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322
© 2012 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated,
or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.
Chapter 8—Output, Price, and Profit: The Importance of Marginal Analysis
TRUE/FALSE
1. Once a firm has selected a price for its product, quantity is decided by consumers and their demand
curves.
ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Easy NAT: Analytic
LOC: Supply and demand TOP: Price and Quantity: One Decision, Not Two
2. Price and output decisions are two aspects of the same choice.
3. Economists assume that business firms attempt to maximize their profits.
4. Economists assume that business firms have many goals, and profit maximization is just one of them.
ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate NAT: Analytic
5. A firm's total profit is the difference between its sales and what it pays out in costs.
LOC: The Study of economics, and definitions in economics
TOP: Total Profit: Keep Your Eye on the Goal
6. Economists and accountants have very different definitions of profit.
TOP: Economic Profit and Optimal Decision Making
7. Economists and accountants use the same definition of profit.
ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Easy NAT: Analytic
8. Accounting profit is usually larger than economic profit.
ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate NAT: Analytic

323
9. Accounting profit is usually smaller than economic profit.
10. A firm that is earning zero economic profit should go out of business.
11. A small business owner who is earning a positive economic profit, no matter how small, is doing better
than if she sold her business and went to work for another firm.
12. A firm's total revenue is simply the price of its product multiplied by the quantity sold.
13. Total revenue is equal to quantity multiplied by average revenue.
14. Total revenue cannot be derived from the demand curve or a demand schedule.
15. It can be shown that average revenue and price are always equal.
16. Average revenue is slightly higher than price.

324
17. The average revenue curve can also be described as the demand curve.
18. Marginal, average, and total figures are bound together. If any two are known, the third can be
calculated.
19. The addition to total revenue resulting from one more unit of output is called marginal revenue.
20. Marginal revenue equals the change in total revenue that is earned by selling one more unit of output.
LOC: Marginal costs & benefits TOP: Economic Profit and Optimal Decision Making
21. Marginal revenue is the addition to total revenue resulting from the addition of one unit to total output.
22. Average cost can be thought of as the cost per unit.
23. Average cost is the cost of producing the next unit.
24. Marginal cost curves and average cost curves are both purely upward sloping.
25. Marginal cost is defined by the slope of the total revenue curve.

325
26. If marginal cost is less than average cost, average cost must fall when more units are produced.
27. If marginal cost of an additional unit of output is greater than average cost, then average cost will rise.
28. If marginal cost is rising, then average cost must be rising.
29. If average cost is falling, then marginal cost must be falling.
30. Average cost equals total cost multiplied by the number of units of output.
31. Total cost equals average cost multiplied by the quantity of output.
LOC: Costs of production TOP: Economic Profit and Optimal Decision Making
32. A firm that sells at a price below average cost is losing money.
33. If total profit is at a maximum, then average profit is zero.
34. Given total cost and the quantity of output, marginal cost and average cost can be determined.

326
35. Profits will be maximized when the slope of the total revenue curve and the slope of the total cost curve
equal zero.
36. Profits will be maximized when the slope of the total revenue curve and the slope of the total cost curve
are equal.
37. Total profit is represented by the vertical distance between a total revenue curve and a total cost curve.
38. A graph of total profits is always likely to be positively sloped throughout its length.
39. If the average cost of a product is $10 per unit and the price is $5, the firm is losing money.
LOC: Marginal costs & benefits
TOP: Marginal Analysis and Maximization of Total Profit
40. Marginal profit is the slope of the total profit curve.
41. An optimal level of output is one at which marginal profit > 0.
42. A firm should keep producing output as long as the marginal profit is greater than zero, no matter how
small it is.
43. Marginal profit equals the difference between marginal revenue and marginal cost.

327
44. Marginal profit equals the difference between marginal revenue and average cost.
45. Marginal profit is the additional profit that accrues to the firm when the output rises by one unit.
46. If the marginal profit of the next unit is negative, the firm should produce more output in order to
generate greater profit.
47. If a firm's marginal profit is negative, it should reduce its output level.
48. A firm is generally more interested in marginal profits than in total profits.
49. A firm should use marginal analysis when making a price-output decision.
50. A firm that decides to make a price cut assumes that marginal profit is negative.
51. If marginal profit is zero, then total profit is at a maximum.

328
52. If marginal profit is zero, then average profit is at a maximum.
53. Profit is maximized at the output at which marginal revenue equals marginal cost.
54. Profit is maximized at the output at which marginal revenue exceeds marginal cost by the greatest
margin.
55. If total profit is maximized, then marginal cost must equal marginal revenue.
56. Profit maximization occurs when MC = MR.
57. Net benefit is equal to total benefit minus marginal cost.
TOP: Generalization: The Logic of Marginal Analysis and Maximization
58. The rule of equating marginal benefit with marginal cost is proper for economics, but it does not describe
the way in which people make non-economic decisions.
59. All business firms should consider their fixed costs in determining the prices they set.

329
60. When a firm's fixed costs increase it should raise its prices in order to maximize profits.
61. Any change in a firm's fixed costs will change its profit-maximizing level of output.
62. In the case study discussed in the chapter, the electronics firm was losing money by selling its calculators
at a price that was below average cost.
63. In the case study discussed in the chapter, the electronics firm was actually enhancing its profits by
selling calculators at a price that was below average cost.
ANS: T PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate NAT: Reflective
64. Firms can make decisions using marginal analysis even if they do not know the shape of a demand curve.
65. Firms need to know the shape of a demand curve to use marginal analysis.
66. Marginal analysis is useful in economics, but not in other areas of life.
ANS: F PTS: 1 DIF: Easy NAT: Reflective
TOP: Conclusion: The Fundamental Role of Marginal Analysis

330
67. The assumption that firms attempt to maximize profits will yield good predictions even if firms
sometimes pursue other goals.
TOP: Conclusion: The Fundamental Role of Marginal Analysis
68. Economists use a model that is a literal description of business' behavior.
TOP: The Theory and Reality: A Word of Caution
69. Marginal, average, and total figures are unrelated.
TOP: Appendix: The Relationships Among Total, Average, and Marginal Data
70. If a firm's average cost is currently $100, and the marginal cost is $95, then the average cost is currently
falling.
TOP: Appendix: The Relationships Among Total, Average, and Marginal Data
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Decision making that seeks only solutions that are acceptable is called
a. optimizing.
b. satisficing.
c. benchmarking.
d. maximizing.
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Easy NAT: Analytic
TOP: Price and Quantity: One Decision, Not Two
2. In arriving at the quantity of output and price of its product, a company
a. chooses either output or price, and consumer demand determines the other.
b. has no control over either quantity or price.
c. makes two decisions by setting both optimal output and optimal price.
d. generally leaves both quantity and price decisions to consumers.
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate NAT: Analytic
3. A firm can choose a quantity of output, and the price is then determined by
a. the government.

331
b. the supply schedule.
c. consumers' demand.
d. the average cost.
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate NAT: Analytic
4. Management gets two numbers (price and quantity) from one decision because
a. the marginal utility of goods is fixed.
b. producers use both technical and financial information.
c. the demand curve consists of price and quantity pairs.
d. the average cost curve has only one low point.
ANS: C PTS: 1 DIF: Easy NAT: Analytic
5. The goal of the business firm is maximization of ____, and the goal of the consumer is maximization of
____.
a. total sales; income
b. total profit; utility
c. total output; utility
d. total sales; utility
6. Price and quantity decisions made by a company have vital influences on
a. the firm's labor requirements.
b. consumer response to the product.
c. future success of the company.
d. All of the above are correct.
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Easy NAT: Analytic
7. Profit maximization is
a. the only motive of any firm's management.
b. a behavioral assumption to simplify analysis.
c. the same as satisficing.
d. a literal description of a firm's behavior.
8. Ben quit his job as an economics professor to become a golf professional. He gave up his salary
($40,000) and invested his retirement fund of $50,000 (which was earning 10 percent interest) in this
venture. After all expenses, his net winnings (profit) were $45,000. Ben's economic profits were
a. $45,000.

