"Did you not tell me that the one who received the best answer was toget a present?" the young man asked, his voice trembling with emotionwhile he carefully divided the paper into two parts.
"Yes, yes!"
"Well, then! This is my gift," he said handing half of the telegramto Maria Clara. "I am going to have a school house for boys and girlserected in the town. This school house will be my gift."
"And this other piece: what does that mean?"
"I will give that to the one who has obtained the worst answer."
"Then that is for me!" exclaimed Sinang.
Ibarra gave her the piece of paper and quickly went off.
"And what does this mean?"
But the happy young man was already far away from the little groupand he did not reply. He had gone to finish the game of chess.
After making the present to his betrothed, Ibarra was so happy that hebegan to play without stopping to think or even examining carefullythe position of the chess. As a result, although Captain Basilio haddefended himself only by the greatest effort, the young man made somany mistakes that the game resulted in a draw.
"We end the suit, we end the suit!" said Captain Basilio, happy overhis success.
"Yes, we declare it off," repeated the young man, "whatever decisionthe judges may have been able to reach."
Each grasped the hand of the other and shook it with effusion.
In the meantime, while those present were celebrating the ending ofthe law-suit, of which both had long been tired, four Civil Guardsand a sergeant suddenly arrived on the scene. They were all armedand had their bayonets fixed, a fact which naturally disturbed themerriment and brought fright into the circle of women.
"Let everybody be quiet!" cried the sergeant. "Whoever moves willbe shot!"
In spite of this gruff boast, Ibarra rose to his feet and approachedthe sergeant.
"What do you wish?" he asked.
"That you give up at once the criminal named Elias who acted as pilotfor your party this morning," he replied, in a threatening tone.
"A criminal? The pilot? You must be mistaken!" replied Ibarra.
"No, sir; that Elias is now accused of another crime, of having laidhis hands on a priest----"
"Ah! And is the pilot the one?"
"He is the same one, so we are told. You are allowing people of badreputation to attend your festivals, Senor Ibarra."
Ibarra looked at him from head to foot and replied with supremecontempt: "I don't have to account to you for my actions. At ourfestivals everybody is well received, and you yourself, if you hadcome, would have been given a seat at the table, the same as thealferez who was here among us two hours ago."
Saying this, Ibarra turned his back to him. The sergeant bit hismustache and ordered his men to search everywhere among the treesfor the pilot, whose description he had on a piece of paper.
Don Filipo said to him: "Take note that this description correspondsto that of nine-tenths of the natives. Take care that you do not makea mistake!"
At last the soldiers returned, saying that they had not been able todiscover either a banca, or a man that aroused their suspicion. Thesergeant murmured a few indistinct words and then marched off.
Soon the people became jolly again, but questions, wonder and commentswere without end.
So the afternoon passed and the hour for departure arrived. Just asthe sun was dropping below the horizon they left the woods. The treesseemed sad and all the surroundings seemed to bid them farewell andsay: "Good-bye, happy youth; good-bye, dream of a day."
And a little later, by the light of glowing torches of bamboo andwith the music of guitars, we leave them on the road toward the town.