"Well, then?"
"You are mistaken, chief, it is not the same thing; I may enlarge the Chilian territory, but honour forbids me to diminish it."
"Let my father reflect; the province of Valdivia was anciently an Araucanian Uthal-Mapus."
"Very possibly, chief; but, according to that principle, all Chili was Araucanian previous to the discovery of America."
"My father is mistaken; the Inca Sinchiroca had, a hundred years before, conquered the Chilian land as far as the Rio-Maulé."
"You seem to be well acquainted with the history of your country, chief," the General observed.
"Does not my father know the history of his?"
"That is not the question, now; do you accept my proposals or not?"
The chief appeared to reflect for an instant.
"Well!" the General exclaimed, impatiently, "time presses."