shaw."

The forester gave an exclamation of pleasure.

"I am glad, indeed," he exclaimed. "I wondered what had become of
him, in the fight."

Bathalda's exclamation silenced the murmur with which the others
had heard that one of the white men had been saved, by them, from
the general destruction which, as they believed, had fallen upon
their oppressors.

"He is a friend of our people," Cuitcatl went on, "and is of
another race to these Spaniards. As you see, men, he speaks our
language well, and is like one of ourselves. Cacama held him as a
dear friend; and as you know, Cacama hated the Spaniards, and had
it not been for treason would have attacked them, long ago.

"Now, form a litter with the paddles and lay Cacama upon it.
Morning is breaking, and we have far to go. The new Lord of Tezcuco
is a friend of the Spaniards. We must get well away, as soon as we
can."

Roger threw aside the Spanish helmet. Cuitcatl took some of the
plumes from his own headdress, and bound them round his head and,
as soon as the bier was constructed, the little party started. In
the afternoon they arrived at Cuitcatl's house, the chief having
himself gone forward, to inform the queen of Cacama's fate, and of
the near approach of the party, with his body.

It was a mournful scene, when they arrived. The whole of the male
and female retainers were assembled outside the house, the women
filling the air with cries and lamentations, the men weeping and
wailing. The bearers of the bier passed into the house, where
Maclutha awaited it.

Roger, unwilling to intrude upon the grief of the unhappy queen,
remained without, talking to Bathalda; the natives viewing him with
hostility and wonder, being unable to understand how it was that
their lord had brought one of the white men to his house.

In a minute or two, however, Amenche's attendant ran down the steps
to Roger and, telling him to follow her, led the way to the
apartment where the princess was waiting him. She fell, crying,
into his arms.

"It is terrible, Roger," she sobbed. "As long as my brother was but
a captive, we had hoped that he might be restored to us; and now he
is brought home dead--slain, too, by a Mexican arrow."

"Cacama was ready for death, Amenche. I was beside him, from the
time he left his prison. He was sure that we should be attacked;
and saw that, as he and those with him were unprotected by any
armor, they would be the first to fall when the fighting began