efforts I reached the south gate I cannot
describe, though I thought that I must die before I came there. At last
it was before us, and as chance would have it, the Spanish guard were
asleep in the guardhouse. Three Tlascalans only were crouched over a
little fire, their zerapes or blankets about their heads, for the dawn
was chilly.

'Open the gates, dogs!' I said in a proud voice.

Seeing a Spanish soldier one of them rose to obey, then paused and said:

'Why, and by whose orders?'

I could not see the man's face because of the blanket, but his voice
sounded familiar to me and I grew afraid. Still I must speak.

'Why?--because I am drunk and wish to lie without till I grow sober. By
whose orders? By mine, I am an officer of the day, and if you disobey
I'll have you flogged till you never ask another question.'

'Shall I call the Teules within?' said the man sulkily to his companion.

'No,' he answered; 'the lord Sarceda is weary and gave orders that he
should not be awakened without good cause. Keep them in or let them
through as you will, but do not wake him.'

I trembled in every limb; de Garcia was in the guardhouse! What if he
awoke, what if he came out and saw me? More--now I guessed whose voice
it was that I knew again; it was that of one of those Tlascalans who had
aided in tormenting me. What if he should see my face? He could scarcely
fail to know that on which he had left his mark so recently. I was dumb
with fear and could say nothing, and had it not been for the wit of
Otomie, there my story would have ended. But now she played her part
and played it well, plying the man with the coarse raillery of the camp,
till at length she put him in a good humour, and he opened the gate,
bidding her begone and me with her. Already we had passed the gate when
a sudden faintness seized me, and I stumbled and fell, rolling over on
to my back as I touched the earth.

'Up, friend, up!' said Otomie, with a harsh laugh. 'If you must sleep,
wait till you find some friendly bush,' and she dragged at me to lift
me. The Tlascalan, still laughing, came forward to help her, and between
them I gained my feet again, but as I rose, my cap, which fitted me but
ill, fell off. He picked it up and gave it to me and our eyes met, my
face being somewhat in the shadow. Next instant I was hobbling on, but
looking back, I saw the Tlascalan staring after us with a puzzled air,
like that of a man who is not sure of the witness of his s