old me you were dead . . . and
I believed him!"

The manner of her greeting was delightful to one who had faced death
for her sake many times during the past hour, yet Hozier was so
surprised by its warmth that he could find never a word at the moment.
But he had the good sense to throw aside the shattered rifle and return
her embrace with interest. Long ago exhausted in body, his mind reeled
now under the bewildering knowledge that this most gracious woman did
truly love him. When they parted in that same squalid hut at midnight,
he took with him the intoxication of her kiss. Yet he scarce brought
himself to believe that the night's happenings were real, or that they
two would ever meet again on earth. And now, here was Iris quivering
against his breast. He could feel the beating of her heart. The
perfume of her hair was as incense in his nostrils. She was clinging
to him as if they had loved through all eternity. No wonder he could
not speak. Had he uttered a syllable, he must have broken down like
the girl herself.

San Benavides supplied a timely tonic.

Throwing aside the rags which covered him, he tried to rise. Philip
caught a glimpse of the uniform, the sheen of the naked sword. He was
about to tear himself from Iris's clasp and spring at this new enemy
when the Brazilian spoke.

"Mil diabos!" he cried in a rage, "this cursed Inglez still lives, and
here am I posing before him like an old hag."

His voice alone saved him from being pinned to the floor by a man who
had adopted no light measures with others of his countrymen during the
past half-hour, as the dented gun-barrel, minus its stock, well showed.
But the captain's mortified fury helped to restore Philip's sanity.
Lifting Iris's glowing face to his own, he whispered:

"Tell me, sweetheart, how comes it that our Brazilian friend is here?"

"He ran away when some shots were fired," which was rather unfair of
Iris. "He said the launch had been sunk by a man-of-war----"

"But he is wrong. I saw no man-of-war. We captured the launch. By
this time she is well out to sea. Unfortunately, Marcel was killed,
and Domingo badly wounded. There was no one to come for you, so I
jumped overboard and swam ashore. I had to fight my way here, and it
will soon be known that there are some of us left on the island. I
thought that perhaps I might take you back to the Grand-pere cavern.
These people may give us food. I have some few sovereigns in my