But the young girl, who was last of all in the line, as soon as she was loosed, sprang to her father’s body, speaking no word, lifted it in her thin arms, laid it across her knees, kissed the fallen lips, stroked the furrowed cheeks, murmured inarticulate sounds like the cooing of a woodland dove, of which none knew the meaning but she, and he who heard not, for his soul had long since fled.  Suddenly the truth flashed on her; silent as ever, she drew one long heaving breath, and rose erect, the body in her arms.

Another moment, and she had leaped into the abyss.

They watched her dark and slender limbs, twined closely round the old man’s corpse, turn over, and over, and over, till a crash among the leaves, and a scream among the birds, told that she had reached the trees; and the green roof hid her from their view.

“Brave lass!” shouted a sailor.

“The Lord forgive her!” said Yeo.  “But, your worship, we must have these rascals’ ordnance.”

“And their clothes too, Yeo, if we wish to get down the Magdalena unchallenged.  Now listen, my masters all!  We have won, by God’s good grace, gold enough to serve us the rest of our lives, and that without losing a single man; and may yet win more, if we be wise, and He thinks good.  But oh, my friends, remember Mr. Oxenham and his crew; and do not make God’s gift our ruin, by faithlessness, or greediness, or any mutinous haste.”

“You shall find none in us!” cried several men.  “We know your worship.  We can trust our general.”

“Thank God!” said Amyas.  “Now then, it will be no shame or sin to make the Indians carry it, saving the women, whom God forbid we should burden.  But we must pass through the very heart of the Spanish settlements, and by the town of Saint Martha itself.  So the clothes and weapons of these Spaniards we must have, let it cost us what labor it may.  How many lie in the road?”

“Thirteen here, and about ten up above,” said Cary.

“Then there are near twenty missing.  Who will volunteer to go down over cliff, and bring up the spoil of them?”

“I, and I, and I;” and a dozen stepped out, as they did always when Amyas wanted anything done; for the simple reason, that they knew that he meant to help at the doing of it himself.

“Very well, then, follow me.  Sir John, take the Indian lad for your interpreter, and try and comfort the souls of these poor heathens.  Tell them that they shall all be free.”

“Why, who is that comes up the road?”

All eyes were turned in the direction of which he spoke.  And, wonder of wonders! up came none other than Ayacanora herself, blow-gun in hand, bow on back, and bedecked in all her feather garments, which last were rather the worse for a fortnight’s woodland travel.

All stood mute with astonishment, as, seeing Amyas, she uttered a cry of joy, quickened her pace into a run, and at last fell panting and exhausted at his feet.