"What's going on here?" "Make way for the acting Comandante." "It's you, entertaining the little ones, eh?" "Don't look at me." "I haven't got your watch." "I..." "I..." "No, no." "You cannot pay with these pebbles." "I want eight pesos." "Duros." "Hard money." "I have no money." "Then you cannot take my foodstuffs." "What I gave you is worth more than eight pesos!" "You Gypsies are all alike, trying to cheat decent, honest folk!" "I shall call the soldiers, have you locked up." "No!" "Wait!" "I'm not trying to cheat him, Senor." "But I've come all the way from the foothills." "I need the supplies." "And now he will not let me take them." "Of course I won't." "Look, Don Diego, look what she is trying to pass off on me." "well, they are pretty." "Where are they from?" "The sierra." "I know very little of these matters, but, uh, is it possible they are small gold nuggets?" "gold nuggets?" "Why, everybody knows there is no gold in california." "will you help me?" "You keep these and pay him the eight pesos?" "I promise, you will not regret it." "You are being taken in, Don Diego." "Those nuggets cannot be gold." "Just remember, she is a Gypsy, and Gypsies are born thieves and tricksters." "Bah!" "But, uh this one is so simpatica." "What is your name, little one?" "Marya Montoya." "Montoya?" "Aha, now I know who she is." "Her mother is the witch who the superstitious Indians go and see." "MARYA:" "It's my grandmother, and she's not a witch!" "She's a curandera." "Thank you, Senor, for your kindness." "I am most grateful." "And as for you, may you have a mother-in-Iaw with the evil eye and find scorpions in your bed!" "I tell you, Gypsies are the children of the devil." "I would not keep those pebbles." "They are probably bewitched." "I'II see if your order is ready." "Excuse me, Senor, I overheard the conversation." "May I see them?" "May I ask who you are?" "I'm a prospector from Mexico." "Perico Verdugo a sus ordenes." "No?" "No." "This is pyrite, commonly known as fool's gold because it resembles the real thing so much." "These are worthless." "Uh, Senor?" "My pebbles, please." "You want them?" "They are pretty to look at." "well..." "Where is your carriage, Don Diego?" "Uh, over there." "Thank you, Don Diego." "Remember me to your father." "MAN:" "Can you not see that I am busy?" "Why have you come back so soon?" "I have something of special interest." "What is it?" "It is private matter." "Senor Cuevas is in my confidence." "What is so urgent?" "Senores, there is gold in california." "What old wives' tale is this?" "No one has reported so much as a trace of it here." "Ah, nevertheless, I have seen it with my own eyes." "Nuggets of pure gold." "Where?" "Ah, I thought you would be interested." "But first, we must come to an agreement." "By all the santos!" "It is gold, Diego." "well, apparently the prospector was mistaken." "Let us hope he did not recognize it." "I am afraid of what would happen if the news leaked out." "I saw a gold rush in Mexico once." "I shall never forget it." "The worst elements poured in." "FarmIands were dug up, destroyed." "LawIessness and violence took over." "Can you imagine what would happen if the foreigners came and heard there was gold here?" "They would swarm into our country like hungry locusts." "No." "I do not wish to see our land invaded and ruined." "Nor do I." "You must find this Gypsy girl at once, Diego." "I am sure the prospector lied to throw me off, then went straight to the Magistrado to report it." "Yes, the Magistrado is dangerous enough without the power of gold." "But he will not believe it without proof, and I have the nuggets." "I must get to that Gypsy girl before the prospector does." "No." "She knows me as Diego." "But just in case it becomes necessary to hide my identity, you will bring Zorro's outfit along with you." "Yes, you're going too." "The goatherd said it was at the foot of the mountain that looks like a buffalo skull." "There is the mountain." "What's the matter?" "Are you sorry you came along?" "Where is your spirit of adventure?" "Come." "We must find the house of the witch." "What's the matter?" "Don't you want to go in with me?" "would you rather wait out here alone?" "What do you want?" "The night is late." "We wish to see the curandera on an urgent matter." "Enter." "What brings you here at this hour?" "I understand you make a powerful love potion." "surely a handsome caballero like you has no need for that?" "well, it's, uh..." "it's for my friend." "Oh, in that case, it may take several!" "This white pellet should be dissolved in the chocolate of the lady of your choice." "The second day, you give her this red one." "On the third day, if she hasn't fallen madly in love with you, toss this black pellet in the fireplace in front of her, and she will faII right into your arms." "Cinco pesos." "But are you certain it will work?" "You don't believe me?" "Watch." "The demonstration was an unqualified success!" "It is not often that I am honored by rich clients." "Who sent you?" "I met Marya in the plaza today." "Oh, so you are the kind gentleman who bought my pretty pebbles?" "Sit