332
b. $5,000.
c. $2,000.
d. zero.
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate NAT: Analytic
LOC: Scarcity, tradeoffs, and opportunity cost
9. Sally leaves her $24,000 secretarial position with a company and invests her savings of $15,000 (on
which she was earning 6 percent interest) in her own Ready Sec agency. After expenses, her net income
was $28,900. Her economic profit was
a. $4,900.
b. $4,000.
c. $28,900.
d. −$10,100.
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult NAT: Analytic
LOC: Scarcity, tradeoffs, and opportunity cost
10. Maureen left her teaching job, which paid $30,000 per year, and invested $20,000 of her retirement fund
(which was earning 10 percent interest) in a new real estate business. Her accountant predicted a $60,000
revenue the first year. Her husband, an economist, forecast her profit to be
a. $10,000.
b. $28,000.
c. $32,000.
d. $60,000.
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult NAT: Analytic
LOC: Understanding and Applying Economic Models
11. Total profit
a. is the difference between sales revenue and costs.
b. maximization is always the goal of every firm.
c. is always defined the same by both economists and accountants.
d. is maximized when sales are maximized.
12. Total profit equals
a. TR − TC.
b. average profit times total output.
c. total sales revenue minus total cost.
ANS: D PTS: 1 DIF: Easy NAT: Analytic

333
13. Total profit = Total revenue − Total cost (including opportunity cost).
Total profit defined in this way is called
a. accounting profit.
b. economic profit.
c. absolute profit.
d. relative profit.
14. The difference between economic profit and accountant's definition of profit is that an economist's total
cost counts the ____ of inputs.
a. absolute value
b. overheads
c. opportunity cost
d. gross cost
15. Economic profit of a decision in question equals
a. accounting profit of the decision in question + its opportunity cost.
b. accounting profit of the decision in question − accounting profit of the best available
alternative.
c. accounting profit of the decision in question + its opportunity cost + overheads.
d. its opportunity cost + accounting profit of the best available alternative.
16. For any firm, price always equals
a. average revenue.
b. marginal revenue.
c. marginal cost.
d. marginal profit.
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Easy NAT: Analytic
17. The demand curve facing a firm is also the firm's
a. total utility curve.
b. average revenue curve.
c. average utility curve.
d. total revenue curve.

334
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate NAT: Analytic
18. Marginal revenue is the addition to a firm's revenue from
a. a $1 change in price.
b. a one-unit change in output.
c. the sale of inferior output.
d. a $1 reduction in marginal cost.
19. To find a firm's total revenue at every quantity, all you need to know is
a. the demand curve for its product.
b. the demand curve for its product and its total cost.
c. its profit-maximizing price and quantity.
d. its total profit curve.
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult NAT: Analytic
20. The demand curve for a firm's product is also the curve showing
a. total revenue.
b. marginal revenue.
c. average revenue.
d. average profits.
21. Total revenue
a. can be calculated directly from the demand curve.
b. can be calculated directly from the average revenue curve.
c. is found by multiplying price times quantity.
22. Company A manufactures a single automotive component. It had total revenue of $100,000 and an
economic profit of $20,000. What is the price of the component it manufactures?
a. ($100,000/quantity sold).
b. ($100,000/quantity produced).
c. ($100,000/quantity sold) − average cost of the product
d. ($100,000/quantity produced) − average cost of the product

335
23. Which of the following is true if the opportunity cost of producing a particular good is less than its
accounting profit?
a. Economic profit is zero.
b. Economic profit is negative.
c. Economic profit is positive.
d. Economic profit cannot be determined.
24. Average revenue is equal to
a. TR/Q.
b. (P  Q)/P.
c. TR  Q
25. If the output of a firm is increased by one unit, the revenue addition is called
a. total revenue.
b. average revenue.
c. marginal revenue.
d. economic profit.
26. A firm can always increase its output by one unit at a marginal cost of $10. Its marginal cost curve is
a. a horizontal line.
b. a vertical line.
c. a ray with slope equal to 10.
d. exactly one-tenth as steep as its total cost curve.
27. Joe and Ed go to a diner that sells hamburgers for $5 and hot dogs for $3. They agree to split the lunch
bill evenly. Ed chooses a hot dog. The marginal cost to Joe then of ordering a hamburger instead of a hot
dog is
a. $1.
b. $2.
c. $2.50.
d. $3.

336
28. Whenever average cost exceeds marginal cost,
a. average cost is rising.
b. average cost is falling.
c. marginal cost is rising.
d. marginal cost is falling.
29. A grocery store sells soup for $1.50 a can, or $2.50 for two cans. To a customer, the marginal cost of
buying the second can of soup is
a. $1.
b. $1.25.
c. $1.50.
d. $2.50.
30. Average cost equals
a. change in total cost/change in quantity.
b. total cost/quantity.
c. total cost − total variable cost.
d. total cost − total fixed cost.
31. Average cost
a. is always larger than marginal cost.
b. declines for some range of output, hits a minimum, and then increases.
c. is always smaller than marginal cost.
d. is total cost/price of the product.
32. Thomas Edison once said that he began making real profit on light bulbs when he dumped his surplus on
the European market at less than the "cost of production." From this we can deduce Edison
a. did not want to maximize profit.
b. understood the difference between marginal and average cost.
c. had a different definition of the term "profit."
d. did not understand the difference between fixed and variable cost.
ANS: B PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult NAT: Reflective
33. Marginal cost
a. equals the slope of the total cost curve.

337
b. is calculated as DTC/DQ.
c. is the increase in total cost resulting from a one-unit increase in output.
34. The total cost curve generally has
a. slope values which first decrease and then increase rapidly.
b. slope values which first increase rapidly and then decrease.
c. increasing slope values.
d. decreasing slope values.
ANS: A PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult NAT: Analytic
Figure 8-1
35. Which graph in Figure 8-1 shows a typical firm's total revenue and total cost curves?
a. (a)
b. (b)
c. (c)
d. (d)
Figure 8-2

338
36. Figure 8-2 shows a manufacturer's total profit curve. To maximize her total profit, the manufacturer
should produce ____ units of output.
a. 10
b. 12
c. 16
d. 18
LOC: Reading and interpreting graphs TOP: Economic Profit and Optimal Decision Making
Figure 8-3
37. Figure 8-3 shows a firm's total profit function. At an output of 40, the firm's total profit equals ____.
a. 10
b. 40
c. 200
d. 400
38. A company draws its total cost curve and total revenue curve on the same graph. If the firm wishes to
maximize profits, it will select the output at which the
a. vertical distance between the two curves is greatest.
b. total cost curve cuts the total revenue curve.
c. horizontal distance between the two curves is greatest.
d. slope of the total revenue curve is greatest.
Figure 8-4

339
39. In Figure 8-4 at output level 2,
a. MR > MC.
b. the slope of the total profit curve is negative.
c. there are negative profits.
d. marginal revenue is rising compared to output.
40. The demand curve facing Company ABC is perfectly elastic. What is its marginal revenue?
a. Equal to the average revenue.
b. Less than the price.
c. Higher than the price.
d. Higher than the average revenue.
41. Total profit is maximized
a. where the difference between total revenue and total cost is greatest.
b. at that output level where marginal revenue equals average cost.
c. where total revenue is at a maximum.
d. at the point where all variable costs are covered.
42. The typical total profit graphical presentation is shown as
a. a square.
b. a rectangle.
c. a hill, or mound.
d. an S curve.

340
43. To find its profit-maximizing output level, a firm should operate where
a. AVC = MC.
b. MC = MR.
c. TFC = TVC.
d. AFC = AVC.
44. Profit can be maximized only where marginal revenue equals
a. average cost.
b. total cost.
c. marginal cost.
d. average cost.
45. In the short run, which are most important in determining changes in output?
a. marginal costs and revenue
b. total costs and revenue
c. average costs and revenue
d. fixed costs
46. If MC > MR,
a. output should be reduced.
b. marginal profit is positive.
c. there are losses.
d. output should be increased.
47. Marginal profit is the addition to a firm's total profit from a
a. $1 change in its price.
b. one-unit change in its output.
c. reduction in total cost.
d. reduction in marginal cost.
48. Marginal profit is the profit

341
a. earned by a firm that is about to go out of business.
b. calculated directly from the total cost curve.
c. that is added by a one-unit increase in total output.
d. earned for each dollar of cost increase.
Figure 8-5
49. In Figure 8-5, profits are maximized at output of
a. 10.
b. 35.
c. 50.
d. 60.
LOC: Reading and interpreting graphs
50. From Figure 8-5 one can deduce
a. TR = TC at outputs 10 and 60.
b. MR = MC at output 35.
c. TFC = 100.
LOC: Reading and interpreting graphs
51. If the marginal profit from increasing output by one unit is negative, then to attain an optimum the firm
should
a. increase output until marginal profit equals zero.
b. reduce output until marginal profit equals zero.
c. increase output until marginal profit is maximized.

