So it was that for the time being I found myself received into the society of the most powerful official of the North Province with a favor as cloudless and warm as the blue sky above his chief town. Yet, on the other hand, having been requested by His Excellency to prescribe for the dropsy with which he was , I laid myself open to trouble by giving a treatment different from that prescribed by the who was his regular physician. The result was soon evident in the poisoning of His Excellency's mind against the heretic.  
But in the few hours of practical liberty which intervened, I had the good fortune to meet my fellow-countryman, James Pursley. He proved to be one of our typical gaunt, long-legged Kentuckians, with a bearded face as and formidable as that of our fighting . Still better proof of his daring character lay in the fact that he had been wandering on the prairies for two years or more before he fell in with the great company of Comanches and Kyoways whose encampment we had found on the headwaters of the Platte, and with whom he had come south to the vicinity of the Spanish settlements. Venturing into Santa Fe, he had been fairly well received by the Spanish, and though forbidden to leave certain bounds, was otherwise free, and doing quite well as a carpenter.
 
As my attendant corporal knew nothing else than Spanish, Pursley and I were able to talk with the utmost freedom. When, in the midst of the account of his truly adventures, he told how he had found gold on the upper reaches of the Platte, westerly of the Grand Peak, and how he had refused to the place to the Spaniards because it might lie within the bounds of Louisiana Territory, I became so convinced of his and that I in him the circumstances of our party.
 
He was immensely interested, but shook his head over my suggestion that he should attempt to join the expedition. He did not see how this could be of any benefit either to the party or to himself, especially, he explained, as Allencaster had already sent out well-mounted spies to find and report on the party of hunters with whom I claimed companionship. He, Pursley, could not hope to overtake these expert horsemen; while, on the other hand, if caught trying to escape, he would surely be jailed in the terrible calabozo.
 
In the midst of our argument of the question, I was summoned into the presence of the Governor. He met me with a frown, and showed how closely I had been watched by ordering me to hold no further communication with Pursley. My attempt at a French flung him into a passion, in which he decreed my exile to San Fernandez, a tiny village four days south of Santa Fe, there to remain in the charge of Malgares until word should come from Chihuahua.
 
Finding His Excellency thus once more harshly disposed, I was not altogether reluctant at being , more especially as my exile was in the direction I wished to travel. Nor did I regret the change when I came to San Fernandez and made the acquaintance of Lieutenant Don Faciendo Malgares.
 
He was, I soon learned, the son of one of the royal judges of the Kingdom of New Spain, and immensely wealthy. But neither his birth nor his wealth prevented him from being the most gentleman I have ever met. That he was a daring and dashing officer was evident from his modest account of that remarkable excursion through the heart of the Comanche country and north to the Pawnees.
 
The question of his expedition chanced to come up within a week after my arrival, and having already his character, I felt free to rally him upon his invasion of our .
 
"Nom de Dieu!" I mocked, as he concluded by telling how his party had returned southward from the Arkansas, along the outer face of the front range of mountains, and into Santa Fe through an easy pass of that town. "Nom de Dieu! you invade territory indisputably ours with a force little short of a ; yet when I would repay the compliment,—one man, lost in the Western wilds, your righteous Governor has a mind to garrotte me!"
 
"Not he, señor," replied Malgares. "Rest assured he will leave that to the decision of the Governor-General."
 
"He will send me to Chihuahua!" I exclaimed.
 
"I fear as much, señor. There can be little doubt that General Salcedo will order you before him."
 
"Quien sabe?" I muttered, affecting a doleful tone. My fear had been that I might be sent the other way. A sudden thought brought my hand to my . "Perdone, señor lieutenant, if I seem impertinent, but is it usual for Spanish officers to present with banners by the ladies?"
 
He stared at me blankly. "Embroidered banners?"
 
"I chanced to visit that Pawnee town some three weeks after yourself. Examining the flag you left, I observed upon its lower corner—"
 
"Ah!" he interrupted, "I comprehend. The flag from Señorita Vallois. But I assure you, Señor Robinson, it was the lady's own . She requested me to fly her banner at the point where I should make nearest approach to your settlements."
 
"Ah!" I exclaimed, in turn, masking my delight with difficulty. "So your Spanish señoritas still send out their errant bearing their colors."
 
"True," he replied. "Yet you mistake in part. It was not Señora Malgares who gave me the banner in question, but her friend, Señorita Vallois."
 
"Vallois?" I repeated;—"Vallois? That is a French name."
 
"No less is it Spanish, señor; though it is in point that my friend Don Pedro claims descent from French . One can well believe the claim in the presence of his niece."
 
"My word to that!" I cried. "She's the most beautiful lady under heaven!"
 
"Santisima Virgen!" he exclaimed. "You know her?"
 
"I had the honor of meeting her in my own country."
 
By a flash of intuition he divined all on the instant. "Dios!" he murmured, and he swept me a wide bow. "A love that could draw a man across that vast desolation of desert and sierra! Most unjust the fate that would not the deed!"
 
"You have seen her. Do you wonder that I should have made the venture?"
 
"Less than a year has passed since I won my own lady," he said. "The grant that I may be the one to escort you to Chihuahua! I have not seen my señora since I marched north, last year."
 
When a Spaniard opens his heart to you, count on it you have found a friend. I nodded understandingly.
 
"Ah, my Dolores! my niña!" he sighed.
 
