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Show ' ( 46 ) n Well!)' answered I, "Why do you come hither into our p~aceful a bone ? Why don' t you cease to persecute us, even here, m the Wl" l(l erness ?. " . , B h · ' ' T eresa !'' replied he, "I entreat you, hsten to me. ut w ere Ui V a lerio? Let him also hear what I have to say!'' . "My husband is gone to Pueblo, and will probably return hither at the end of this week," rejoined I, with a feigned confidence, "~ut, Munoz! if innocence and virtue cannot prevent you from dmng w rong,''-! took Alejo before me~ and posted mr~elf ~!th him u~d ,r the crucifix-" my dagger shall e1ther save or k1ll me. So saymg, I grasped the dagger attached to my belt. , " I am not such a monster as you suppose me to be, Teresa, ansv..- e red he, with a mournful countenance, " your little one's innocence and your virtue are more than suffic\ent, but your dagger is unnecessary to defend you against me: trust me! if you cannot love me!" " ' l trust you, Munoz,' replied I, 'but I cannot love you ;-my lo've belon<rs to Valerio, my husband. You know that I never encourage<. t you to love me, before you became a robber, a criminal who constantly violates the laws of God and man. And do you think now, 1\1unoz-after you have become an outcast and a murderer, after y on hove stained your hands with innocent human blood-that I can ever love you?' '" Angel of heaven!' exclaimed he, and wept bitterly, covering his face and falling down upon his knees. 'Teresa! lead me back to the poth of honour! Save my soul from eternal ruin!' " 'I will pray to the Holy Virgin for you, and be your sister, as Y alerio shall become your brother, if you wilt repent,-if you turn an honest man again.' Thus I spoke. "'Yes, I will do so,' replied he, in ecstasy. 'I will deserve to be you r brother. I swear by the name of the Holy Virgin, that I will, as much as possible, atone for my crimes, and live now as an l onest man, like my brother Valerio, your noble husband.' "He kissed my hand, which I stretched out to raise him; then he to?k Alejo up an~ kissed him also, whereupon he sighed and said With a deep emotwn, 'How happy brother Valerio must be to have s~c h a wife and su_ch. a son! Well~' continued he, as if speaking to h1m ·elf, 'I am a cnm1nal, and Valeno has always been an honest man; Low can I be or deserve to be as happy as he is?' . '"Bu t .th ere is no time now for idle talk about such thin~s; your I· ves are. m danger·, an_d, my .love-no! forgive me that expression! - dear sister! ~y fr~ e mlshtp.for you, drove me hither to warn you. A great w~r-cry IS now soundi?g among the Indians along the new ? oundary-hne between the U ntled States, our new country, and M: eJl CO, our olJ c~unt.ry. The Apachos and the Camanches, supposed to be secretly msllgated by Santa Anna, will invite the Grusos- Vientres to j_oin them in '~ a ging a bloody guerilla-war against those o! the Amencanos (;\mericans) wh.o ar~ travelling in large crowds on the Great SQnta Fe Route to Californta, where they have discovered rich gold mines. ' "' .Many marl ud ing and plundering ~1 ej i can os (1\1cxicans) will not ~ 0 :..:.:, c.. -c · '"' ~ .~., c ~ ~ '-! 0 .r..:,: C'- 3'" C) :::! -0,. . -::r lb ..., Q... .. ,::; " ..., .. ,, - . ~ 0 .~ ------ .· -- -- |
