"Of course," he said, with a shrug of his shoulders.
Without any further reply, he went up to his horse, which he re-bridled, and leapt into the saddle with a lightness and dexterity denoting great practice, and then started at a gallop for a clump of liquidambars, distant a hundred yards at the most.
The count, involuntarily overpowered by the ascendancy which this man had contrived to obtain over him through his strange mode of dealing since they had been travelling together, jumped into the saddle and went after him.
"Good!" said the adventurer, as soon as they found themselves completely sheltered behind the trees; "Now let us wait."
Some minutes elapsed.
"Look!" Oliver said laconically, stretching out his hand in the direction of the little wood from which they had themselves emerged two hours previously.
The count mechanically turned his head in the direction; at the same instant some ten irregular horsemen, armed with sabres and long lances, entered the valley at a gallop, and proceeded along the road towards the first defile of the Cumbres.
"Soldiers of the Veracruz President," the young man muttered; "what is the meaning of this?"
"Wait," the adventurer remarked.
The rolling of a carriage soon became distinct, and a berlin appeared, dragged at a tremendous pace by a team of six mules.