All at once Valentine sharply seized the Ulmen by the collar, and pulled him to the ground; at the same moment a shot was fired, and a bullet struck the logs, producing myriads of sparks. The Mexicans, startled by the shot, sprung up and seized their arms, but the hunters had disappeared.
"What is the meaning of this?" Don Miguel asked, looking round vainly in the darkness.
"I am greatly mistaken," said the general, "if we are not attacked."
"Attacked!" the hacendero continued; "By whom?"
"By enemies, probably," the general remarked; "but who those enemies are I cannot tell you."
"Where are our friends?" Don Pablo asked.
"Hunting, I suppose," the general replied.
"Stay, here they come," said Don Miguel.
The hunters returned; but not alone; they had a prisoner with them, and the prisoner was Orson, the pirate. So soon as he had him in the bivouac, Valentine bound him securely, and then examined him for some minutes with profound attention. The bandit endured this examination with a feigned carelessness, which, well played though it was, did not quite deceive the Frenchman.
"Hum!" the latter said to himself, "this seems to me a cunning scamp; let me see if I am wrong—who are you, ruffian?" he roughly asked him.