‘What has chanced to our son?’ I asked.

‘Dead, dead!’ she answered in a whisper that seemed to pierce my marrow.

I said nothing, for my heart told me what had happened, but Diaz asked, ‘Dead—­why, what has killed him?’

‘De Garcia!  I saw him go,’ replied Otomie; then she tossed her arms high, and without another sound fell backwards to the earth.

In that moment I think that my heart broke—­at least I know that nothing has had the power to move me greatly since, though this memory moves me day by day and hour by hour, till I die and go to seek my son.

‘Say, Bernal Diaz,’ I cried, with a hoarse laugh, ’did I lie to you concerning this comrade of yours?’

Then, springing over Otomie’s body I left the chamber, followed by Bernal Diaz and the others.

Without the door I turned to the left towards the camp.  I had not gone a hundred paces when, in the moonlight, I saw a small troop of horsemen riding towards us.  It was de Garcia and his servants, and they headed towards the mountain pass on their road to Mexico.  I was not too late.

‘Halt!’ cried Bernal Diaz.

‘Who commands me to halt?’ said the voice of de Garcia.

‘I, your captain,’ roared Diaz.  ’Halt, you devil, you murderer, or you shall be cut down.’

I saw him start and turn pale.

‘These are strange manners, senor,’ he said.  ‘Of your grace I ask—­’

At this moment de Garcia caught sight of me for the first time, for I had broken from the hold of Diaz who clutched my arm, and was moving towards him.  I said nothing, but there was something in my face which told him that I knew all, and warned him of his doom.  He looked past me, but the narrow road was blocked with men.  I drew near, but he did not wait for me.  Once he put his hand on the hilt of the sword, then suddenly he wheeled his horse round and fled down the street of Xaca.

De Garcia fled, and I followed after him, running fast and low like a hound.  At first he gained on me, but soon the road grew rough, and he could not gallop over it.  We were clear of the town now, or rather of its ruins, and travelling along a little path which the Indians used to bring down snow from Xaca in the hot weather.  Perhaps there are some five miles of this path before the snow line is reached, beyond which no Indian dared to set his foot, for the ground above was holy.  Along this path he went, and I was content to see it, for I knew well that the traveller cannot leave it, since on either side lie water-courses and cliffs.  Mile after mile de Garcia followed it, looking now to the left, now to the right, and now ahead at the great dome of snow crowned with fire that towered above him.  But he never looked behind him; he knew what was there—­death in the shape of a man!

I came on doggedly, saving my strength.  I was sure that I must catch him at last, it did not matter when.