and capture you.

"'You shall not catch me alive,' I said firmly.

"'Imbecile!'

"'For God's sake,' I continued hastily, 'do not open the gate.' And I
pointed at the multitude of Peneleo's Indians who covered the shores of
the lake.

"I had never seen so many of these savages together. Their lances
seemed as numerous as stalks of grass. Their hoarse voices made a vast,
inarticulate sound like the murmur of the sea.

"My friend Pajol was swearing to himself. 'Well, then--go to the devil!'
he shouted, exasperated. But as I swung round he repented, for I heard
him say hurriedly, 'Shoot the fool's horse before he gets away.

"He had good marksmen. Two shots rang out, and in the very act
of turning my horse staggered, fell and lay still as if struck by
lightning. I had my feet out of the stirrups and rolled clear of him;
but I did not attempt to rise. Neither dared they rush out to drag me
in.

"The masses of Indians had begun to move upon the fort. They rode up
in squadrons, trailing their long chusos; then dismounted out of
musket-shot, and, throwing off their fur mantles, advanced naked to the
attack, stamping their feet and shouting in cadence. A sheet of flame
ran three times along the face of the fort without checking their steady
march. They crowded right up to the very stakes, flourishing their broad
knives. But this palisade was not fastened together with hide lashings
in the usual way, but with long iron nails, which they could not cut.
Dismayed at the failure of their usual method of forcing an entrance,
the heathen, who had marched so steadily against the musketry fire,
broke and fled under the volleys of the besieged.

"Directly they had passed me on their advance I got up and rejoined
Gaspar Ruiz on a low ridge which jutted out upon the plain. The musketry
of his own men had covered the attack, but now at a sign from him a
trumpet sounded the 'Cease fire.' Together we looked in silence at the
hopeless rout of the savages.

"'It must be a siege, then,' he muttered. And I detected him wringing
his hands stealthily.

"But what sort of siege could it be? Without any need for me to repeat
my friend Pajol's message, he dared not cut the water off from the
besieged. They had plenty of meat. And, indeed, if they had been short,
he would have been too anxious to send food into the stockade had he
been able. But, as a matter of fact, it was we on the plain who were
beginning to feel the pinch of hunger.