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Fortunately for the girl, the jaguars—for there were several of them
—were to leeward; moreover, they had tasted blood, and this was a
double reason which temporarily saved her, by depriving their scent
of nearly all its delicacy. No other sound was audible, save that
produced by the crushing of the horse's bones, which the wild
beasts were devouring, mingled with growls of anger, when one of
the banqueters tried to encroach on its neighbour's share of the
booty. There could be no doubt about the fact; the animals enjoying
this horrible repast were the jaguars, so long hunted by the tigrero,
and which her evil star had brought across the maiden's track.
By degrees, Doña Marianna became—not familiarized with the
danger hanging over her head, for that would have been impossible;
but as, according to the law of nature, anything that reaches its
culminating point must begin to descend, her first terror, though it
did not abandon her, produced a strange phenomenon. She felt
involuntarily attracted towards these horrible animals, whose black
outlines she could distinguish moving in the darkness; suffering from
a species of vertigo with her body bent forward, and her eyes
immoderately dilated, without, even accounting for the strange
feeling that urged her to act thus, she kept her eyes eagerly fixed
upon them, following with a febrile interest their slightest
movements, and experiencing at the sight a feeling of inexplicable
pleasure, which produced a mingled shudder of joy and pain. Let
who will try to explain this singular anomaly of human nature; but
the fact is certain, and among our readers many will, doubtless, bear
witness to its truth.
All at once the jaguars, which had hitherto been greedily engaged
with the corpse of the horse, without thinking of anything beyond
making a hearty meal, raised their heads and began sniffing
savagely. Doña Marianna saw their eyes, sparkling like live coals,
fixed upon her; she understood that she was lost; instinctively she
closed her eyes to escape the fascination of those metallic eyeballs,
which seemed in the darkness to emit electric sparks, and prepared
to die. Still the jaguars did not stir; they were crouching on the
remains of the horse, and, while continuing to gaze at the maiden,

gracefully passed their paws over their ears with a purr of pleasure—
in a word, they were coquettishly performing their toilet, appearing
not only most pleased with the meal they had just ended, but with
that which was awaiting them.
Still, in spite of the calmness affected by the two animals—for the
cubs were sleeping, rolled up like kittens—it was evident that for
some unknown motive they were restless; they lashed the ground
with their weighty tails, or laid back their ears with a roar of anger,
and, turning their heads in all directions, sniffed the air. They
scented a danger; but of what nature was it? As for Doña Marianna,
they appeared so sure of seizing her whenever they thought proper,
and saw how harmless she was, that they contented themselves
with crouching before her, and did not deign to advance a step. All
at once the male, without stirring, uttered a sharp, quick yell. The
female rose, bounded forward, seized one of her cubs in her mouth,
and with one backward leap disappeared in a thicket; almost
immediately she reappeared, and removed the second in the same
way; then she returned calmly and boldly to place herself by the side
of the male, whose anxiety had now attained formidable proportions.
At the same instant a flash traversed the air—a shot echoed far and
wide—and the male jaguar writhed on the ground with a roar of
agony. Almost immediately a man dashed from the tree at the foot
of which Doña Mariana was crouching, stood in front of her, and
received the shock of the female, which, at the shot, had
instinctively bounded forward. The man tottered, but for all that kept
his feet: there was a frightful struggle for a few minutes, and then
the jaguar fell back with a last and fearful yell.
"Come," the hunter said, as he wiped on the grass the long machete
with which he had stabbed the beast, "my arrangements were well
made, but I fancy that I arrived only just in time. Now for the cubs;
for I must not show mercy to any member of this horrible family."
Then this man, who seemed to possess the faculty of seeing in the
darkness, walked without hesitation towards the spot where the
female had hidden her cubs. He resolutely entered the thicket, and

came out again almost immediately, holding a cub in either hand. He
smashed their heads against the trunk of a tree, and threw the
bodies on those of their father and mother.
"That is a very tidy butchery," he said; "but what on earth is Don
Hernando's tigrero about, that I am obliged to do his work?"
While saying this, the hunter had collected all the dry wood within
reach, struck a light, and within a few minutes a bright flame rose
skywards. This duly accomplished, the stranger hurried to the
assistance of Doña Marianna, who had fainted.
"Poor girl!" he muttered, with an accent of gentle pity, as he lifted
her in his arms, and carried her to the fire; "How is it that the fright
has not killed her?"
He gently laid her on some firs he had arranged for her bed, and
gazed at her for a moment with a look of delight impossible to
describe. But then he felt considerably embarrassed. Accustomed to
the hardships of a desert life, and a skilful hunter as he had proved
himself, this man was naturally a very poor sick nurse. He knew
how, at a pinch, to dress a wound or extract a bullet, but he was
quite ignorant how to bring a fainting woman round.
"Still, I cannot leave her in this state, poor girl," gazing on her
sorrowfully; "but what am I to do?—how can I relieve her?"
At length he knelt down by the young lady's side, gently raised her
lovely head, which he laid on his knee, and, opening with his dagger
point her closed lips, poured in a few drops of Catalonian refino
contained in a gourd. The effect of this remedy was instantaneous. A
nervous tremour passed over the maiden's body; she heaved a sigh,
and opened her lips. At the first moment she looked around her
wildly, but ideas seemed gradually to return to her brain; her
contracted features grew brighter, and fixing her eyes on the hunter,
who was still bending over her, she muttered, with an expression of
gratitude which made the young man's heart beat, "Stronghand!"
"Have you recognised me, señorita?" he exclaimed, with joyous
surprise.

"Are you not my Providence?" she answered. "Do you not always
arrive when I have to be saved from some fearful danger?"
"Oh, señorita!" he murmured, in great embarrassment.
"Thanks! Thanks, my saviour!" she continued, seizing his hand, and
pressing it to her heart; "Thanks for having come to my help,
Stronghand, for this time again. I should have been lost without
you."
"I really believe," he said, with a smile, "that I arrived just in time."
"But how is it that you came so opportunely?" she asked, curiously,
as she sat up and wrapped herself in the furs, for the feminine
instinct had regained its power over her.
At this question, simple though it was, the hunter turned red.
"Oh," he said, "it is very simple. I have been hunting in these parts
for some days past. I had tracked this family of jaguars, which I
obstinately determined to kill, I know not why; but now I understand
that it was a presentiment. After pursuing them all day, I had lost
them out of sight, and was seeking their trail, when your horse
enabled me to recover it."
"What!—my horse?" she exclaimed, in amazement.
"Do you not remember that it was I who gave you this poor Negro
on our first meeting?"
"That is true," she murmured, as she let her eyes fall beneath the
hunter's ardent glance.
"I saw you for a moment this morning when you were going to
Sanchez' rancho."
"Ah!" she remarked.
"Sanchez is a friend, of mine," he continued, as if to explain his
remark.
"Go on."

"On seeing the horse, which I at once recognised, I feared that
some accident had happened to you, and set out after it. But the
jaguars had scented it at the same time, and in spite of my thorough
acquaintance with this forest, it was impossible for me to run as fast
as they did. Luckily, they were hungry, and amused themselves by
devouring poor Negro; otherwise I should not have arrived in time."
"But how was it that you came by this strange road?"
"In the first place, I was bound to save your life, as I knew that if I
killed one jaguar, the other would leap upon you, in order to avenge
it."
"But you ran the risk of being torn in pieces by the horrible animals,"
she said, with a shudder of retrospective terror, as she thought of
the frightful dangers from which she had been so miraculously
preserved.
"That is possible," he said, with an unmistakable expression of joy;
"but I should have died to save you, and I desired nothing else."
The maiden made no reply. Pensive and blushing, she bowed her
head on her chest. The hunter thought that he had offended her,
and also remained silent and constrained. This silence lasted several
minutes. At length Doña Marianna raised her head and offered her
hand to the young man.
"Thank you again!" she said, with a gentle smile.
"Your heart is good. You did not hesitate to sacrifice your life for me,
whom you scarce know, and I shall feel eternally grateful to you."
"I am too amply repaid for my services by these words, señorita," he
replied, with marked hesitation; "still I have a favour to ask you, and
I should be pleased if you would deign to grant it."
"Oh, speak, speak! Tell me what I can do!"
"I know not how to explain it; my request will appear to you so
strange, so singular—perhaps so indiscreet."

