I shall, of course, pretend to be extremely vexed at the time that has been wasted; and I do not see that any suspicion can fall upon me, as having been concerned in the affair at Lima.
"We will walk our horses at a slow pace, in order to save them, as far as possible; and to ascertain whether our pursuers have correctly followed our steps.

When we once hear them, we can then put on our best speed; and as they will not know that we are but a short distance ahead, they will go at a moderate pace.

Besides, the speed of bloodhounds, when tracking, is by no means great." An hour later, they heard a faint sound in the distance.
Instinctively they checked their horses, and again, in the darkness of the night, the deep distant bay of a hound was heard.
"Just as I thought!" Don Estevan exclaimed.

"They have got the bloodhounds, and I should think, by the sound, that they must have just reached the spot where we mounted.

The hounds will be puzzled now; but the sagacity of these creatures is so great that I am by no means sure that they will be unable to follow us by the track of the horses.