picture
of the Virgin that was hanging near the altar. The picture was blown
out of its frame and swept off to the hills, or into the lake. It was
never seen again, although the frame was found just outside the door.
Perhaps it was the extinguishing of the candles and the falling of the
picture that frightened the old priest so terribly. At any rate he ran
from the church to his house, and when he reached his door he fell
dead of apoplexy.

"_Bueno_, after that you could never get any of the Simiti people to
enter the church again. They closed the doors and left it, just as it
was, for they thought the curse of God had fallen upon it because it
had been erected by the enemies of the Rincon family, whose patron
saint was the blessed Virgin herself. Well, the old altar began to
crumble, and parts of it fell away from time to time. And when the
people heard the bricks falling they said it was the bad angel that
the Virgin had locked in there--the angel of Satan that had
extinguished the candles on the altar that night of the storm.
_Caramba!_ And I believed it, too! I am a fool, Padre, a fool!"

"We are all fools, Rosendo, when we yield ourselves to superstition
and false belief," said Jose solemnly. "But you have worked out a very
ingenious story, and I doubt not you have come very near to accounting
in the right way for the presence of the little box in the altar. But
now, _amigo_, come with me to my house. I would discuss a plan with
you.

"It is this, Rosendo," he said, when they were alone. "We now have
gold, and the way has been providentially opened. Carmen is in great
danger here. What say you, shall we take her and leave Simiti?"

Rosendo's face became grave. He did not reply for some moments.

"Padre," he said at length, "you are right. It would be best for her
if we could get her away. But--you would have to leave the country. I
see now that neither she nor you would be safe anywhere in Colombia if
you left Simiti."

"True, Rosendo," replied Jose. "And I am sure that no country
offers the asylum that America does--the America of the north. I
have never been there, _amigo_; but of all countries I learn that it
is the most tolerant in matters religious. And it offers the
greatest opportunities to one, like Carmen, just entering upon life.
We will go there. And, Rosendo, prepare yourself and Dona Maria at
once, for we had best start without delay."

But Rosendo shook his head. "No, Padre," he said slowly.