"Useless, angelito! Cocom knows that no other person than ourselves would dare to steal the Chalchuih Tlatonac. I was with him all the time, so he will know it cannot be me. Naturally enough, he will think it is you." "And therefore betray us?" "No, I do not think he will do that. After all his trouble, it would be foolish of him to now play the traitor, for then his concurrence in our escape would become known, and get him into bad odour with the priests. But it is possible that he might insist on your leaving the opal behind, to be sent back to Totatzine." "No," cried Dolores, decisively; "I will rather throw it into the sea. Now that the gem is away from the shrine, those horrid priests may stop sacrificing men to the idol. Besides," she added, naïvely "it is mine." "Ah! that is an all-sufficient reason," replied Duval, smiling. "Like all women, querida, you are fond of gems, and do not like to part with this one." "It is very beautiful," sighed Dolores, taking the stone from her breast. "See how it glitters, Juanito. Ah! what is that?" A long, shrill whistle sounded outside the cave. "Cocom!" cried Jack, starting to his feet. "Hide the opal for the present, Dolores." It was indeed Cocom who entered. Cocom looking much older than usual, and quite worn out with his long journey from Totatzine. He saluted them gravely, and wrapping himself in his zarape crouched on the floor of the cave, with his eyes intently fixed on them both. The expression of his face was as usual, and Jack was quite unable to decide whether he approved of or resented the rape of the shining precious stone. "You look tired, Cocom," said Jack, passing him a flask of aguardiente. "Take a drink of this. It will do you good." The old man greedily seized the flask, and drained it to the bottom. As it was more than half full Jack fully expected to see him fall helplessly intoxicated on the floor. But Cocom's head was seasoned to strong drink, and it only made him look younger, as though the aguardiente were a draught from the fountain of Youth. "Have you it, Señorita?" he asked, fixing his beady eyes on Dolores. "Yes," replied Dolores, off her guard. "That is, I----" "Bueno!" said Cocom, nodding his head. "You have the opal. I am content." Jack drew a long breath of relief. Cocom's sympathy with the idolatry of his youth was not evidently strong enough to stir him into protest against the gem being stolen. Or perhaps he deemed that Dolores had more right to it than Huitzilopochtli. At all events, he did not seem ill-pleased that she was now in possession of the celebrated stone. "What say the priests, Cocom?" he asked anxiously. "They are in despair, Señor, over the loss of the sacred stone." "Do they know who has taken it?" Cocom pointed one copper-coloured finger at Dolores. "They knew that the Chalchuih Tlatonac is with the guardian; but they think that the guardian and you, Señor, are at the bottom of the cañon--in the bed of the torrent."