your life. Ah! only you Americans are capable of such impulses. We
Spaniards haven't the nerve."

"I don't know their scoundrelly language."

"Manga Colorada speaks Spanish. I dare say you'll easily come to an
understanding with him. As for ransom, anything that we have, of course,
excepting food, arms, and ammunition. I can furnish a hundred dollars or
so. Go, my dear Lieutenant; go on your noble mission. God be with you."

"You will see that I am covered, if I have to run for it."

"I'll see to everything. I'll line the wall with sharpshooters."

"Post your men. Good-by."

"Good-by, my dear Lieutenant."

Coronado did post his men, and among them was Texas Smith. Into the ear of
this brute, whom he placed quite apart from the other watchers, he
whispered a few significant words.

"I told ye, to begin with, I didn't want to shute at brass buttons,"
growled Texas. "The army's a big thing. I never wanted to draw a bead on
that man, and I don't want to now more 'n ever. Them army fellers hunt
together. You hit one, an' you've got the rest after ye; an' four to one's
a mighty slim chance."

"Five hundred dollars down," was Coronado's only reply.

After a moment of sullen reflection the desperado said, "Five hundred
dollars! Wal, stranger, I'll take yer bet."

Coronado turned away trembling and walked to another part of the wall. His
emotions were disordered and disagreeable; his heart throbbed, his head
was a little light, and he felt that he was pale; he could not well bear
any more excitement, and he did not want to see the deed done. Rifle in
hand, he was pretending to keep watch through a fissure, when he observed
Clara following the line of the wall with the obvious purpose of finding a
spot whence she could see the plain. It seemed to him that he ought to
stop her, and then it seemed to him that he had better not. With such a
horrible drumming in his ears how could he think clearly and decide
wisely?

Clara disappeared; he did not notice where she went; did not think of
looking. Once he thrust his head through his crevice to watch the course
of Thurstane, but drew it back again on discovering that the brave lad had
not yet reached the Apaches, and after that looked no more. His whole
strength seemed to be absorbed in merely listening and waiting. We must
remember that, although Coronado had almost no conscience, he had nerves.

Let us see what happened on the plain through the anxious eyes of Clara.