e clambered over the ruins and went on. There was no
need of our crouching into dark shadows. No one thought of observing us
now.

"We are near the house--will you still make the attempt to take him
along?" inquired Raoul, referring to the boy Narcisso.

"By all means! Show me the place," replied I, half-ashamed at having
almost forgotten, in the midst of our own perils, the object of our
enterprise.

Raoul pointed to a large house with portals and a great door in the
centre.

"There, Captain--there it is."

"Go under that shadow and wait. I shall be better alone."

This was said in a whisper. My companion did as directed.

I approached the great door and knocked boldly.

"_Quien_?" cried the porter within the _saguan_.

"_Yo_," I responded.

The door was opened slowly and with caution.

"Is the Senorito Narcisso within?" I inquired.

The man answered in the affirmative.

"Tell him a friend wishes to speak with him."

After a moment's hesitation the porter dragged himself lazily up the
stone steps. In a few seconds the boy--a fine, bold-looking lad, whom I
had seen during our trial--came leaping down. He started on recognising
me.

"Hush!" I whispered, making signs to him to be silent. "Take leave of
your friends, and meet me in ten minutes behind the church of La
Magdalena."

"Why, Senor," inquired the boy without listening, "how have you got out
of prison? I have just been to the governor on your behalf, and--."

"No matter how," I replied, interrupting him; "follow my directions--
remember your mother and sisters are suffering."

"I shall come," said the boy resolutely.

"_Hasta luego_!" (Lose no time then). "_Adios_!"

We parted without another word. I rejoined Raoul, and we walked on
towards La Magdalena. We passed through the street where we had been
captured on the preceding night, but it was so altered that we should
not have known it. Fragments of walls were thrown across the path, and
here and there lay masses of bricks and mortar freshly torn down.

Neither patrol nor sentry thought of troubling us now, and our strange
appearance did not strike the attention of the passengers.

We reached the church, and Raoul descended, leaving me to wait for the
boy. The latter was true to his word, and his slight figure soon
appeared rounding the corner. Without losing a moment we all three
entered the subterranean passage, but the tide was still high, and we
had to wait for t