"But she is yours; you have already won her; while I—!"
 
He nodded, in turn. "My Dolores writes that every bachelor of Chihuahua, from the greatest haciendados to the youngest sub-lieutenants, are suitors for the hand of Señorita Alisanda. Yet take heart. At the last writing, not even Medina had won recognition from her."
 
"Medina?" I inquired, full of jealous inquietude.
 
"Salcedo's favorite aide-de-camp,—a fellow."
 
"Could you not take it upon yourself to hurry me south at once?" I urged.
 
"Poder de Dios! I, a soldier, to march without orders? But be assured. The order will come before many weeks. In the meantime we should prepare." He looked me over smilingly. "It will never do for you to come before your lady in this costume. Great is my regret that in this remote village we cannot find you garments after the European mode, yet there are worse than that of a Spanish country gentleman—a caballero rusticano."
 
Notwithstanding my protests against upon his , he insisted upon at once conducting me to a man to tailor the Spanish modes. Within the next fortnight I was completely fitted out à la Española from top to toe. But although it was the first time I had ever worn the costume, I cannot say that in the company of similarly Spaniards I felt ill at ease in these garments. In part at least they were well adapted to the needs of this hot, climate, particularly the broad-brimmed shade-hat, or sombrero. Silk stockings and Spanish breeches, buttoned down the outer seams and open below the knees, took the place of my pantaloons and leggings. For belt I wore a sash of silk, with ends like a lady's drape. Above it was a waistcoat as large as the jacket was short, while the circular cloak over all gave me quite the air of an hidalgo. My one difficulty was with the stiff jack-boots upon which jangled my barbarously gaffed spurs. After months of freedom in moccasins, my feet found this hard barely endurable even when I was mounted.
 
In return for the numberless courtesies of Malgares, I was able to make part payment by practising among the people. It was, at the same time, a most interesting experience to come into intimate contact with the population, from the gachupines, or Spaniards of Old Spain, and the native-born Spaniards, whom we call creoles, to the far more numerous mestizos, or mixed-bloods, and their half-brothers, the , or tame Indians.
 
One day I had gone up to see a patient at Atrisco, a little village next below Albuquerque. It was, as I remember, the seventh of March, exactly a month after I had left my comrades at the in the valley. The Commandant, at whose house I was staying, had borrowed for me a Spanish grammar from Father Ambrosio, and I was deep in the verbs, when my host stepped into the room, with a bow and a introduction: "Perdone, hermano! Present usted Señor el Capitan Mun-go-meri-paike, your compatriot."
 
I started up, and found myself confronting—Pike!
 
He stared back at me, half in doubt that it could be I, so vast was the change in my appearance and health.
 
"John!" he exclaimed. "It cannot be!"
 
"Yet it is," I replied, with delight.
 
There could be no mistaking him, if only that he still wore his scarlet fur-lined cap and blanket cloak,—though much of his dress was new, and his face presented far other than the ghastly, aspect it had worn at our parting.
 
But as I reached out to clasp his hand, he suddenly recalled our agreement not to recognize one another, and drew back with . "Who are you, sir? I do not know you."
 
"'T is of no use, Montgomery!" I cried. "I cannot hide my friendship. I should call out to you though they had the garrotte at my neck. What is more, the secret is out. I have already confessed my connection with the expedition to Lieutenant Malgares, who, though a Spaniard, has proved himself a true friend. I could no longer endure the thought of from him. It has not cost me his friendship; and I am prepared to risk the worst his superiors can upon me."
 
"No, no, John!" he protested. "We shall all come through safely, and you shall win your lady."
 
"Ah! Alisanda! My thanks for the good wish. But you?" I demanded. "Are you and the men also prisoners in the hands of that capricious Governor?"
 
"Prisoners!" he repeated, dropping his hand on his sword-hilt. "Does this look like it? No! They us into Santa Fe with false promises. But my men still carry their guns and . Let the so much as raise a finger against us, and we will flee to their enemies the Apaches, and lead the savages against their settlements!"
 
"We could do it!" I cried. "Yet first—"
 
"First you would go to Chihuahua; and so would I," he , his blue eyes twinkling. "I made a loud protest when this over-wise Governor said it was necessary for me to go south. But we are going as 'guests under '—not as prisoners, please note, John. The addle-pated don did not know enough to send us packing the shortest way out of the country, to the Red River,—which, it seems, lies far to the eastward, in the Comanche nation. No! he must needs march us down through the heart of the Northern Provinces. Could we ask more?"
 
"Not if Salcedo sets you free."
 
"Sets me free? No less yourself, John!"
 
I shook my head . But at the moment there entered a Captain D'Almansa, whom I had met at Santa Fe, and who, I now learned, was conducting down the Lieutenant and his men to place them under the escort of Malgares. When Pike explained to him that I had been a member of the expedition, the old captain smiled knowingly. Few among the Spaniards had doubted my connection with the mad Americanos after the party was brought in.
 
We left D'Almansa in the house, seated over a bottle of spirits with my host, and went out to where the six privates who had come with the Lieutenant from the stockade were in waiting. I was rejoiced to see that, though still for the most part clad in their tatters, their rounding cheeks showed the welcome effects of Spanish hospitality, and that the ones worst frosted now hardly limped in their gait. Not one of them had been required to walk a mile since leaving the fort, horses having been provided t............