, she seized the senseless Ricardo by the feet, and together they
dragged him out into the _patio_ and threw him under a _platano_
tree.

"But, senorita--" began Julio in remonstrance, as thoughts of Diego's
wrath filtered through his befuddled brain.

"Not a word, _hombre_!" she commanded, turning upon him. "If you lay a
hand upon this child my knife shall find your heart!"

"But--my pay?"

"How much did Padre Diego say he would give you?" she demanded.

"Three _pesos oro_--and rations," replied the man thickly.

"Wait here, then, and I will bring you the money."

Still retaining Carmen's hand, she mounted the steps, listening
cautiously for the tread of her master. Reaching the rotunda above,
she drew Carmen into the room from which she had emerged before, and,
bidding her conceal herself if Diego should arrive, took her wallet
and hastily descended to where the weaving Julio waited.

"There, _amigo_," she said hurriedly, handing him the money. "Now do
you go--at once! And do not remain in Banco, or Padre Diego will
surely make you trouble. Your life is not safe here now. Go!" She
pointed to the door; and Julio, impressed with a sense of his danger,
lost no time in making his exit.

Returning to Carmen, the woman seated herself and drew the girl to
her. "Carmen, child!" she cried, trembling, as her eyes searched the
girl. "Tell me why you are here!"

"I do not know, Anita dear," murmured the girl, nestling close to the
woman and twining an arm about her neck; "except that day before
yesterday the Alcalde put padre Rosendo into the jail--"

"Into the jail!"

"Yes, Anita dear. And then, when I was going to see him, Fernando ran
out of Don Mario's house and told me I must go in and see the Alcalde.
Julio Gomez and this man Ricardo were there talking with Don Mario in
the _patio_. Then they threw a _ruana_ over me and carried me out
through the _patio_ and around by the old church to the Boque trail.
When we got to the trail they made me walk with them to the Inanea
river, where they put me into a canoe. They paddled fast, down to the
Boque river; then to the Magdalena; and down here to Banco. They did
not stop at all, except when steamboats went by--oh, Anita, I never
saw a steamboat before! What big, noisy things they are! But Padre
Jose had often told me about them. And when the big boats passed us
they made me lie down in the canoe, and they put the _ruana_ over me
and told me if I made any noise they w