down." "Can I get you something, please?" "Some hot chocolate, perhaps, huh?" "Si?" "No, no, thank you." "Oh, by the way, has anyone else been here asking about these pebbles?" "No, Senor." "Do you have any others?" "No, that is all the Indian woman give me." "Oh, you got them from an Indian?" "Yes." "Last spring, my granddaughter, she go up the mountain back of here." "She found this woman lying by the trail, very sick." "So my granddaughter, she brought her to me, and I cure her." "She had no money, but she give me those pebbles saying I must not show them to no one." "But we are poor, Senor, so finally, I decided I would see if they had any value." "well, you need be poor no Ionger." "Here." "This is for your trouble." "blessed be the three Marias!" "It is a fortune." "I must ask you to speak to no one of these pebbles, or harm may befall you." "Oh, I shall tell no one, I swear by the horned moon." "I must find the Indian and warn her to keep silent." "Where does she live?" "My granddaughter can tell you." "When shall that be?" "Quien sabe, Senor?" "only one hour ago, two men came seeking help for a sick child." "My granddaughter went to get her." "Can you describe these men?" "One stayed back with his horses, I couId not see his face." "The other had a scar on his cheek." "Thank you, Senora." "It is getting late, and we really must go now." "Buenas noches." "Buenas noches, gracias." "Come any time you wish." "You are quite welcome." "They have forced her to guide them up the mountain." "We must find the trail." "You are right, Bernardo." "Here are their prints." "fortunately, there is only one trail up this mountain." "Go on." "I tell you, I do not know where the Indian woman lives." "But you came up with her up this trail." "only a part of the way." "She would not let me go beyond a certain point." "Then take us where you left her." "Andale." "Now what?" "It is too dangerous to ride beyond here." "well, then we will walk." "Dismount." "DIEGO:" "Up there, Bernardo." "This is as far as the Indian woman would let me come." "Where did she go?" "She disappeared among those rocks." "Tie the horses." "You come with me." "Let me go!" "Come on!" "No!" "Do not make me go any further!" "Why?" "You afraid of the painted rattIesnake?" "It is a sign of death." "I'm not superstitious." "Let me go!" "Come back here." "No, no!" "Stop that!" "Now you listen to me, you little wildcat." "You try to escape again, and I'II slit your pretty little throat, understand?" "There is a passage through there." "That's the way she must have disappeared." "Look." "Here." "This is the way they went up." "Let us hide the horses." "hold her." "There must be some more around here somewhere." "Do you think it's time for Zorro to take over?" "Give me my clothes." "Caray." "I think I found their mine." "Come on." "Let go of me!" "The girl's beads." "This is the passage they took." "Yes, I saw it." "But it is the live ones we have to worry about." "Wait here, I shan't be gone long." "This vein seems to be of solid gold." "Look, the Indians are working it now." "Are you not afraid they will return?" "We can't leave this." "Quick, fill it up." "Your shirt, your pockets, everything." "Now we must go." "We can come back later with others after we report to the Magistrado." "Are you crazy?" "We'II tell the Magistrado there was no gold." "And keep all this for ourselves?" "Naturalmente, hombre." "Why should we share all this beautiful gold with anyone?" "No, amigo, you and I, we're going to be partners." "Get her!" "Zorro!" "Perico, I just saw Zorro outside." "Zorro?" "What would he be doing up here?" "I do not know, but it was Zorro." "Ah, cobarde!" "Are you looking for me, Senor?" "I shall test the courage of this legendary bandit." "Go!" "Andale!" "Come on." "Ahh!" "I come as a friend, not an enemy." "For years we have lived in peace, and our land is invaded by white men." "How did you find your way here?" "I followed this man and another who came to steal your gold." "It is bad that you find out our secret." "Now you must die." "Why should you want to kill me?" "I respect your land and everything it contains." "I came to keep him from telling others your secret." "You do not want gold?" "I do not want yours." "AII white men want gold." "They will rob and kill for it." "They want it for what it will buy." "We prize it for its beauty, but you cannot understand that." "Perhaps I can." "Then you are different from others." "still, you cannot be allowed to go back." "If I do not return, others will come looking for me." "Then your secret will be discovered." "MAN:" "I think not." "It has been planned that, if your people ever find it, the face of this mountain will be changed." "The sierra will keep its secret." "Who is this one?" "A white sorcerer with great powers of magic." "This is not magic." "This is what white men have to use to tell the time." "Do not scoff at this man." "He can make the lightning flash." "He possesses red, white and black magic." "The old Indian was right." "The sierra has kept its secret." "Yes, Bernardo, it will be some time yet before gold is discovered in california."