Presently he decided that he needed companionship for the moment, and left the house to cross the plaza and enter the tavern. The fat landlord rushed to greet him, conducted him to a choice seat near a window, and fetched wine without being commanded to do so.
Don Diego spent the greater part of an hour looking through the window at the plaza, watching men and women come and go, observing the toiling natives, and now and then glancing up the trail that ran toward the San Gabriel road.
Down this trail, presently, he observed approaching two mounted men, and between their horses walked a third man, and Don Diego could see that ropes ran from this man's waist to the saddles of the horsemen.
"What, in the name of the saints, have we here?" he exclaimed, getting up from the bench and going closer to the window.
"Ha!" said the landlord at his shoulder. "That will be the prisoner coming now."
"Prisoner?" said Don Diego, looking at him with a question in his glance.
"A native brought the news a short time ago, caballero. Once more a fray is in the toils."
"Explain, fat one!"
"The man is to go before the magistrado immediately for his trial. They say that he swindled a dealer in hides, and now must pay the penalty. He wished his trial at San Gabriel, but that was not allowed, since all there are in favor of the missions and the frailes."