enses.

'He knows me,' I said to Otomie, 'and presently when he has found his
wits, he will follow us.'

'On, on!' answered Otomie; 'round yonder corner are aloe bushes where we
may hide.'

'I am spent, I can no more;' and again I began to fall.

Then Otomie caught me as I fell, and of a sudden she put out her
strength, and lifting me from the ground, as a mother lifts her child,
staggered forward holding me to her breast. For fifty paces or more she
carried me thus, love and despair giving her strength, till at last we
reached the edge of the aloe plants and there we sank together to the
earth. I cast my eyes back over the path which we had travelled. Round
the corner came the Tlascalan, a spiked club in his hand, seeking us to
solve his doubts.

'It is finished,' I gasped; 'the man comes.'

For answer Otomie drew my sword from its scabbard and hid it in the
grass. 'Now feign sleep,' she said; 'it is our last chance.'

I cast my arm over my face and pretended to be asleep. Presently I heard
the sound of a man passing through the bushes, and the Tlascalan stood
over me.

'What would you?' asked Otomie. 'Can you not see that he sleeps? Let him
sleep.'

'I must look on his face first, woman,' he answered, dragging aside my
arm. 'By the gods, I thought so! This is that Teule whom we dealt with
yesterday and who escapes.'

'You are mad,' she said laughing. 'He has escaped from nowhere, save
from a brawl and a drinking bout.'

'You lie, woman, or if you do not lie, you know nothing. This man has
the secret of Montezuma's treasure, and is worth a king's ransom,' and
he lifted his club.

'And yet you wish to slay him! Well, I know nothing of him. Take him
back whence he came. He is but a drunken sot and I shall be well rid of
him.'

'Well said. It would be foolish to kill him, but by bearing him alive to
the lord Sarceda, I shall win honour and reward. Come, help me.'

'Help yourself,' she answered sullenly. 'But first search his pouch;
there may be some trifle there which we can divide.'

'Well said, again,' he answered, and kneeling down he bent over me and
began to fumble at the fastenings of the pouch.

Otomie was behind him. I saw her face change and a terrible light came
into her eyes, such a light as shines in the eyes of the priest at
sacrifice. Quick as thought she drew the sword from the grass and smote
with all her strength upon the man's bent neck. Down he fell, making
no sound, and she also f