At this moment his eyes fell by chance upon the guide—his thick eyebrows contracted. "Hum!" he muttered to himself, "what does this mean? We shall see," he added.
And without taking further notice of the man, without appearing to recognise him, he gave the signal for departure.
After riding for some time silently along the banks of a moderately wide rivulet, the trapper made a sharp turn, and departing from the stream suddenly, plunged again into the forest.
"I crave your pardon," he said, "for making you turn out of your way; but this is a beaver pond, and I do not wish to frighten them."
"Oh!" the young lady cried, "how delighted I should be to see those industrious animals at work!"
The trapper stopped.
"Nothing more easy, señorita," he said, "if you will follow me, while your companions remain here, and wait for us."
"Yes, yes!" Doña Luz replied eagerly; but checking herself all at once, added, "Oh, pardon me, dear uncle."
The general cast a look at the trapper.
"Go, my child," he said, "we will wait for you here."