"Good!" the latter muttered. "Our friend is punctual; but, as the wisdom of nations says somewhere that prudence is the mother of surety, let us be prudent: that can do no harm when dealing with such scamps."
And the worthy hunter set the hammer of his rifle. After taking this precaution he left the thicket in which he had been concealed, and advanced with apparent resolution, but still without neglecting any precaution to avoid a surprise, toward the spot whence the reply to his signal had come. When he had covered about half the distance four or five persons came forward to meet him.
"Oh, oh!" the hunter said; "these people appear very eager to speak with me. Attention!"
Hereupon he stopped, raised his rifle to his shoulder, and aimed at the nearest man.
"Halt," he said, "or I fire!"
"Capo de Dios! you are quick, caballero," an ironical voice answered. "You do not allow yourself to be easily approached; but uncock your rifle – you see that we are unarmed."
"Apparently so, I grant; but who guarantees me that you have not arms concealed about your person?"
"My honour, sir," the first speaker answered haughtily. "Would you venture to doubt it?"
The hunter laughed.
"I doubt everything at night, when I am alone in the desert, and see before me four men whom I have every reason for believing are not my friends."
"Come, come, sir, a little more politeness, if you please."
"I wish nothing more. Still, you requested this interview; hence you are bound to accept my conditions, and not I yours."
"As you please, Don Valentine: you shall arrange matters as you will. Still, the first time we had a conference together, I found you much more facile."
"I do not deny it. Come alone, and we will talk."
The stranger gave his companions a sign to stop where they were, and advanced alone.
"That will do," the hunter said as he uncocked his rifle, and rested the butt on the ground, crossing his hands over the muzzle.
The man to whom Valentine displayed so little confidence, or, to speak more clearly, whom he doubted so greatly, was no other than General Don Sebastian Guerrero.
"There, now you must be satisfied. I think I have given you a great proof of my condescension," the general said as he joined him.
"You have probably your reasons for it," the hunter replied, with a cunning look.
"Sir!" the general haughtily objected.
"Let us be brief and clear, like men who appreciate one another correctly," Valentine said dryly. "I am neither a fool nor a man infatuated with his own merits; hence frankness, reciprocal frankness, can alone bring us to any understanding, if that be possible, though I doubt it."
"What do you suppose, then, sir?"
"I suppose nothing, general. I am certain of what I assert, that is all. What probability is there that a great personage like you, general, Governor of Sonora, and Lord knows what else, would lower yourself to solicit from a poor fellow of a hunter like myself an interview at night, in the heart of the desert, unless he hoped to obtain a great advantage from that interview? A man must be mad or a fool not to see that at the first glance; and Heaven be thanked, I am neither one nor the other."
"Suppose that things are as you state?"
"Suppose it, then; I have no objection. Now come to facts."
"Hum! that does not appear to me so easy with you."
"Why so? Our first relations, as you reminded me just now, ought to have proved to you that I am easy enough in business matters."
"That is true. Still the transaction I have to propose to you is of rather a peculiar nature, and I am afraid – "
"What of? That I shall refuse? Hang it! you understand there is a risk to be incurred."
"No; I am afraid that you will not exactly catch the spirit of the affair, and feel annoyed."
"Do you think so? After all, that is possible. Would you like me to save you the trouble of an explanation?"
"How so?"
"Listen to me."
The two men were standing just two paces apart, looking in each other's eyes. Still Valentine, ever on his guard, was carefully watching, though not appearing to do so, the four men left behind.
"Speak!" the general said.
"General, you wish simply to propose to me that I should sell my friend."
Don Sebastian, at these words, pronounced with a cutting accent, involuntarily gave a sign of surprise, and fell back a pace.
"Sir!"
"Is it true – yes or no?"
"You employ terms – " the general stammered.
"Terms have nothing to do with the matter. Now that you have discovered Don Louis is not the accomplice you hoped to find, who would raise you to the president's chair, and as you despair of changing his views, you wish to get rid of him – that is natural."
"Sir!"
"Let me continue. For that purpose you can hit on nothing better than buying him. Indeed, you are used to such transactions. I have in my hands the proofs of several which do you a great deal of honour."
The general was livid with terror and rage. He clenched his fists and stamped, while uttering unconnected words. The hunter seemed not to notice this agitation, and continued imperturbably, —
"Still you are mistaken in applying to me. I am no Dog-face, a fellow with whom you made a famous bargain some years ago. I have dealt in cattle, but never in human flesh. Each man has his speciality, and I leave that to you."
"Stay, sir!" the general exclaimed in a paroxysm of fury. "What do you want to come to? Did you accept this interview for the purpose of insulting me?"
Valentine shrugged his shoulders.
"You do not believe it," he said: "that would be too childish. I want to propose a business transaction."
"What!"
"Or a bargain, if you prefer that term."
"What is its nature?"
"I can tell you in two words. I have in my possession various papers, which, if they saw light, and were, handed to certain persons, might cost you not only your fortune, but possibly your life."
"Papers!" Don Sebastian stammered.
"Yes, general; your correspondence with a certain North American diplomatist, to whom you offered to deliver Sonora and one or two other provinces, if the United Sates supplied you with the means to seize the presidency of the Mexican Republic."
"And you have those papers?" the general said with ill-restrained anxiety.
"I have the letters, with your correspondent's answers."
"Here?"
"Of course," Valentine said with a laugh.
"Then you will die!" the general yelled, bounding like a panther on the hunter.
But the latter was on his guard. By a movement as quick as his adversary's, he seized the general by the throat, threw himself upon him, and laid his foot on his chest.
"One step further," he said coldly to the general's companions, who were running up at full speed to his aid, "one step, and he is a dead man."
Certainly the general was a brave man. Many times he had supplied unequivocal proofs of a courage carried almost to temerity: still he saw such resolution flashing in the hunter's tawny eye, that he felt a shudder pass through all his limbs – he was lost, he was afraid.
"Stop, stop!" he cried in a choking voice to his friends.
The latter obeyed.
"I could kill you," Valentine said; "you are really in my power; but what do