‘Up, friend, up!’ said Otomie, with a harsh laugh.  ’If you must sleep, wait till you find some friendly bush,’ and she dragged at me to lift me.  The Tlascalan, still laughing, came forward to help her, and between them I gained my feet again, but as I rose, my cap, which fitted me but ill, fell off.  He picked it up and gave it to me and our eyes met, my face being somewhat in the shadow.  Next instant I was hobbling on, but looking back, I saw the Tlascalan staring after us with a puzzled air, like that of a man who is not sure of the witness of his senses.

‘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 fell beside him.  In a moment she was on her feet again, staring at him wildly—­the naked sword in her hand.