it, turned it over in his hands, and then raised his head with an air of disappointment.
"I do not know how to use these weapons," he said.
"Oh, that is very easy," El Rayo courteously replied, "and you will be perfectly acquainted with their mechanism in an instant. Señor don Andrés, be kind enough to explain to this caballero the very simple management of these weapons."
The Spaniard obeyed, and the officer at once comprehended the explanation that was given him.
"Now, señor don Felipe," El Rayo resumed, still cold and impassive, "listen to me attentively. I consent to give you this satisfaction on the condition that whatever the issue of the combat may be, you agree to turn back immediately after, leaving señor don Andrés and his daughter at liberty to continue their journey if they may think proper: do you agree to this?"
"Certainly, señor."
"Very good. Now, then, this is what you and I are going to do; so soon as we have dismounted we will station ourselves twenty paces from each other: does that distance suit you?"
"Perfectly, Excellency."
"Good; then at a signal given by me, you will fire the six shots of your revolver; after that I will fire, but only once, as we are in a hurry."
"Pardon me, Excellency, but suppose I kill you with these six shots?"
"You will not kill me, señor," El Rayo answered coldly.
"Do you think so?"
"I am sure of it; to kill a man of my stamp, señor don Felipe," El Rayo said, with an accent of cutting irony, "a firm heart and a hand of iron are required: you possess neither."
Don Felipe made no reply, but devoured by a dull rage, with pale brow and frowning gesture, he resolutely went to place himself twenty paces from his adversary.
El Rayo dismounted and placed himself facing the officer, with his head thrown back, his right leg advanced, and his arms folded on his back.
"Now," he said, "pay great attention to aiming true; revolvers, good though they are, generally have the fault of carrying a little too high; do not hurry yourself. Are you ready? Well, then, fire."
Don Felipe did not let the invitation be repeated, but rapidly fired three shots.
"Too quick—much too quick," El Rayo cried to him; "I did not even hear the whistle of the bullets. Come, be calmer, and try to make good use of the three shots left you."
All eyes were fixed, all chests were panting. The officer, demoralized by the coolness of his adversary and the ill success of his firing, felt involuntarily fascinated by the black motionless statue before him, whose eyes he could see sparkling like live coals through the holes of the mask; drops of cold perspiration gathered on his hair, which stood erect with horror, and his former assurance had abandoned him.
Still, anger and pride gave him the necessary strength to conceal from the spectators the frightful agony he was suffering: by a supreme effort of the will he resumed an apparent calmness, and fired again.
"That is better," El Rayo said mockingly, "but a little too high. Try another."
Exasperated by this fire, don Felipe pulled the trigger.
The bullet struck the rock about an inch above the stranger's head.
Only one bullet was now left in the revolver.
"Advance five paces," said El Rayo; "perhaps you will not then throw away your last chance."
Without replying to this cutting sarcasm, the officer bounded like a wild beast, stopped at fifteen paces, and fired.
"It is now my turn," the stranger said, as he fell back five paces to re-establish the distance; "you forgot to take your hat off, caballero, and that is a want of courtesy which I cannot tolerate."
Then drawing one of the pistols thrust through his belt, he cocked it, stretched out his arm and fired without taking the trouble of aiming. The officer's hat was hurled from his head and rolled in the dust.
Don Felipe uttered a howl like a wild beast.
"Oh!" he exclaimed, "You are a demon!"
"No," El Rayo answered, "I am an honest man. Now, begone. I leave you your life."
"Yes, I will go; but whether you are man or fiend, I will kill you. I swear it, even if I have to pursue you to the lowest pit of hell."
El Rayo went up to him, seized him violently by the arm, drew him on one side, and lifting the veil which covered his features, showed him his face.
"You recognize me now, I suppose?" he said to him in a hollow voice; "But remember that now you have seen me face to face, our first meeting will be mortal. Begone."
Don Felipe made no reply; he remounted his horse, placed himself at the head of his terrified soldiers, and started at a gallop along the Orizaba road.
Five minutes later only the travellers and their servants remained on the plateau. El Rayo, doubtless taking advantage of the moment of surprise and disorder produced by the close of this scene, had disappeared.
CHAPTER V.
THE HACIENDA DEL ARENAL.
Four days had passed since the events recorded in our last chapter. Count Ludovic de la Saulay and Oliver were still riding side by side, but the place of the scene had completely changed.
All around them extended an immense plain covered with a luxuriant vegetation, intersected by a few water courses, on the banks of which were huddled the humble cabins of several unimportant pueblos; numerous flocks browsed here and there, watched by mounted vaqueros, bearing the reata on the saddle, a machete at their side, and a long lance in its rest. Along a road, whose windings formed a yellow track on the green carpet of the plain, appeared like black dots, teams of mules hurrying toward the snowy mountains, which closed in the horizon in the distance; gigantic clumps of trees diversified the landscape, and a little to the right, on the top of a rather high hill, proudly rose the massive walls of an important hacienda.
The two travellers were slowly following the last windings of a narrow track that ran down with a gentle slope to the plain; the curtains of trees which masked the view suddenly falling back on the right and left, the landscape appeared suddenly to rise before them, as if it had been created by the magic wand of a mighty enchanter.
The count stopped and burst into a cry of admiration at the sight of the magnificent kaleidoscope which was displayed before them.
"Ah, ah," said Oliver, "I was aware that you were an amateur, and it was a surprise I prepared for you; how do you like it?"
"It is admirable; I never saw anything so beautiful," the young man exclaimed enthusiastically.
"Yes," the adventurer resumed with a stifled sigh, "it is very fair for a country spoilt by the hand of man. As I have told you several times, it is only in the savannahs of the great Mexican desert that it is possible to see nature as God has made it; this is only theatrical scenery in comparison; a conventional landscape which signifies nothing."
The count smiled at this sally.
"Whether conventional or not, I consider this view admirable."
"Yes, yes, I repeat, it is a very fair success. Think how lovely this landscape must have been in the early days of the world, since, in spite of all their clumsy efforts, men have not succeeded in entirely spoiling it."
The young man's laughter was redoubled at these words.
"On my faith," he said, "you are a charming companion, Mr. Oliver; and when I part from you, I shall often regret your agreeable company."
"In that case get ready to regret me, my lord," he replied with a smile, "for we have only a few minutes left to pass together."
"How so?"
"An