"No--yesterday evening," he said, with a bitter smile. "I do not at all understand you." "Well, listen to me. What I am going to tell you is not long, but it is important, I promise you." "I am listening." "We form, as you are doubtless aware, the extreme rear guard of the Army of Liberation." "Yes, I know that, and it helped me in finding your trail." "Very good; hence hardly a day passes in which we do not exchange musket shots and sabre cuts with the Mexicans." "Go on." "Yesterday--you see it is not stale--we were suddenly charged by forty Mexican Horse; it was about three in the afternoon, when General Houston was crossing the river with the main body. We had orders to offer a desperate resistance, in order to protect the retreat. This order was needless; at the sight of the Mexicans we rushed madly upon them, and the action at once commenced. After a few minutes' fighting the Mexicans gave way, and finally fled, leaving three or four dead on the battlefield. Too weak to pursue the enemy, I had given my soldiers orders to return, and was myself preparing to do the same, when two flying Mexicans, instead of continuing their flight, stopped, and fastening their handkerchiefs to their sabre blades, made me a signal that they desired to parley. I approached the two men, who bore a greater likeness to bandits than to soldiers; and one of them, a man of tall stature and furious looks, said to me at once, when I asked them what they wanted-- "'To do you a service, if you are, as I suppose, the Jaguar.' "'Yes, I am he,' I answered, 'but what is your name? Who are you?' "'It is of little consequence who I am, provided that my intentions are good.' "'Still, I must know them.' "'Hum!' he said, 'you are very distrustful, Comirado.' "'Come, Sandoval,' the other horseman said, in a voice gentle as a woman's, as he suddenly joined in the conversation, 'do not beat about thus, but finish your business.' "'I ask nothing better than to finish,' he replied, coarsely; 'it is this gentleman who compels me to swerve, when I wished to go straight ahead.' "The second rider, shrugged his shoulders with a disdainful smile, and turned to me. "'In a word, Caballero, here is a paper, which a person, in whom you take great interest, requested us to deliver to you.'" "I eagerly seized the paper, and prepared to open it, for a secret foreboding warned me of misfortune. "'No,' the Mexican continued eagerly arresting my hand, 'wait till you have joined your men again, to read that letter.' "'I consent,' I said, 'but I presume you do not intend to do me a gratuitous service, whatever its nature may be?' "'Why so?' "'Because you do not know me, and the interest you take in me must be very slight.' "'Perhaps so,' the rider answered; 'still, pledge yourself to nothing, I warn you, till you know the contents of that letter.'