affray.

Their arrival settled the matter. All the Spaniards fell but three or
four, who scrambled down the crannies of the cliff.

"Let not one of them escape! Slay them as Israel slew Amalek!" cried
Yeo, as he bent over; and ere the wretches could reach a place of
shelter, an arrow was quivering in each body, as it rolled lifeless down
the rocks.

"Now then! Loose the Indians!"

They found armorers tools on one of the dead bodies, and it was done.

"We are your friends," said Amyas. "All we ask is, that you shall help
us to carry this gold down to the Magdalena, and then you are free."

Some few of the younger grovelled at his knees, and kissed his feet,
hailing him as the child of the Sun: but the most part kept a stolid
indifference, and when freed from their fetters, sat quietly down where
they stood, staring into vacancy. The iron had entered too deeply into
their soul. They seemed past hope, enjoyment, even understanding.

But the young girl, who was last of all in the line, as soon as she was
loosed, sprang to her father's body, speaking no word, lifted it in her
thin arms, laid it across her knees, kissed the fallen lips, stroked
the furrowed cheeks, murmured inarticulate sounds like the cooing of a
woodland dove, of which none knew the meaning but she, and he who heard
not, for his soul had long since fled. Suddenly the truth flashed on
her; silent as ever, she drew one long heaving breath, and rose erect,
the body in her arms.

Another moment, and she had leaped into the abyss.

They watched her dark and slender limbs, twined closely round the old
man's corpse, turn over, and over, and over, till a crash among the
leaves, and a scream among the birds, told that she had reached the
trees; and the green roof hid her from their view.

"Brave lass!" shouted a sailor.

"The Lord forgive her!" said Yeo. "But, your worship, we must have these
rascals' ordnance."

"And their clothes too, Yeo, if we wish to get down the Magdalena
unchallenged. Now listen, my masters all! We have won, by God's good
grace, gold enough to serve us the rest of our lives, and that without
losing a single man; and may yet win more, if we be wise, and He thinks
good. But oh, my friends, remember Mr. Oxenham and his crew; and do
not make God's gift our ruin, by faithlessness, or greediness, or any
mutinous haste."

"You shall find none in us!" cried several men. "We know your worship.
We can trust our general."

"Thank God!"