"What is the matter then?" the Colonel asked, astounded at this reception, which he was far from expecting, for he had left the camp so quiet, and found it on his return so noisy. "You shall know, Señores," the General added addressing the officers in the room: "be kind enough not to go away. I shall be with you in an instant. Follow me, Colonel." Don Juan bowed, and passed into an adjoining room, the door of which the General shut after him. Hardly were they alone, ere the General took the young man affectionately by one of his coat buttons, and fixed on him a glance that seemed trying to read the depths of his heart. "Since your departure," he said, "we have had a visit from a friend of yours." "A friend of mine?" the young man repeated. "Or, at any rate, of a man who gives himself out as such." "I only know one man in this country," the Colonel replied distinctly, "who, despite the opinions that divide us, can justly assume that title." "And that man is?" "The Jaguar." "Do you feel a friendship for him?" "Yes." "But he is a bandit." "Possibly he is so to you, General; from your point of sight, it is possible that you are right. I neither descry his character, nor condemn him; I am attached to him, for he saved my life." "But you fight against him, for all that." "Certainly; for being hurled into two opponent camps, each of us serves the cause that appears to him the better. But, for all that, we are not the less attached to each other in our hearts." "I am not at all disposed to blame you, my friend, for our inclinations should be independent of our political opinions. But let us return to the subject which at this moment is the most interesting to us. A man, I say, presented himself during your absence at the outposts as being a friend of yours." "That is strange," the Colonel muttered, searching his memory; "and did he mention his name?" "Of course; do you think I would have received him else? However, he is in this very house, for I begged him to await your return." "But his name, my dear General?" "He calls himself Don Felix Paz." "Oh," the Colonel exclaimed eagerly, "he spoke the truth, General, for he is really one of my dearest friends." "Then we can place in him----" "Full and entire confidence; I answer for him on my head," the young officer interrupted warmly. "I am the more pleased at what you tell me, because this man assured me that he held in his hands means that would enable us to give the rebels a tremendous thrashing." "If he has promised it, General, he will do so without doubt. I presume you have had a serious conversation with him?" "Not at all. You understand, my friend, that I was not willing, till I had previously conversed with you, to listen to this man, who after all might have been a spy of the enemy." "Capital reasoning; and what do you propose doing now?"