"Speak; for I feel convinced that the favour you pretend to ask of
me is merely another service you wish to render me."
Stronghand bent a searching glance on the maiden, and then
seemed to make up his mind.
"Well, señorita," he said, "it is this:—should you ever, for any reason
neither you nor I can foresee, need advice, or the help of a friend,
either for yourself or any member of your family, do nothing till you
have seen me, and explained to me unreservedly the motives that
impelled you to come to me."
Doña Marianna reflected, while the hunter gazed at her attentively.
"Be it so," she at length said; "I promise to act as you wish. But how
am I to find you?"
"Your foster brother is my friend, señorita; you will request him to
lead you to me, and he will do so; or, if you prefer it, you can warn
me through him to proceed to any place you may point out."
"Agreed."
"I can count on your promise?"
"Have I not passed my word?"
All at once a loud noise, resembling the passage of a wild beast, was
heard in the forest glade; the maiden started, and instinctively clung
to the hunter.
"Fear nothing, señorita," the latter said; "do you not recognise a
friend?"
At the same moment the tigrero's dog leaped up to fondle her,
followed almost instantaneously by Mariano.
"Heaven be blessed!" he said, joyfully, "She is saved!" and pressing
the hunter's hand cordially, he added, "Thanks; it is a service I owe
you, brother."

CHAPTER XXII.
THE RETURN.
How was it that the tigrero, whom we saw leave the rancho almost
as soon as Doña Marianna, and follow in her track, arrived so late?
We will explain this in a few sentences. The young man, feeling
certain that his foster sister thoroughly knew the road she had to
follow, which was, moreover, properly traced, had not dreamed of
the chance of her missing her way, and not troubling himself to
follow the horse's footmarks, he pushed straight on, fancying Doña
Marianna ahead of him, crossed the forest, and then entered the
plain, without perceiving the person he fancied he was following.
Still, on reaching the cultivated land, he looked carefully ahead of
him, for he was surprised at the advance the young lady had gained
on him in so short a time. But, though he examined the horizon all
around, he saw nothing of her. Mariano was beginning to grow
anxious; still, as there was a chaparral some distance ahead, whose
tufted trees might conceal her whom he sought, he became
reassured, and pushed onward, increasing the already rapid pace of
his steed. It took him some time to pass through the chaparral;
when he reached its skirt, and again entered the plain, the sun had
set about half an hour previously, and darkness was invading the
earth; the darkness was, indeed, so thick, that in spite of all his
exertions, he could distinguish nothing a few paces ahead of him.
The tigrero halted, dismounted, placed his ear on the ground, and
listened. A moment later he heard, or fancied he heard, a distant
sound resembling a horse's gallop; his alarm was at once dissipated.
Convinced that the young lady was in front of him, he mounted
again and pushed on. As he was only two leagues from the
Hacienda del Toro, he soon reached the foot of the rock. Here he
stopped, and asked himself whether he had better go up, or regard
his mission as fulfilled, and turn back. While unable to form any

decision, he saw a black outline gliding along the path, and soon
distinguished a horseman coming toward him.
"Buena noche, Caballero," he said, when the latter crossed him.
"Dios le de a usted buena," the other politely replied, and he passed
on, but suddenly turned round again. The tigrero rode to meet him.
"Ah!" the horseman said, when they met, "I felt sure that I was not
mistaken. How is No Mariano?"
"Very well, and at your service," the tigrero answered, recognising
the majordomo; "and you, No Paredes?"
"The same, thank you; are you going up to the toro, or returning to
the rancho?"
"Why that question?"
"Because in the former case I would bid you good night, while in the
latter we would ride together."
"Are you going to the rancho?"
"Yes; the Señor Marquis has sent me."
"Tell me, No Paredes, would there be any indiscretion on my part in
asking you what you are going to do at the rancho at so late an
hour?"
"Not the slightest, compadre. I am simply going to fetch Doña
Marianna, who has remained today later than usual with her nurse.
Her father is anxious about her long absence, and asked me to go
and meet her if she were on her road home, or if not, push on to the
rancho."
This revelation was a thunderclap for the young man, who fancied
that he had misunderstood.
"What!" he exclaimed, anxiously, "Is not Doña Marianna at the
hacienda?"
"It seems not," the majordomo answered, "since I am going to fetch
her."

"Why, that is impossible!" the other continued, in extreme agitation.
"Why so?" said Paredes, beginning to grow anxious in his turn.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that Doña Marianna left the rancho full three hours ago;
that I followed her without her knowledge to watch over her safety,
and that she must have been at the hacienda for more than half an
hour."
"Are you quite sure of what you assert?"
"¡Caray! I have asserted it."
"In that case, Heaven have pity on the poor girl! For I apprehend a
frightful misfortune."
"But she may have entered the hacienda without your seeing her."
"Nonsense, compadre; that is impossible. But come, we'll convince
ourselves."
Without losing time in longer argument the two men dashed up the
rock at a gallop, and in a few minutes reached the first gate of the
hacienda. No one had seen Doña Marianna. The alarm was instantly
given; Don Hernando wished to ride off at the head of his people,
and beat up the country in search of his daughter; and it was with
great difficulty that he was induced to abandon the project. Don Ruiz
and the majordomo, followed by some twenty peons, provided with
ocote wood torches, started in two different directions.
Mariano had an idea of his own. When he was quite certain that his
foster sister had not returned, he presumed the truth—that she was
lost in the forest. He did not consider for a moment that she had
been carried off by Indian marauders, for he had not noticed any
trace of a party of horsemen; and Bigote, whose nose was infallible,
had evinced no anxiety during the ride. Hence Doña Marianna must
be lost in the forest. The tigrero let Don Ruiz, the majordomo, and
the peons pass him, and then bent his steps towards the rancho,
closely followed by his dog, in spite of the exhortations of his young
master and No Paredes, who wanted him to accompany them. When

he was in the forest he stopped for a moment, as if to look round
him; then, after most carefully examining the spot where he was, he
dismounted, fastened his horse's bridle to the pommel, tied the
stirrups together to keep them from clanking, and gave his horse a
friendly smack on the crupper.
"Go along, Moreno," he said to it; "return to the rancho. I shall not
want you again tonight."
The horse turned its fine intelligent head to its master, gave a neigh
of pleasure, and started at a gallop in the direction of the rancho.
The tigrero carefully examined his gun, the priming of which he
renewed, and began inspecting the ground by the light of a torch.
Bigote, gravely seated on its hind legs, followed its master's every
movement, and was evidently much perplexed. After a very
lengthened search, the tigrero probably found what he was looking
for, for he rose with an air of satisfaction, and whistled his dog,
which at once ran up.
"Bigote," he said, "smell these marks; they were made by the horse
of your mistress, Marianna; do you recognise them?"
The noble animal did as its master ordered, then fixed its sparkling
eyes upon him with an almost human expression, and wagged its
tail with delight.
"Good, Bigote! Good, my famous dog!" the tigrero continued, as he
patted it; "And now let us follow the trail; forward, Bigote, pick it up
clean."
The dog hesitated for a moment, then it set out with its nose to the
ground, closely followed by its master, who had extinguished his
torch, which would henceforth be useless. But all we have narrated
occupied considerable time; and the tigrero would have arrived too
late to save the maiden, had not Heaven sent the hunter across her
path. The dog did not once check its speed through the numberless
windings of the course Negro had followed; and master and dog
together reached the spot where the horrible drama we recently
described occurred.

