ave my troops without officers. The gentleman now in command will
not lose time in following us up, and he is aided by Gauchos who could
trace you out though you were to hide your rascally head in the darkest
retreats of the Andes. So, you'd better be off at once, or come on."

"Aw--yes. If I might advise--come on!" suggested the sportsman.

"Das so. Come on!" urged Quashy.

But Cruz refused their well-meant advice. Regarding discretion as the
better part of valour, and resolving, no doubt, to "fight another day,"
he elected to "be off." Collecting his men in sulky silence, he
speedily rode away.

"Sorry he's so chicken-hearted," said the sportsman, forgetting even to
"aw" in his disappointment.

"You ought rather to be glad of it," remarked Lawrence; "you forget that
there are women and children behind us, and that our defeat would have
ensured their destruction."

"Oh no!" replied the Englishman, who had recovered his quiet
nonchalance, "I did not forget the women and children--dear creatures!--
but I confess that the idea of our defeat had not occurred to me."

Colonel Marchbanks did not give his opinion at the time, but his air and
expression suggested that, fire-eater though he was, he by no means
regretted the turn events had taken.

Holding out his hand to Lawrence, in a condescending manner, he thanked
him for the service he had just rendered.

"You have quite a talent for turning up unexpectedly in the nick of
time," he added, with a peculiar smile, as he turned and walked off
towards the huts, around which the men who had sided with Antonio were
by that time assembling. Among them Lawrence, to his ineffable joy,
found Manuela and Mariquita. He was too wise, however, in the presence
of the colonel to take any demonstrative notice of her. He merely shook
hands with both ladies, and congratulated them on their escape from the
banditti.

"You have rendered us good service, senhor," said Mariquita, with a
brilliant smile--a smile that was indeed more brilliant than there
seemed any occasion for.

"I--I have been very fortunate," stammered Lawrence, glancing at
Manuela.

But that princess of the Incas, with an aspect of imperturbable gravity,
kept her pretty eyes on the ground, though the brown of her little
cheeks seemed to deepen a trifle in colour.

"Now, Antonio," cried the colonel, coming forward at the moment, "what
do you intend to do? If my men were here, you know, I should be under