"For long?"
"For a few hours?"
"Where is my brother going?"
"To look for the camp of Red Cedar's gambusinos," the Indian replied with a cunning smile.
"Good," Valentine said, gleefully. "My brother is a wise chief; he forgets nothing."
"Curumilla loves his brother; he thinks for him," the chief answered, simply.
After uttering these words, the Unicorn bowed gracefully, and proceeded in the direction of the Paso del Norte, soon disappearing in the windings of the road. Valentine looked after him for a long while. When he no longer saw him, he let his head fall pensively on his chest, murmuring in a low voice—
"Good, intelligent fellow! Heart of gold! The only friend left me! The only one remaining of my old and faithful comrades! Louis, my poor Louis, where are you now?" A deep sigh burst from his bosom, and he remained absorbed in a gloomy reverie.
At length Valentine raised his head, passed his hand over his brow, as if to dispel these sad thoughts, and turned to his friends.
"Pardon me," he said, "but I, at times, give way to my thoughts in that fashion. Alas! I, too, have suffered; but let us leave that," he added, gaily. "Bygones must be bygones. Let us attend to your affairs."