"Pardon," replied Manos-gordas, a cold sweat breaking out over his body.
"Here words modern Arabic--I understand. Here words ancient, or classic
Arabic--I no understand."

"What do the words that you understand signify?"

"They signify GOLD, they signify PEARLS, they signify CURSE OF ALA. But I
no understand meaning, explanations, or signs. Must see the Dervish of
Anghera--wise man and translate all. I take parchment to day and bring
parchment to-morrow, and deceive not nor rob Senor Tudela. Moor swear."

Saying which he clasped his hands together, and, raising them to his lips,
kissed them fervently.

Don Bonifacio reflected; he knew that in order to decipher the meaning of
this document he should be obliged to take some Moor into his confidence,
and there was none with whom he was so well acquainted and who was so well
disposed to him as Manos-gordas; he consented, therefore, to confide the
manuscript to him, making him swear repeatedly that he would return on the
following day from Anghera with the translation, and swearing to the Moor
on his side that he would give him at least a hundred dollars when the
treasure should be discovered.

The Mussulman and the Christian then separated, and the latter directed
his steps, not to his own house, nor to the cathedral, but to the office
of a friend of his, where he wrote the following letter:

"Senor Don Matias de Quesada y Sanchez, Alpujarra, Ugijar.

"MY DEAREST UNCLE,--Thanks be to God that we have at last received news