"When I heard Stronghand's shot," the tigrero added, as he
concluded his narrative, "I experienced a sound of deadly agony, for
I understood that a frightful struggle was going on at the moment,
and that the beast might conquer the man. Well, tocaya, will you
now believe in the jaguars?"
"Oh, silence, Mariano!" the young lady said, with a shudder; "I
almost went mad with terror when I saw the eyes of the horrible
animals fixed upon me. Oh! Had it not been for this brave and
honest hunter, I should have been lost."
"Brave and honest, indeed!" the tigrero, said, with frank affection;
"You are right, señorita, for Stronghand might just as fairly be called
Goodheart, for he is ever so ready to assist strangers, and relieve
the unfortunate."
Doña Marianna listened with lively pleasure to this praise of the man
who had saved her life; but Stronghand felt terribly embarrassed,
and suffered in his heart at a deed which he thought so simple, and
which he was so delighted to have done, being rated so highly.
"Come, come, Mariano," he said, in order to cut short the young
man's compliments, "we cannot remain here any longer; remember
that while we are quietly resting by the fireside and talking
nonsense, this young lady's father and brother are suffering from
deadly anxiety, and scouring the plain without any hope of finding
her. We must arrange how to get away from here as soon as
possible, and return to the hacienda."
"Caray, master, you are right, as usual; but what is to be done? Both
you and I are on foot, and we cannot dream for a moment that the
señorita could walk such a distance."
"Oh, I am strong," she said with a smile; "under your escort, my
friends, I fear nothing, and can walk."
"No, señorita," the hunter said, with an accent of gentle authority,
"your strength would betray your courage; on so dark a night, and in
a forest like this, a man accustomed to desert life could hardly
expect to walk without falling at every step. Put yourself in our

hands, for we know better than you do what is best to be done
under the circumstances."
"Very good," she answered; "act as you think proper. I have suffered
enough already today, by refusing to listen to the advice of my
tocayo, to prevent me being obstinate now."
"That is the way to talk," the tigrero said gaily. "What are we going
to do, Stronghand?"
"While you skin the jaguars—for I suppose you do not wish to leave
them as they are—"
"What!" the tigrero interrupted him, "Those skins belong to you, and
I have no claim to them, as you killed the beasts."
"Pooh!" the hunter said with a laugh, "I am not a tigrero, except by
accident; the skins are yours, and fairly so; so you had better take
them."
"Since that is the case I will not decline; but as for my part, I
promised to give my foster sister the skins to make a rug, I will beg
her to accept them."
"Very good," she answered, giving the hunter a look which filled him
with joy; "they will remind me of the fearful danger I incurred, and
the way in which I escaped it."
"That is settled, then," the hunter said; "and I will; cut down with
my machete some branches to form a litter."
"Caray, that is an idea which would not have occurred to me,"
Mariano remarked, with a laugh; "but it is very simple. To work."
Hunters and trappers are skilful and most expeditious men; in a few
minutes Mariano had skinned the jaguars, and Stronghand formed
the litter; the skins, after being carefully folded, were securely
fastened on the back of Bigote, who did not at all like the burden
imposed on him; but after a while he made up his mind to put up
with it. Stronghand covered the litter with leaves and grass, over
which he laid the saddlecloth of the horse the jaguars had devoured;

then he requested the young lady to seat herself on this soft divan,
which was so suddenly improvised, and the two men, taking it on
their strong shoulders, started in the direction of the hacienda,
joined by Bigote, who trotted in front with glad barks.
Although the hunters had, from excess of precaution, formed
torches of ocote wood to help them, the darkness was so complete
—the trees were so close together—that it was with extreme
difficulty that they succeeded in advancing in this inextricable
labyrinth. Forced to take continual detours—obliged at times to walk
in water up to their waists—deafened by the discordant cries of the
birds, which the flash of the torches aroused—they saw all around
them the wild beasts flying, with hoarse roars and eyes glaring
through the darkness. It was then that Doña Marianna fully
comprehended what frightful peril she had escaped, and how certain
her death would have been, had not the hunter come to her
assistance with such noble self-devotion; and at the remembrance of
all that had occurred, and which was now but a dream, a convulsive
tremor passed over her limbs, and she felt as if she were about to
faint. Stronghand, who seemed to guess what was going on in the
maiden's mind, frequently spoke to her, in order to change the
current of her ideas by compelling her to answer him. They had
been marching for a long distance, and the forest seemed as savage
as when they started.
"Do you believe," Doña Marianna asked, "that we are on the right
road?"
"Even admitting, señora, what might be possible," the hunter
answered, "that Mariano and myself were capable of falling into an
error, we have with us an infallible guide in Bigote, who, you may be
quite certain, will not lead us astray."
"Within ten minutes, señorita," the tigrero said, "we shall enter the
road that runs from the rancho to the hacienda."
All at once the two men stopped. At the same moment Doña
Marianna heard shouts that seemed to answer each other in various

directions.
"Forward! Forward!" said Stronghand; "Let us not leave your
relatives and friends in anxiety longer than we can help."
"Thanks," she answered.
They continued their march; and, as the tigrero had announced, in
scarce ten minutes they reached the road to the hacienda.
"What shall we do now?" Marianna asked.
"I think," Stronghand answered, "that we ought to announce our
presence by a cry for help, and then proceed in the direction of
those who answer us. What is your opinion, señora?"
"Yes," she said, "I think we ought to do so; for otherwise we run a
risk of reaching the hacienda without meeting any of the persons
sent to seek me, and who might continue their search till morning,
which would be ingratitude on my part."
"You are right, niña; for all these worthy people are attached to you,
and besides, your brother and Don Paredes are also seeking you."
"That is a further reason why we should hasten to announce our
return," the young lady answered.
The two hunters, after consulting for a moment, uttered together
that long shrill yell, which, in the desert as in the mountains, serves
as the rallying cry, and may be heard for an enormous distance.
Almost immediately the whole forest seemed to be aroused; similar
cries broke out in all directions, and the hunters noticed red dots
running with extreme rapidity between the trees, and all converging
on the spot where they stood, as if they radiated from a common
centre. Certain of having been heard, the hunters once again uttered
their shout for help. The reply was not delayed; the galloping of
horses soon became distinct, and then riders, holding torches,
appeared from all parts of the forest coming at full speed, waving
their hands, and resembling the fantastic huntsmen of the old
German legends. In a few minutes all the persons were assembled
round the litter on which the young lady reclined; and Don Ruiz and

the majordomo were not long ere they arrived. We will not describe
the joy of brother and sister on seeing each other again.
"Brother," Doña Marianna said to Don Ruiz, "if you find me still alive,
you owe it to the man who before saved us both from the pirates of
the prairies; had it not been for him, I should have been lost."
"You may safely say that, and no mistake," Marianna said, in
confirmation.
"Where is he?" Don Ruiz asked—"Where is he? that I may express
all my gratitude to him."
But he was sought for in vain. During the first moment of confusion,
Stronghand had summoned a peon to take his place—had glided
unnoticed into the forest and disappeared—no one being able to say
in what direction he had gone.
"Why this flight?" Doña Marianna murmured, with a stifled sigh;
"Does this strange man fear lest our gratitude should prove too
warm?"
And she thoughtfully bowed her head on her bosom.
CHAPTER XXIII.
CHANCE WORK.
Although he allowed nothing to be visible, Don Ruiz was vexed at
heart with the affectation the hunter seemed to display in avoiding
him, and escaping from his thanks. This savageness in a man to
whom he owed such serious obligations appeared to him to conceal
either a disguised enmity, or dark schemes whose accomplishment
he feared, though he could not assign any plausible motive for them,
especially after the manner in which the hunter had not hesitated on

two occasions to imperil his life in assisting himself and his sister.
These thoughts, which incessantly thronged to the mind of Don
Ruiz, plunged him into deep trouble for some moments; still, when
the peons he had sent off to seek the hunter all returned one after
the other, declaring that they could not possibly find his trail, the
young man shook his head several times, frowned, and then gave
orders for the start.
Doña Marianna's return to the hacienda was a real triumphal
procession. The peons, delighted at having found their mistress
again safe and sound, gaily bore her on their shoulders, laughing,
singing, and dancing along the road, not knowing how otherwise to
express their joy, and yet desirous to make her comprehend the
pleasure they felt. In spite of the fatigue that crushed her, and the
state of exhaustion into which she had fallen through the terrific
emotions she had undergone, Doña Marianna, sensible of these
manifestations of gratitude, made energetic efforts in order to
appear to share their joy, and prove to them how greatly she was
affected by it. But, although she gave them her sweetest smiles and
gentlest words, she could not have endured much longer the
constraint, and she was really exhausted when the little party at
length reached the hacienda.
The Marquis, who was suffering the most frightful agitation, had
gone to the last gate to meet them, and would possibly have gone
further still, had not Don Ruiz taken the precaution, so soon as his
sister was found, to send off a peon to tranquillize his mind and
announce the successful result. At the first moment the Marquis
completely forgot his aristocratic pride, only to think of the
happiness of pressing to his heart the child he feared he had lost for
ever. Don Rufino Contreras, carried away by the example, shared in
the general joy, and pretended to pump up a tear of sympathy while
fixing on the young lady his huge grey eyes, to which he tried in vain
to give a tender expression.
The maiden threw herself with an outburst of tears into her father's
arms, and at length, yielding to her feelings, fainted—an accident

