"Neither one nor the other. 'Tis said he's an Americano." "Americano!" "Not exactly that--his father was; but the padre here can tell all about him." The priest thus appealed to entertained the company with some facts in the history of the cibolero. His father had been an Americano, as it was supposed--some stray personage who had mysteriously found his way to the valley and settled in it long ago. Such instances were rare in the settlements of New Mexico; but what was rarer still, in this case the "Americano" was accompanied by an "Americana"--the mother of Carlos--and the same old woman who attracted so much attention on the day of San Juan. All the efforts of the padres to christianise either one or the other had been in vain. The old trapper--for such he was--died as he had lived--a blaspheming "heretico;" and there was a general belief in the settlement that his widow held converse with the devil. All this was a scandal to the Church, and the padres would long since have expelled the guero family, but that, for some reason or other, they were protected by the old Comandante--Vizcarra's predecessor--who had restrained the zealous priests in their good intention. "But, caballeros!" said the padre, glancing towards Vizcarra, "such heretics are dangerous citizens. In them lie the seeds of revolution and social disturbance; and when this guero is at home, he is seen only in the company of those we cannot watch too closely: he has been seen with some of the suspected Tagnos, several of whom are in his service." "Ha! with them, indeed!" exclaimed several. "A dangerous fellow!--he should be looked after." The sister of the cibolero now became the subject of conversation; and as remarks were made more or less complimentary to her beauty, the expression upon the face of Vizcarra kept constantly changing. That villain was more interested in the conversation than his guests were aware, and he had already formed his plans. Already his agents were out on the accomplishment of his atrocious designs. The transition from the cibolero's sister to the other belles of the place, and to the subject of woman in general, was natural; and the company were soon engaged in their original conversation, which, under the influence of additional wine, grew more "racy" than ever. The scene ended by several of the party becoming "boracho;" and the night being now far advanced, the guests took their leave, some of them requiring to be conducted to their homes. A soldier apiece accompanied the cura and padres, all three of whom were as "drunk as lords;" and it was no new thing for them. CHAPTER NINETEEN. The Comandante, with his friend Roblado, alone remained in the room, and continued the conversation with a fresh glass and cigar. "And you really think, Roblado, that the fellow had encouragement. I think so too, else he would never have dared to act as he did."