ith the
spoils of the Aztecs.

The troops at once returned to their duty, and declared their
readiness to follow him, wheresoever he would. Without further
delay, Cortez, taking with him a number of natives to act as
carriers, set out on his march towards Mexico.

Chapter 12: The Fugitives.

At nightfall Roger and his guide continued their journey, but now
moved with great caution, keeping but a short distance from the
road. Several times they saw fires burning, and had to take long
detours to avoid them. Consequently the moon had set when they were
still more than ten miles from the pass. Next morning they
continued their journey, avoiding as much as possible crossing
tracts of cultivated land; and when forced to do so, lying down and
crawling between the rows of the maize or yuccas.

"They are sure to have scouts, high up on the mountainside,"
Bathalda said; "and they thence can look down upon all these
fields; and although, as we cross them we are perfectly hidden from
people standing on the same level, they can see us clearly enough
from there."

"The distance is very great to make out a man."

"The air is very clear, my lord, in these mountains; and a figure
can be seen a vast distance off. However, we can do nothing but
what we are doing, and must take our chance."

"If we are attacked," Roger said, "we must make straight up the
mountains. Steep as they may be, there are few places where active
men cannot climb, and numbers would avail nothing if we once got up
among those heights."

They were now mounting rapidly towards the pass. The country was
still thickly wooded, but Bathalda said that in the narrowest part
of the pass there were no trees, and it was here that the danger
would be greatest.

As they neared the mouth of the gorge they moved with the greatest
care, keeping their eyes in every direction. Presently Bathalda
stopped, and held up his hand. Roger listened.

"They are coming behind us," Bathalda said. "They must have made us
out in the distance, and have sent a party down the road to enter
the wood behind us, and so prevent us from retreating."

"Then we had better bear away to the left, Bathalda. They are sure
to be in force in the pass; and since they are behind us, also, our
only hope is to try and scale the hill to the left."

Bathalda, without a word, moved forward in the direction indicated.
The trees grew thinner in front, and through them they could see
rocky ground ri