asesino! ladron_! They would all be glad to see him seated in the chair of the "garrote." No "buen Catolico" would have acted as he had done--no one but a sinful "heretico"--a blood-loving "Americano"! How he would be punished _when caught_! Such were the feelings of all the populace, except, perhaps, the poor slaves--the _mansos_--and a very few Criollos, who, although not approving of the acts of Carlos, held revolutionary principles, and hated the Spanish _regime_ with all their hearts. With such prejudice against the cibolero, no wonder that there was but little sympathy for the forlorn creature, his sister: