"You might be mistaken." "I do not believe it. However, I shall soon be certain." "What are you doing?" "As you see, I am dismounting." In fact, the American leapt from his horse, drew his pistols from the holsters, and walked toward the monk with a most quiet step and thoroughly natural air. "Why do you not go, as I advised you to do?" Fray Antonio continued. "For two reasons, my dear Señor. The first is, that I have no orders or advice to receive from you; the second, because I shall not be sorry to be present at the pretty little act of scoundrelism you are of course meditating." "Then your intention is--" "To defend my friend, by Heaven!" the American exclaimed, warmly. "What! your friend?" the monk said, in amazement: "why, only a minute ago you were trying to take his life." "My dear Señor," Davis remarked, ironically, "there are certain remarks whose sense you unhappily never catch. Understand me clearly: I am ready to kill this gentleman, but I will not consent to see him assassinated. That is clear enough, hang it all!" Fray Antonio burst into a laugh. "Singular man!" he said. "Am I not?" Then turning to his adversary, who still stood perfectly quiet, he continued: "My dear Colonel, we will resume, at a later date, the interesting interview which this worthy Padre so untowardly interrupted. For the present, permit me to restore you one of the pistols you so generously lent me; it is undoubted that these scamps will kill us; but, at any rate, we shall have the pleasure of settling three or four of them first." "Thank you, Davis," the Colonel answered, "I expected nothing less from you. I accept your proposition as frankly as you make it." And he took the pistol, and cocked it. The American took his place by his side, and bowed to the stranger with mocking courtesy. "Señores," he said, "you can charge us whenever you think proper, for we are prepared to sustain your charge bravely." "Ah, ah!" said Fray Antonio, "Then you really mean it?" "What!--mean it? The question seems to me somewhat simple; I suppose you think the hour and place well chosen for a joke?" The monk shrugged his shoulders, and turned to the men who accompanied him. "Be off!" he said. "In an hour I will join you again, you know where." The strangers gave a nod of assent, and disappeared almost instantaneously among the trees and shrubs. The monk then threw his weapons on the ground, and drew so near to the men as almost to touch them. "Are you still afraid?" he said; "It is I now who am in your power." "Halloh!" Davis said, as he uncocked his pistol, "why, what is the meaning of this?" "If, instead of taking me as a bandit, as you did, you had taken the trouble to reflect, you would have understood that I had but one object, and that was, to prevent the resumption of the obstinate fight which my presence so fortunately interrupted." "But how did you arrive here so opportunely?"