which, by arousing the anxiety of the spectators, cut short all the
demonstrations. Doña Marianna was conveyed to her apartments,
and the peons were dismissed after the majordomo had, by the
order of the Marquis, distributed among them pesetas and tragos of
refino, which set the crown of the delight of these worthy fellows.
In spite of the offer of No Paredes, who invited him to spend the
night at the hacienda, the tigrero would not consent; and after
freeing Bigote from the jaguars' skins, which seemed to cause the
dog considerable pleasure, they both started gaily for the rancho. It
was about two o'clock, a.m., and a splendid night, and the tigrero,
with his gun under his arm and his dog at his heels, was walking at
a steady pace while whistling a merry jarana, when, just as he was
entering the shadow of the forest, Stronghand suddenly emerged
from a thicket two paces ahead of him.
"Hilloh!" the tigrero said, on recognising him; "Where the deuce did
you get to just now, that it was impossible to find you? What bee
was buzzing in your bonnet?"
The hunter shrugged his shoulders.
"Do you fancy," he replied, "that it is so very pleasant to be stared at
by those semi-idiotic peons for performing so simple a deed as mine
was?"
"Well, opinions are free, compadre, and I will not argue with you on
that score; still, I should not have run off in that way."
"¿Quién sabe? You are more modest than you like to show, brother;
and I feel certain that, under similar circumstances, you would have
acted as I did."
"That is possible, though I do not believe it; still, I thank you," he
added, with a laugh, "for having discovered in me a quality which I
was not aware I possessed. But where on earth are you going at
such an hour?"
"I was looking for you."

"In that case all is for the best, since you have found me; what do
you want of me?"
"To ask hospitality of you for a few days."
"Our house is not large, but sufficiently so to contain a guest,
especially when you are he; you can remain with us so long as you
please."
"I thank you, gossip, but I shall not abuse your complaisance; I am
obliged to remain for a few days in these parts, and, as the nights
are fresh, I will confess that I prefer passing them under a roof
instead of the star spangled arch of heaven."
"As you please, Stronghand; the door of my humble rancho is ever
open to let you in or out. I do not want to know the reason for your
stay here; but the longer you remain with us, the greater honour
and pleasure you will afford us."
"Thanks, comrade."
All was settled in a few words. The two men continued their walk,
and soon reached the rancho. The tigrero led the hunter to his
bedroom, where they lay down side by side, and soon fell asleep. A
few days elapsed, during which the hunter saw Doña Marianna
several times, while careful not to let her notice him, although it was
evident to Stronghand that the young lady would have liked nothing
better than meeting him; perhaps she really desired it, without
daring to confess it to herself.
One day, about a week after the scene with the jaguars, the hunter
was lying half asleep in a copse whose leafy branches completely hid
him from sight, and quietly enjoying his siesta during the great
midday heat, when he fancied he heard the sound of footsteps not
far from the spot where he was. He instinctively opened his eyes,
raised himself on his elbow, and looked carefully around him; he
checked a cry of surprise on recognising the man, who had stopped
close to the thicket and dismounted, like a man who has reached the
spot he desired. This man was Kidd, the bandit, with whom the
reader has already formed acquaintance.

"What does that scoundrel want here?" the hunter asked himself.
"He is doubtless plotting some infamy, and I bless the chance that
brings him within earshot, for this demon is one of the men who
cannot be watched too closely."
In the meanwhile Kidd had removed his horse's bit, in order to let it
graze freely; he himself sat down on a rock, lit a husk cigarette, and
began smoking with all the nonchalance of a man whose conscience
is perfectly at its ease. Stronghand racked his brains in vain to try
and discover the motive for the presence of the bandit in these
parts, so remote from the ordinary scene of his villainy, when
chance, which had already favoured him, gave him the clue to the
enigma, which he had almost despaired of obtaining. A sound made
him turn his head, and he saw a stout horseman, with rubicund face
and handsomely dressed, coming up at an amble. When he reached
the adventurer, the latter rose, bowed respectfully, and assisted him
to dismount.
"Ouf!" the stout man said, with a sigh of relief, "What a confounded
ride!"
"Well," the bandit replied with a grin, "you must blame yourself, Don
Rufino, for you arranged it. May the fiend twist my neck if I would
damage myself, no matter for what purpose, and ride across the
plain at this hour of the day."
"Everybody is the best judge of his own business, Master Kidd," Don
Rufino remarked, drily, as he wiped his steaming face, with a fine
cambric handkerchief.
"That is possible; but if I had the honour to be Don Rufino
Contreras, enormously rich, and senator to boot, hang me if I would
put myself out of my way to run after an adventurer like Master
Kidd, whatever pleasure I might take at other times in the
conversation of that worthy caballero."
The senator began laughing.
"Ha! Ha! Scoundrel; you have scented something."

"Hang it!" the bandit replied, impudently, "I do not deceive myself,
and am well aware that whatever attractions my conversation may
offer, you would not have come this distance expressly to hear it."
"That is possible, scamp. However, listen to me."
"I can see from your familiarity that the job will be an expensive
one; well, I do not dislike that way of entering upon the subject, for
it forebodes a good business."
The senator shrugged his shoulders with ill-disguised contempt.
"Enough of this," he said, "let us come to facts."
"I ask nothing better."
"Are you fond of money?"
"I certainly have a weakness for gold."
"Good. Would you hesitate about killing a man to earn it?"
"What do you mean?"
"I ask you, scoundrel, whether in a case of necessity you would kill a
man for money?"
"I perfectly understood you."
"Then why make me repeat it?"
"Because your doubt is offensive to my feelings."
"How so?"
"Hang it, I fancy I speak clearly. Killing a man is nothing when you
are well paid for it."
"I will pay well."
"Beforehand?"
"Yes, if you like."
"How much?"
"I warn you that the man I refer to is but a poor fellow."

"Yes, a poor fellow who is troublesome to you. Well, go on."
"One thousand piastres. Is that enough?"
"It is not too much."
"Confound it, you are expensive."
"That is possible; but I do my work conscientiously. Well, tell me
who the man is that is in your way."
"José Paredes."
"The majordomo at the Toro?"
"Yes."
"Do you know that he is not an easy man to kill? You must owe him
a sore grudge, I suppose?"
"I do not know him."
The bandit looked in amazement at the speaker.
"You do not know him, and yet offer one thousand piastres for his
death? Nonsense!"
"It is so."
"But you must have a reason. Caray, a man is not killed as one
twists a fowl's neck. I know that, bandit though I am."
"You said it just now. He is in my way."
"That is different," the adventurer replied, convinced by this
peremptory reason.
"Listen to me attentively, and engrave my words on your mind."
"Go on, señor. I will not lose a word."
"In two or three days the majordomo will leave for Hermosillo,
carrying bills to a considerable amount."
"Good," the bandit said, rubbing his hands gleefully; "I will kill him
as he passes, and take possession of the bills."

