"By Jove!" Tranquil exclaimed all at once, "Heaven will be careful not to pardon you if it has not been done so long ago. Men like you are somewhat rare in the desert, comrade!" Loyal Heart smiled gently at this simple outburst of the hunter. "Come, my friend, now that you know me thoroughly, give me your advice frankly; whatever it may be, I promise you to follow it." "Well, my advice is very simple; it is that you should come with us." "But I tell you I am a Mexican." The Canadian burst into a laugh. "Eh, eh," he said; "I fancied you stronger than that, on my honour." "What do you mean?" "Hang it, it is as clear as day." "I am convinced, my friend, that you can only offer me honourable advice, so I am listening to you with the most serious attention." "Well, you shall judge; I shall not take long to convince you." "I ask nothing better." "Well, let us proceed regularly. What is Mexico?" "What do you mean?" "Well; is it a kingdom or an empire?" "It is a Confederation." "Very good; that is to say, Mexico is a republic, formed of several Confederated States." "Yes," Loyal Heart said, with a smile. "Better still; then Sonora and Texas, for instance, are free States, and able to separate from the Confederation, if they think proper?" "Ah, ah," said Loyal Heart, "I did not expect that." "I thought you did not. Well, you see, my friend, that the Mexico of today, which is neither that of Motecuhzoma nor that of the Spaniards, since the first merely comprised the plateau of Mexico, and the second, under the name of New Spain, a part of central America, is only indirectly your country, since you were born neither in Mexico nor Veracruz, but in Sonora. You said so yourself. Hence, if you, a Sonorian, assist the Texans, you only follow the general example, and are no traitor to your country. What have you to answer to that?" "Nothing; save that your reasoning, though specious, is not without a certain amount of logic." "Which means that you are convinced?" "Not the least in the world. Still, I accept your proposition, and will do what you wish." "That is a conclusion I was far from expecting, after the beginning of your sentence." "Because, under the Texan idea, there is another, and it is that I wish to help you in carrying out." "Ah!" the Canadian remarked, in surprise. Loyal Heart bent over to him. "Have you not a certain affair to settle with the White Scalper, or have you forgotten it?" The hunter started, and warmly pressed the young man's hand. "Thanks," he said. At this moment Black-deer entered the rancho. "I wish to speak with my brother," he said to Loyal Heart. "Is my brother willing to speak before my friends the pale hunters?" "The pale hunters are the guests of the Comanches; Black-deer will speak before them," the Chief answered. CHAPTER XXIV. IN THE DESERT.