'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.
Pages:
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427