"Do you ever get any news from the valley, hunter?"
"Wull, yes. 'Casionally meet a hunter from there who has news; an' then the soldiers—thick as mosquitoes round here o' late—they have a heap to say. Some o' them—the Tepanecs, are lookin' for the Tezcucan prince, who's hidin' somewhere in the mountains. Maxtla, the new Tepanec king, is after his life."
"Have you seen this prince you speak of?"
"Wull, no; haven't had that pleasure."
"What would you do, hunter, should you meet with the prince on the mountain—make him a prisoner and claim the reward?"
"No, stranger, I'd do nothin' o' the sort; I'd let 'im alone."
"You certainly have not heard of the extraordinary reward which, I understand, has been offered for his capture, dead or alive—a noble lady's hand in marriage, and a rich domain with it, to him who takes the prince. Is that not worth considering?" said Hualcoyotl, endeavoring to draw the hunter out still farther, to be more fully assured that he might trust him.
"Not to a man o' family, stranger," replied the hunter.
"With the wealth included in the reward you could support several wives. The matter of a family would be of small consequence," pursued the prince.
"All the same, stranger, I'd sooner be a free man o' the mountains than to have all Maxtla has to give for the prince's capture. I'll never be a slave to any man, and surely not to Maxtla. Ef the prince should come my way, I'll show 'im what a mountaineer can do fur the son o' his father, a man who was loved by his people fur the good that was in 'im." At this instant a thought occurred to the hunter which caused him to look sharply at the prince. After a moment of close scrutiny, he said: "Come to think of it, ye're askin' a good many questions 'bout the prince. Wouldn't be s'prised ef ye'd turn out to be the 'dentical chap, yerself. Curious I haven't s'pected that afore. Who are ye, any way?"