e only course which remained
to him, he began to row with all his strength toward the Island of
Talim. In the meantime, the sun had risen.

The banca glided along rapidly. Elias saw some men standing up on
the falua, making signals to him.

"Do you know how to manage a banca?" he asked Ibarra.

"Yes; why?"

"Because we are lost if I do not leap into the water and make them
lose the trail. They will follow me. I swim and dive well.... I will
take them away from you, and then you can save yourself."

"No; you remain and we will sell our lives dearly."

"Useless! We have no arms, and with those rifles they will kill us
like birds."

At that moment a chiss was heard in the water like the fall of a hot
body, and was followed immediately by a report.

"Do you see?" said Elias, putting his paddle in the banca. "We will
see each other again at the tomb of your grandfather on Nochebeuna
(Christmas eve.) Save yourself."

"And you?"

"God has taken me through greater dangers."

Elias took off his camisa. A ball grazed his hands and the report
sounded out. Without being disturbed, he stretched out his hand to
Ibarra, who was still in the bottom of the boat. Then he arose and
leaped into the water, pushing away the small craft with his foot.

A number of cries were heard. Soon at some distance the head of the
young man appeared above the water as if to get breath, dropping out
of sight at the next instant.

"There, there he is!" cried a number of voices, and the balls from
their rifles whistled again.

The falua and the other banca took up the chase. A light track of foam
marked his course, every moment leading farther and farther away from
Ibarra's banca, which drifted along as if abandoned. Every time that
the swimmer raised his head to breathe the Civil Guards and the men
on board the falua discharged their guns at him.

The pursuit continued. Ibarra's little banca was already far off. The
swimmer was approaching the shore of the lake and was now some fifty
yards distant from it. The rowers were already tired, but Elias was
not, for his head often appeared above the water and each time in a
different direction so as to disconcert his pursuers. No longer was
there a light trail to betray the course of the diver. For the last
time they saw him near the shore, some ten yards off, and they opened
fire.... Then minutes and minutes passed. Nothing appeared again on
the tranquil surface of the lake.

Half an hour a