"I a spy!--a spy! Ha, ha, ha! Senor Capitan, you are jesting?"
"I hope, senorita, _you_ are in earnest. You are no spy, then?--you
bear no dispatch for our enemy?"
"Nothing of the sort, mio capitan;" and she continued her light
laughter.
"Why, then, did you try to make away from us?"
"Ah, cavallero! are you not Tejanos? Do not be offended when I tell you
that your people bear but an indifferent reputation among us Mexicans."
"But your attempt to escape was, to say the least, rash and imprudent:
you risked life by it."
"_Carrambo_, yes! I perceive I did;" and she looked significantly at
the mustang, while a bitter smile played upon her lips. "I perceive it
now; I did not then. I did not think there was a horseman in all your
troop could come up with me. _Merced_! there was _one_. _You_ have
overtaken me: _you alone_ could have done it."
As she uttered these words, her large brown eyes were once more turned
upon me--not in a fixed gaze, but wandering. She scanned me from the
forage-cap on my crown to the spur upon my heel. I watched her eye with
eager interest: I fancied that its scornful expression was giving way; I
fancied there was a ray of tenderness in the glance, I would have given
the world to have divined her thoughts at that moment.
Our eyes met, and parted in mutual embarrassment--at least I fancied so;
for on turning again, I saw that her head drooped, and her gaze was
directed downward, as if some new thought occupied her.
For some moments, both were silent. We might have remained longer thus,
but it occurred to me that I was acting rudely. The lady was still my
captive. I had not yet given her permission to depart: I hastened to
tender it.
"Spy or no spy, senorita, I shall not detain you. I shall bear the
risk: you are free to go."
"_Gracias I cavallero_! And now, since you have behaved so handsomely,
I shall set your mind at rest about the _risk_. Read!"
She handed me a folded paper; at a glance, I recognised the _safe-guard_
of the commander-in-chief, enjoining upon all to respect its bearer--the
_Dona Isolina de Vargas_.
"You perceive, mio capita I was not your captive after all? Ha! ha!
ha!"
"Lady, you are too general not to pardon the rudeness to which you have
been subjected?"
"Freely, capitan--freely."
"I shudder at thought of the risk you have run. Why did you act with
such imprudence? Your sudden flight at sight of our picket caused
suspicion, and of course it was our duty to follow and capture you.
With the safeguard, you had no cause for flight."
"Ha! it was that very safe-guard that caused me to fly."
"The safe-guard, senorita? Pray, explain!"
"Can I trust _your_ prudence, capitan?"
"I promise--"
"Know, then, that I was not certain you were _Americanos_; for aught I
could see, you might have been a guerilla of my _countrymen_. How would
it be if this paper, and sundry others I carry, were to fall into the
hands of Caiales? You perceive, capitan, we fear our _friends_ more
than our _enemies_."