He had, however, to run the gauntlet of another and even a greater peril.  In a crevice of the ruined wall which crested the hill crouched a pitiless assassin and an almost unerring shot, waiting the right moment to send a bullet through his head.  Texas Smith did not like the job; but he had said “You bet,” and had thus pledged his honor to do the murder; and moreover, he sadly wanted the five hundred dollars.  If he could have managed it, he would have preferred to get the officer and some “Injun” in a line, so as to bring them down together.  But that was hopeless; the fugitive was increasing his lead; now was the time to fire—­now or never.

When Clara beheld Manga Colorada seize Thurstane, she had turned instinctively and leaped into the enclosure, with a feeling that, if she did not see the tragedy, it would not be.  In the next breath she was wild to know what was passing, and to be as near to the officer and his perils as possible.  A little further along the wall was a fissure which was lower and broader than the one she had just quitted.  She had noticed it a minute before, but had not gone to it because a man was there.  Towards this man she now rushed, calling out, “Oh, do save him!”

Her voice and the sound of her footsteps were alike drowned by a rattle of musketry from other parts of the ruin.  She reached the man and stood behind him; it was Texas Smith, a being from whom she had hitherto shrunk with instinctive aversion; but now he seemed to her a friend in extremity.  He was aiming; she glanced over his shoulder along the levelled rifle; in one breath she saw Thurstane and saw that the weapon was pointed at him.  With a shriek she sprang forward against the kneeling assassin, and flung him clean through the crevice upon the earth outside the wall, the rifle exploding as he fell and sending its ball at random.

Texas Smith was stupefied and even profoundly disturbed.  After rolling over twice, he picked himself up, picked up his gun also, and while hastily reloading it clambered back into his lair, more than ever confounded at seeing no one.  Clara, her exploit accomplished, had instantly turned and fled along the course of the wall, not at all with the idea of escaping from the bushwhacker, but merely to meet Thurstane.  She passed a dozen men, but not one of them saw her, they were all so busy in popping away at the Apaches.  Just as she reached the large gap in the rampart, her hero cantered through it, erect, unhurt, rosy, handsome, magnificent.  The impassioned gesture of joy with which she welcomed him was a something, a revelation perhaps, which the youngster saw and understood afterwards better than he did then.  For the present he merely waved her towards the Casa, and then turned to take a hand in the fighting.

But the fighting was over.  Indeed the Apaches had stopped their pursuit as soon as they found that the fugitive was beyond arrow shot, and were now prancing slowly back to their bivouac.  After one angry look at them from the wall, Thurstane leaped down and ran after Clara.