clothes and places with me. He was
the more ready to do so, relying upon a story he intended to tell--that
we had overpowered and compelled him. Poor fellow! As we afterwards
learnt, it did not save him. He was shot the next morning to appease
the chagrin of Uraga, furious at our escape. We cannot help feeling
regret for his fate; but, under the circumstances, what else could have
been done?

"We stepped forth from the _carcel_, the doctor leading the way, and I,
his assistant, bearing the paraphernalia after him. We passed out of
the barracks unchallenged. Fortunately, the night was a dark one, and
the guards were given to carousing. The sentries were all intoxicated.

"By stealth, and in silence, we hastened on to my house, where I found
Adela, as you may suppose, in a state of agonised distress. But there
was no time for words--not even of explanation. With two of my servants
whom I could trust, we hastily collected some of our animals--horses and
pack-mules. The latter we loaded with such things as we could think of
as being requisite for a journey. We intended it to be a long one--all
the way across the great prairies. I knew there would be no safety for
us within the limits of New Mexico; and I remembered what you had said
but a few months before--your kind proffer of hospitality, should it
ever be my fate to seek refuge in your country. And to seek it we set
forth, leaving my house untenanted, or only in charge of the remaining
domestics, from whom gold had gained a promise not to betray us. The
doctor, Adela and myself, the two peons who had volunteered to accompany
us, with the girl, Conchita, composed our travelling party. I knew we
dared not take the route usually travelled. We should be followed by
hostile pursuers and forced back, perhaps slain upon the spot. I at
least would have had a short shrift. Knowing this, we made direct for
the mountains, with whose passes I was familiar, having traversed them
in pursuit of the savages.

"We passed safely through the Sierra, and kept on towards the Rio Pecos.
Beyond this river all was unknown to us. We only knew that there lay
the Llano Estacado, invested with mysterious terrors--the theme of our
childhood's fears--a vast stretch of desert, uninhabited, or only by
savages seeking scalps, by wild beasts ravening for blood, by hideous
reptiles--serpents breathing poison. But what were all these dangers to
that we were leaving behind? Nothing,