"No, you will let him go on in peace, and you will kill him on his
return, when he has cashed the bills."
"That is true. Where the deuce was my head? That will be much
better."
Don Rufino looked at him ironically.
"You will deliver to me the sum this man is the bearer of," he said.
The bandit gave a start of alarm,
"I suppose the sum is large?"
"Fifty thousand piastres."
"¡Viva Dios! Surrender such a fortune? I would sooner be burned
alive."
"You must, though,"
"Never, señor."
"Nonsense," the senator remarked, contemptuously. "You know you
are in my hands. All the worse for you if you hesitate, for you will
then lose two thousand piastres."
"You said one thousand."
"I made a mistake."
"And when will you give them to me?"
"At once."
"Have you the amount about you?"
"Yes."
Suddenly the bandit's eye gleamed with a sinister flash; he drew
himself up, and leaped, knife in hand, upon the senator. But the
adventurer had a powerful adversary. Don Rufino had long known
the man he was treating with, and, while conversing, had not once
taken his eye off, and attentively watched all his movements. Hence,
though Kidd's action was so rapid, Don Rufino was before him; he

seized his arm with his left hand, while with the right he placed a
pistol to his chest.
"Hilloh, my master," he said, coldly, and with the most perfect
tranquillity, "are you mad, or has a wasp stung you?"
Abashed by his failure, the bandit gave him a savage look.
"Let me loose!"
"Not before you have thrown your knife away, scoundrel!"
Kidd opened his hand, the knife fell on the ground, and Don Rufino
put his foot upon it.
"You are not half clever enough," he said, sarcastically; "you deserve
to have your brains blown out, in order to teach you to take your
measures better another time."
"I do not always miss my mark," he replied, with a menacing accent.
There was a moment of silence between the two men. Stronghand
still watched them, not losing one of their words or gestures, which
interested him to the highest degree. At length Don Rufino spoke.
"Have you reflected?" he asked the bandit.
"Of what?" the latter remarked, roughly; "Of this proposal?"
"Yes."
"Well, I accept."
"But you understand," the senator continued, laying a stress upon
every word, "you must deal frankly this time. No trickery, eh?"
"No, no," Kidd answered, with a shake of the head; "you may be
sure of that."
"I reckon on your honesty. Moreover, profit by what has occurred
today. I am not always so good tempered; and if a
misunderstanding, like that just now, again arose between us, the
consequences might be very serious to you."

These few words were uttered with an intonation of voice, and
accompanied by a look, that produced a profound impression on the
bandit.
"All right," he said, shrugging his shoulders savagely; "there is no
need to threaten, as all is settled."
"Very good."
"Where shall I come to you after the business?"
"Do not trouble yourself about that. I shall manage to find you."
"Ah!" he said, with a side-glance; "then that is your affair?"
"Yes."
"Very good. Give me the money."
"Here it is. But remember, if you deceive me—"
"Nonsense," the bandit interrupted him. "Did I not tell you that it
was all settled?"
The senator drew from his pocket a long purse, through whose
meshes gold coins could be seen. He weighed it for an instant in his
hand, and then threw it twenty paces from him.
"Go and fetch it," he said.
The bandit dashed at the gold, which as it fell produced a ringing
sound. Don Rufino took advantage of this movement to get into his
saddle.
"Good-bye," he said to the bandit. "Remember!" and he started at a
gallop. Kidd made no reply, for he was too busy counting the ounces
contained in the purse.
"All right," he at last said, with a smile upon his features, as he hid
the purse in his bosom. "No matter," he added, as he looked
savagely after the senator, "I allow that I am in your power, demon;
but if I ever had you in my hands as you had me today, and I
manage to discover one of your secrets, I should not be so mad as
to show you any mercy."

After this soliloquy the bandit went up to his horse, tightened the
girths, and set out in his turn, but in a direction opposite to that
which the senator had taken. So soon as he was alone, the hunter
rose.
"Oh, oh!" he muttered, "That is a dark plot. That man cannot want
to kill Paredes merely to rob him; it is plain that the blow is meant
for the Marquis. I will be on my guard."
We have already seen that the hunter religiously kept his promise.
CHAPTER XXIV.
FATHER AND SON.
Now that we have given the reader all necessary information about
the events accomplished at the Hacienda del Toro, we will resume
our narrative at the point where we were compelled to leave it—that
is to say, we will return to the village of the Papazos, and be present
at the conversation between Thunderbolt and Stronghand in the
Pyramid. The two men, walking side by side, went up to the top of
the Pyramid. They traversed the bridge of lianas thrown over the
Quebrada at a great height, and entered the Pyramid on the right.
They descended to the first floor—the Indians they met bowing
respectfully to them—and stopped before a securely fastened door.
On reaching it, Thunderbolt gave it two slight taps; an inner bolt was
drawn, the door opened, and they went in. They had scarce crossed
the threshold ere the young Indian who had opened the door closed
it again after them. A strange change had taken place in the two
men; the Indian stoicism they had hitherto affected made way for
manners that revealed men used to frequent the highest society of
cities.

"Maria," Thunderbolt said to the girl, "inform your mistress that her
son has returned to the village." In giving this order the old
gentleman employed Spanish, and not the Comanche idiom which
he had used up to the present.
"The señora was already aware of her son's return, mi amo," Maria
answered, with a smile.
"Ah!" said the old man, "then she has seen somebody."
"The venerable Padre Fray Serapio came an hour ago to pay the
señora a visit, and he is still with her."
"Very good; announce us, my child."
The girl bowed and disappeared, returning a moment after to tell
the two gentlemen that they could enter. They were then introduced
into a rather spacious room, lighted by four glazed windows—an
extraordinary luxury in such a place—in front of which hung heavy
red damask curtains. This room, entirely lined with stamped
Cordovan leather, was furnished in the Spanish style, with that good
taste which only the Castilians of the old race have kept, and was,
through its arrangement, half drawing room, half oratory. In one
corner an ebony prie-dieu, surmounted by an ivory crucifix, which
time had turned yellow, and several pictures of saints, signed by
Murillo and Zurbaran, would have caused the apartment to be taken
for an oratory, had not comfortable sofas, tables loaded with books,
and butacas, proved it to be a drawing room. Near a silver brasero
two persons were sitting in butacas.
Of these, one was a lady, the other a Franciscan monk; both had
passed midlife, or, to speak more correctly, were close on fifty years
of age.
The lady wore the Spanish garb fashionable in her youth—that is to
say, some thirty years before. Although her hair was beginning to
grow white, and a few deep wrinkles altered the purity of her
features, still it was easy to see that she must have been very lovely
once on a time. Her skin, of a slightly olive hue, was extremely fine,
and in the firm marked lines of her face, the distinctive character of

the purest Aztec race could be recognised. Her black eyes, shaded
by long lashes, and whose corners rose slightly, like those of the
Mongolians, had an expression of strange gentleness, and her whole
face revealed mildness and intelligence. Although she was below the
ordinary height of women, she still retained the elegance of youth;
and her exquisitely modelled hands and feet were almost of a
microscopic smallness. Fray Serapio was the true type of the Spanish
monk—handsome, majestic, and dreamy—and seemed as if he had
stepped out of a picture by Zurbaran. When the two gentlemen
entered, the lady and the Padre rose.
"You are welcome, my darling child," the old lady said, opening her
arms to her son.
The latter rushed into them, and for some minutes there was an
uninterrupted series of caresses between mother and son.
"Forgive me, Padre Serapio," Stronghand at length said, as he freed
himself from the gentle bondage; "but it is so long since I had the
pleasure of embracing my mother, that I cannot leave off."
"Embrace your mother, my child," the monk answered, with a smile;
"a mother's caresses are the only ones that do not entail regret."
"What are you about, Padre?" Thunderbolt asked; "Are you going to
leave us already?"
"Yes; and pray excuse me for going away so soon; but after a
lengthened separation, you must have much to say to one another,
and a third person, however friendly he may be, is always in the way
at such a time. Moreover, my brothers and I have a good deal to do
at present, owing to so many white hunters and trappers being in
the village."
"Are you satisfied with your neophytes?"
The monk shook his head mournfully.
"No," he at length answered; "the Indians love and respect us,
owing to the protection you have deigned to afford us, Señor Don—"

"Silence!" the chief interrupted him, with a smile; "no other name
but that of Thunderbolt."
"That is true; I always forget that you have surrendered the one
received at your baptism; still it is one of the most noble in the
martyrology. Well," he continued with a sigh, "the will of Heaven be
done! The glorious days of conversion have passed since we have
become Mexicans; the Indians no longer believe in the Spanish good
faith, and sooner than accept our God, persist in their old errors.
This makes me remember that I have a favour to ask of you."
"Of me? Oh, it is granted beforehand, if it be in my power to satisfy
you."
"Doña Esperanza, with whom I have spoken about it, leads me to
hope that you will not refuse it."
"Did you not say to me one day that the señora's name brought you
good luck? It will probably be the same today."
The monk took a furtive glance at the old lady.
"This is the matter, my dear," she said, mingling in the conversation;
"the good father wishes your authority to follow, with another monk,
the warriors during the coming expedition."
"That is a singular idea, father; and what may your object be? For I
presume you do not intend to fight in our ranks."
"No," the monk answered with a smile, "my tastes are not warlike
enough for that; but if I may judge from the preparations I see you
making, this will be a serious expedition."
"It will," the old man answered, pensively.
"I have noticed that generally, during these expeditions, the
wounded are left without assistance. I should like to accompany the
Indians, in order to attend to their wounds, and console those
whose hurts are so serious that they cannot recover; still, if the
request appear to you exorbitant, I will recall it, though I shall do so
reluctantly."

