As Doña Marianna had expressed a wish to reach their journey's end as quickly as possible, Mariano took a different road from that which he had previously followed, and which ran to El Toro without passing by the rancho.
At about 3 p.m. they came in sight of the rock, and began scaling the path, and then noticed the hunters, commanded by Stronghand, drawn up in good order on the skirt of the forest. When the young lady reached the first gate of the hacienda, the sound of a shot reached her ear, and a white puff of smoke floating over the horsemen made her guess who it was that had fired it. Doña Marianna waved her handkerchief in the air. A second shot was fired, as if to show her that the signal was seen, and then the hunters turned round and disappeared in the forest. Doña Marianna entered the hacienda, and the first person she met was Paredes.
"¡Válgame dios! niña," the worthy majordomo exclaimed; "Where have you come from? The Marquis has been excessively anxious about you."
"Does not my father know that I have been to pay a visit to my nurse?"
"Your brother told him so, niña; but as your absence was so prolonged, the Marquis was afraid that some accident had happened to you."
"You see that it was not so, my good Paredes; so set your mind at rest, and go and re-assure my father, to whom I shall be delighted to pay my respects."
"Don Hernando will be pleased at your return, niña; he is at this moment engaged with Don Ruiz in inspecting the walls on the side of the huerta, in order to make certain that they are in a sound condition for we fear more and more an attack from the Indians."
"In that case do not disturb my father, and I will go and rest in the drawing room, for I am exhausted with fatigue; and when my father has completed his inspection, you will inform him of my return. It is unnecessary to importune him now."
"Importune him!" exclaimed the honest majordomo, "Excuse me, señorita, if I am not of your opinion on that head. ¡Viva dios! the Marquis would not forgive me if I did not immediately inform him of your return."
"In that case, act as you think proper, my worthy Paredes."