s. His breath turned to livid flame.
Behind him, following in the swath which he cut, his supporters
crowded, fought and yelled. Don Mario's forces gave way. They cursed,
broke, and fled. Then Don Jorge, a man whose mortal strength was more
than common, threw himself upon the steaming, frenzied Rosendo and
stopped his mad progress.

"Rosendo--_amigo! Caramba!_ Listen! They are fleeing to the _bodega_
to get the rifles and ammunition! Come--_Dios arriba_! Come!"

Cut, bruised, and dripping blood from a dozen wounds, Rosendo stood
for a moment blinking in confusion. A score lay on the ground about
him. Whether dead or wounded, he knew not, nor cared. The sight of Don
Mario's supporters in full flight fascinated him. He broke into a
chuckle. It sounded like the gloating of an imp of Satan. Then the
force of Don Jorge's words smote him.

"_Caramba_! They will return with the rifles!" he panted. "What shall
we do?"

"Come! We must lose no time!" cried Don Jorge, pulling him toward the
house. Those of the priest's other followers who were still whole
scattered wildly to their homes and barred their doors. There they
searched for knives, _machetes_, razors, any tool or instrument that
might be pressed into service as a weapon, and stood guard. One
frenzied fellow, the sole possessor of an antiquated shotgun,
projected the rusty arm from a hole in the wall of his mud hut and
blazed away down the deserted street indiscriminately and without
aim.

Within the house Juan and Lazaro were supporting the dazed Jose, while
Dona Maria bathed and bound his wound. Carmen stood gazing upon the
scene in bewilderment. The precipitousness of the affair had taken her
breath away and driven all thought in mad rout from her mind.

"_Amigos_!" panted Don Jorge, "the church--it is the only place now
that is even fairly safe! Dona Maria, do you collect all the food in
the house! We know not how long we may be prisoners--"

"But--Don Jorge," interrupted Jose feebly, "they will attack us even
there! Let us flee--"

"Where, _amigo_? To the Guamoco trail? Caramba! they would shoot us
down in cold blood! _Hombre_! There is no place but the church! That
will hold some of them back, at any rate! And none of them, if they
get crazed with _anisado_! But it is the only place now! Come!"

"_Hombre_!" cried Rosendo, starting for the door, "but do you, Juan
and Lazaro, follow me with your _machetes_, and we will drive the
cowards from the _bodega_ a