The old gentleman gazed at the monk for a moment with an
expression of admiration and tenderness impossible to describe.
"I grant your request, Padre," he at length said, affectionately
pressing his hand. "Still, I am bound to make one remark."
"What is it?"
"You run a risk of falling into the hands of the Mexicans."
"Well, what matter? Can they regard it as a crime if I perform on the
battlefield the duties which my religion imposes on me?"
"Who knows? Perhaps they will regard you as a rebel."
"And in that case—"
"Treat you as such."
"That is to say—"
"You will run a risk, father, of being shot; and that is worth thinking
about, I suppose."
"You are mistaken, my friend; between duty and cowardice no
hesitation is possible. I will die, if it be necessary—but with the
conviction that I have fulfilled to the close the sacred mission I have
undertaken. Then you grant my request?"
"I do so, father, and thank you for having made it."
"Blessings on your kindness, my son; and now the Lord be with you.
I shall retire."
In spite of much pressing, the worthy father insisted on going away,
and was conducted to the door of the apartment by the two
gentlemen, in spite of his efforts to escape a mark of honour of
which he considered himself unworthy. When the door closed after
him, and the three persons were really alone, Doña Esperanza, after
a long look at her son, gently drew him towards her, and obliging
him to sit down on an equipal, she lovingly parted off his forehead
his clustering locks, and said in a sweet, harmonious voice, in which
all the jealous tenderness of a mother was revealed—

"I find you sad, Diego; your face is pale, your features are worn, and
your eyes sparkle with a gloomy fire. What has happened to you
during your absence?"
"Nothing extraordinary, mother," he answered, with an
embarrassment he tried in vain to conceal. "As usual, I have hunted
a great deal, travelled a long distance, and consequently, endured
great fatigue; hence, doubtless, comes the pallor you notice upon
my face."
The old lady shook her head with an incredulous air.
"A mother cannot be deceived, my boy," she said, gently. "Since you
have been a man I have seen you return only too often, alas, from
long and perilous expeditions. You were fatigued—at times ill, but
that was all; while today you are gloomy, restless—"
"Mother!"
"Do not argue, for my mind is made up, and nothing will alter it. If
you refuse me your confidence, Heaven grant that you may select a
confidant who understands you so thoroughly."
"Oh, mother! This is the first time a reproach has passed your lips."
"Because, Diego, this is the first time you have refused to let me
read your heart."
The young man sighed and hung his head, without replying.
Thunderbolt, who had hitherto been a silent spectator of the scene,
gave Doña Esperanza a meaning glance, and walked up to her son.
"Diego," he said to him, as he laid his hand on his shoulder, "you
forget that you have to give me a report of the mission I entrusted
to you."
Stronghand started, and eagerly sprang up.
"That is true, father," he replied; "forgive me. I am ready to furnish
you with all the details you desire of what I have been doing during
my absence from the village."

"Sit down, my son; your mother and I give you permission."
The young man took a chair, and after reflecting for a few seconds,
at a further remark from his father, he commenced the recital of all
he had been doing while away. The narrative was long, and lasted
nearly two hours; but we will not relate it, because the reader is
acquainted with most of the facts the young man stated.
Thunderbolt and Doña Esperanza listened without interruption, and
gave unequivocal signs of the liveliest interest. When he had
concluded his story, his mother fondly embraced him, while
congratulating him on his noble and generous conduct. But
Thunderbolt regarded the matter from another point of view.
"Then," he asked his son, "the man who arrived with you is the
majordomo of this Don Hernando de Moguer?"
"Yes, father."
"Though I am an Indian by adoption, I will not forget that Spanish
blood flows in my veins. You will pay this Paredes, as you call him,
the amount of the bills, and I will send them to Hermosillo to be
cashed hereafter. You did well in bringing him with you, for an
honest man must not fall a victim to a villain. Although this affair
does not in any way concern us, I am not sorry to do a service to an
old fellow countryman. Let the majordomo leave the village this very
night; in order to prevent any accident on the road, you will have
him escorted to the hacienda by Whistler and Peccary, and three or
four warriors. They will be more than sufficient to frighten any
scoundrels that may attempt to stop him; and as, moreover, we are
in a direction entirely opposed to that in which the Hermosillo road
runs, no one will think of stopping him."
"I can accompany him myself, with your permission, father."
The old gentleman gave him a piercing glance, which compelled him
to look down.
"No," he replied; "I want you here."
"As you please, father," he said, with feigned indifference.

And he rose.
"Where are you going?"
"To carry out your orders, father."
"There is no hurry; the day is not very advanced yet, and I want to
talk with you; so return to your chair."
The young man obeyed. Thunderbolt reflected for a moment, and
then said—
"How do you call this hacienda?"
"El Toro."
"Let me see," the old man continued, as if striving to remember; "it
is not built on the exact site of the ancient Cosala?"
"So people say, father."
Doña Esperanza listened to this conversation with considerable
anxiety. In vain did she try to discover her husband's meaning, and
ask herself why he thus obstinately brought the conversation back to
so hazardous a subject.
"Is it not a strong place?" the sachem continued.
"Yes, father; substantially built, and crowned with almenas."
"In truth, I now remember having seen it formerly! It is an excellent
strategical position."
Doña Esperanza looked at her husband with amazement blended
with alarm; she could neither account for his coldness nor his
persistence. He continued—
"Have you ever entered this hacienda."
"Never, father."
"That is vexatious; still, I presume you are acquainted with some of
its inhabitants. A man cannot save," he added, ironically, "the life of
such a man as this Don Hernando de Moguer must be, without his
trying to testify his gratitude to the man who did him the service."

"I know not whether that is Don Hernando's idea, for I never had
the honour of seeing him."
"That is strange, Don Diego; and I cannot understand why you did
not try to form his acquaintance; however, that is of little
consequence, as far as my plans are concerned."
"Your plans, father?" the young man asked, in amazement.
"I will explain to you that we intend to commence the expedition
with a thunder stroke; our first attempt will be to seize the Real de
Minas of Quitovar, where the main body of the Mexican forces is now
collected. The Hacienda del Toro, situated scarce ten leagues from
Arispe, commanding the three roads to Hermosillo, Ures, and
Sonora, and built at a very strong position, is of immense
importance to us for the success of the war. I had thought of
appointing you to carry it by surprise, but as you have no friends in
the place, and seem not to care greatly about it, let us say no more
on the subject. I will give the command of the expedition to Whistler
and Peccary; they are two experienced chiefs, endowed with far
from common tact, and will carry the hacienda by a surprise,
because the Spaniards, not anticipating such an attack, will not be
on their guard. As for you, my son, you will follow me to the Real de
Minas. And now, my dear Diego, I have nothing more to say to you,
and you can withdraw."

The young man had listened in secret horror to this revelation of his
father's plans. He was so full of terror that he did not notice that
Thunderbolt, though he pretended at the beginning not to know the
hacienda even by name, had described its position with a precision
that showed that, on the contrary, he must be perfectly acquainted
with it. He stood for a moment crushed by the thought of the
terrible danger Doña Marianna would incur if the Apaches took the
hacienda. His father took a side-glance at him, and attentively
watched the various feelings reflected in his face.
"Forgive me, father," the young man at length said, with an effort;
"but I should like to offer an objection."
"What is it, my son? Speak, I am listening."
"I do not think it would be prudent to try and surprise, with a band
of savages, a house so far advanced in the interior of the country."
"That is why I selected you. You would have taken a band of white
and half-breed trappers and hunters, and would have passed
unnoticed, owing to the colour of your skins. Your refusal greatly
annoys me, I confess; but, as I do not wish to force your inclinations
—"
"But I did not refuse, father," the young man exclaimed.
"What! You did not refuse?"
"No, father; on the contrary, I ardently wish to be entrusted with this
confidential mission."
"In that case, I misinterpreted your silence and ambiguous remarks.
Then you accept?"
"Gladly, father."
"Very good; that is settled. Now go and send off that Paredes, for it
is time for him to return to his master. As for you, my son, breathe
not a syllable of what we have discussed; you understand the
importance of discretion under such circumstances. Embrace your
mother, and leave us."

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