“I assured him that his wife’s life was safe, too; but I did not say what I was convinced of—­that he would never see her again.  He wanted war to the death, and the war could only end with his death.

“He gave me a strange, inexplicable look, and sat muttering blankly, ’In their hands.  In their hands.’

“I kept as still as a mouse before a cat.

“Suddenly he jumped up.  ‘What am I doing here?’ he cried; and opening the door, he yelled out orders to saddle and mount.  ‘What is it?’ he stammered, coming up to me.  ’The Pequena fort; a fort of palisades!  Nothing.  I would get her back if she were hidden in the very heart of the mountain.’  He amazed me by adding, with an effort:  ’I carried her off in my two arms while the earth trembled.  And the child at least is mine.  She at least is mine!’

“Those were bizarre words; but I had no time for wonder.

“‘You shall go with me,’ he said, violently.  ’I may want to parley, and any other messenger from Ruiz, the outlaw, would have his throat cut.’

“This was true enough.  Between him and the rest of incensed mankind there could be no communication, according to the customs of honourable warfare.

“In less than half an hour we were in the saddle, flying wildly through the night.  He had only an escort of twenty men at his quarters, but would not wait for more.  He sent, however, messengers to Peneleo, the Indian chief then ranging in the foothills, directing him to bring his warriors to the uplands and meet him at the lake called the Eye of Water, near whose shores the frontier fort of Pequena was built.

“We crossed the lowlands with that untired rapidity of movement which had made Gaspar Ruiz’ raids so famous.  We followed the lower valleys up to their precipitous heads.  The ride was not without its dangers.  A cornice road on a perpendicular wall of basalt wound itself around a buttressing rock, and at last we emerged from the gloom of a deep gorge upon the upland of Pequena.

“It was a plain of green wiry grass and thin flowering bushes; but high above our heads patches of snow hung in the folds and crevices of the great walls of rock.  The little lake was as round as a staring eye.  The garrison of the fort were just driving in their small herd of cattle when we appeared.  Then the great wooden gates swung to, and that four-square enclosure of broad blackened stakes pointed at the top and barely hiding the grass roofs of the huts inside seemed deserted, empty, without a single soul.

“But when summoned to surrender, by a man who at Gaspar Ruiz’ order rode fearlessly forward those inside answered by a volley which rolled him and his horse over.  I heard Ruiz by my side grind his teeth.  ’It does not matter,’ he said.  ‘Now you go.’

“Torn and faded as its rags were, the vestiges of my uniform were recognized, and I was allowed to approach within speaking distance; and then I had to wait, because a voice clamouring through a loophole with joy and astonishment would not allow me to place a word.  It was the voice of Major Pajol, an old friend.  He, like my other comrades, had thought me killed a long time ago.