own-river boat
came by we were going to take it. If not, we expected to go in the
canoe."

"Padre dear, what did you intend to do in Banco?"

The man hesitated. "Don't speak of it, child--we--"

"Juan and Lazaro have knives. I saw them. Padre--have you one, too?"

"I?--_chiquita_--"

"Padre dear, God never fights with knives. Anita had a knife; but God
wouldn't let her use it. He always has better ways than that. I don't
know what happened to Padre Diego, except that he fell over his wicked
thoughts. You know, Padre dear, somewhere in the Bible you read to me
that 'With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to
help us, and to fight our battles.' I thought of that when Padre Diego
had his arm around me and held me so tight that I could hardly
breathe. It was only an arm of flesh, after, all, and it couldn't hold
me."

"_Bien_, Padre," interrupted Juan, coming up from the boat, "if we are
to reach Simiti to-night we must start at once."

"_Bueno_, then let us set out," returned Jose, rising. A muffled sob
reached his ears. He turned to the woman huddled in the shadow of the
door.

"Come, Ana," he said cheerily; "to-night you will again be home."

"No, Padre--I do not go with you. I--"

"Anita!" In an instant Carmen's arms were around her. "When padre
Rosendo sees us, you and me, why--"

"_Carisima_!" The woman's tears flowed fast while she hugged the girl
to her bosom. "No--no--he would drive me from his house! No--let me
stay here. I will get work in the _posada_, perhaps. Or Captain Julio
will take me to Honda on his next trip, and get me a place--"

"Then we must ask him to get a place for us both," interrupted Carmen,
sitting calmly down beside her. "And think, Anita, how sad padre
Rosendo will be when he sees the men come back without us!"

"Carmen! I shall throw myself into the river!" cried the sorrowing
woman, rising. "You don't know what it is--"

"Yes, I do, Anita," returned the girl quickly; "it is nothing--just
zero--and you can't drown it! If it would do any good we would both
jump into the river--that is, if God told us to--wouldn't we? But it
doesn't help any to die, you know, for then we would have it all to do
over again."

"Ana," said Jose, laying a hand on the woman's shoulder, "you do not
understand her--neither do I, wholly. But if she tells you to go with
us to Simiti, why, I think I would go. I would leave it all with her.
You may trust her influence with Rosend