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“¡Ay bruja!” Tenorio threatened with his fist, “for what you have said to shame my daughters and my good name in front of those men, I will see you dead!”
Tenorio makes these threats to Ultima in Chapter 10, when she confronts him in the saloon about the curse his daughters put on Uncle Lucas. His angry response is characteristic of his behavior throughout the novel. He refuses to acknowledge the reality that his daughters are witches, instead deflecting onto Ultima. Instead of owning the difficult truth and taking responsibility, he lashes out, resorting to threats of violence before any of his daughters have even been hurt. Notably, he is also angry because Ultima initiates this conversation in public. Tenorio cares more about his reputation than the truth.
But what hurt Tenorio most was that he would no longer be able to rally the townspeople around him; he would no longer be able to hold them through fear.
Antonio makes this observation in Chapter 13 when the priest bars Tenorio from entering the church with his daughter’s coffin. In light of Tenorio’s failed attempt to accuse Ultima of witchcraft, and the subsequent rumors of the Trementina daughters’ own witchcraft, the priest takes a stand against Tenorio and excommunicates the family. Notably, what bothers Tenorio the most is not fear for his own soul or a sense of righteousness in his cause, but his reputation. He values how others perceive him over a sense of inner truth, purpose, or moral compass.
He murdered Narciso because he ambushed him in cold blood, but he will not find me so easy to ambush—He is like an old wolf who drags around the ground where he has made his kill, his conscience will not let him rest.
Ultima makes this comment about Tenorio in Chapter 16 when Antonio expresses his fear that Tenorio will kill her. She here observes that Tenorio is only able to kill people in cowardly ways, such as taking them by surprise, instead of facing his opponents head on. If Tenorio were to face Narciso or Ultima openly, not only would he lose because they are mentally stronger than him, but he would also have to face the fact that they are not to blame for his sorrows. He is too cowardly to face this truth head on.
“You hear me, cabroncito!” he shouted. “I hope you rot in that hole as your bruja will rot in hell!”
Tenorio makes this threat in the final chapter, after he ambushes Antonio with his horse. As Antonio takes refuge by the riverbank, Tenorio wishes for his death. This moment displays Tenorio’s complete depravity. He attempts to murder Antonio, who is still a child, simply because he stands by Ultima. The fact that Tenorio believes Ultima will rot in hell further demonstrates his unwillingness to face the truth of his daughters’ witchcraft. In contrast with the role models Antonio finds throughout the novel, Tenorio here displays cowardice, unnecessary violence, and indiscriminate judgment.
