Shortly after a messenger came up to say that his horse was saddled and ready. He was about to descend the escalera, when a large closely-cropped head--with a circular patch about the size of a blister shaven out of the crown--made its appearance over the stone-work at the top of the escalera. It was the head of the Padre Joaquin, and the next moment the owner, bland and smiling, appeared upon the azotea. CHAPTER FIFTY. The monk who presented himself was the same who had figured at the dinner-party. He was the senior of the two that directed the mission, and in every respect the ruler of the establishment. He was known as the Padre Joaquin, while his junior was the Padre Jorge. The latter was a late addition to the post, whereas Padre Joaquin had been its director almost since the time of its establishment. He was, therefore, an old resident, and knew the history and character of every settler in the valley. For some reason or other he held an inveterate dislike to the family of the cibolero, to which he had given expression upon the evening of the dinner-party,--although he assigned no cause for his hostility. It could not have been because he regarded them as "hereticos," for, though the Padre Joaquin was loud in his denunciations of all who were outside the pale of the Church, yet in his own heart he cared but little about such things. His zeal for religion was sheer hypocrisy and worldly cunning. There was no vice practised in the settlement in which Padre Joaquin did not take a leading part. An adroit _monte_ player he was--ready to do a little cheating upon occasions--a capital judge of game "gallos," ever ready to stake his onzas upon a "main." In addition to these accomplishments, the padre boasted of others. In his cups,--and this was nothing unusual,--he was in the habit of relating the _liaisons_ and _amourettes_ of his earlier life, and even some of later date. Although the neophytes of the mission were supposed to be all native Tagnos with dark skins, yet there was to be seen upon the establishment quite a crowd of young _mestizoes_, both boys and girls, who were known as the "sobrinos" and "sobrinas" of Padre Joaquin. You cannot otherwise than deem this an exaggeration: you will imagine that no reverend father could practise such conduct, and still be held in any sort of respect by the people among whom he dwelt? So should I have thought had I not witnessed with my own eyes and ears the "priest-life" of Mexico. The immoralities here ascribed to Padre Joaquin can scarcely be called exceptional in his class. They are rather common than otherwise--some have even said _universal_. It was no zealous feeling of religion, then, that could have "set" the monk in such hostile attitude against the family of the poor cibolero. No. It was some old grudge against the deceased father,--some cross which the padre had experienced from him in the days of the former Comandante.