ind them as the Federals did.

"You won't have long to wait. Everything will be arranged when you
return," Luis Cervantes whispered to him.

"What do you mean?" Demetrio asked. "I thought that you and Camilla..."

"There's not a word of truth in it, Chief. She likes you but she's
afraid of you, that's all."

"Really? Is that really true?"

"Yes. But I think you're quite right in not wanting to leave any
bitter feelings behind you as you go. When you come back as a
conqueror, everything will be different. They'll all thank you for it
even."

"By God, you're certainly a shrewd one," Demetrio replied, patting him
on the back.

At sundown, Camilla went to the river to fetch water as usual. Luis
Cervantes, walking down the same trail, met her. Camilla felt her
heart leap to her mouth. But, without taking the slightest notice of
her, Luis Cervantes hastily took one of the turns and disappeared among
the rocks.

At this hour, as usual, the calcinated rocks, the sun-burnt branches,
and the dry weeds faded into the semi-obscurity of the shadows. The
wind blew softly, the green lances of the young corn leaves rustling in
the twilight. Nothing was changed; all nature was as she had found it
before, evening upon evening; but in the stones and the dry weeds, amid
the fragrance of the air and the light whir of falling leaves, Camilla
sensed a new strangeness, a vast desolation in everything about her.

Rounding a huge eroded rock, suddenly Camilla found herself face to
face with Luis, who was seated on a stone, hatless, his legs dangling.

"Listen, you might come down here to say good-bye."

Luis Cervantes was obliging enough; he jumped down and joined her.

"You're proud, ain't you? Have I been so mean that you don't even want
to talk to me?"

"Why do you say that, Camilla? You've been extremely kind to me; why,
you've been more than a friend, you've taken care of me as if you were
my sister. Now I'm about to leave, I'm very grateful to you; I'll
always remember you."

"Liar!" Camilla said, her face transfigured with joy. "Suppose I hadn't
come after you?"

"I intended to say good-bye to you at the dance this evening."

"What dance? If there's a dance, I'll not go to it."

"Why not?"

"Because I can't stand that horrible man ... Demetrio!"

"Don't be silly, child," said Luis. "He's really very fond of you.
Don't go and throw away this opportunity. You'll never have one like it
again in your lif