"You love this child very dearly," he said, as he drew her gently towards him, and kissed her on the forehead. She looked at him with widely opened eyes, but did not evince the slightest fear, or try to avoid his caresses. "You ask if I love her," the pirate answered; "that child is the joy and happiness of our house. Do you think, then," he added, with some bitterness, "that because we are outlawed bandits we have stifled every generous feeling in our hearts? Undeceive yourself. The jaguar and panther love their cubs, the grizzly bear cherishes its whelps; should we be more ferocious than these animals, which are regarded as the most cruel in creation? Yes, yes, we love our White Gazelle! She is our good genius, our guardian angel; so long as she remains among us we shall succeed in everything, for good fortune accompanies her." "Oh, in that case, father," she said eagerly, "you will always be fortunate, for I shall never leave you." "Who can answer for the future?" he muttered in a choking voice, while a cloud of sorrow spread over his manly face. "You are a happy father," the Scalper said, with a profound sigh. "Yes, am I not? White Gazelle is not mine alone, she belongs to us all; she is our adopted daughter." "Ah!" said the Scalper, without adding anything more, and letting his head drop sadly. "Go, child," Sandoval exclaimed, "go and sleep, for night is drawing on." The child withdrew, after saluting the three men with a soft glance, and soon disappeared in the depths of a side gallery. The Captain looked after her so long as he could perceive her, then turning to his guests, who, like himself, had remained under the spell of this touching scene, he said-- "Follow me, Señores; it is growing late, you must be hungry, and need rest. The hospitality I am enabled to offer you will be modest, but frank and cordial." The two men bowed and followed him into a gallery, on each side of which were cells enclosed by large mats fastened to the walls in the shape of curtains; at regular distances torches of ocote wood, fixed in iron rings, spread a reddish and smoky light, sufficient, however to guide them. After walking for about ten minutes, and traversing several passages communicating with each other and forming a regular labyrinth, in which anyone else must inevitably have lost his way, the Captain stopped before a cell, and raising the curtains that formed the doorway, made his companions a sign to enter. Sandoval followed them, and let the mat fall again behind him.