t there would be as much risk in returning as in
going on. On therefore we went, the soldiers having no mercy on the
prisoners, whom they urged forward, whenever they attempted to slacken
their pace, with the points of their swords, till the blood trickled in
streams down the backs of these miserable beings. We were riding just
behind the main body of the soldiers, followed by Ithulpo and the
baggage mules. The generous, kind heart of my father was almost
bursting with indignation, as he saw this piece of cruelty.

At last, as an Indian more weary than the rest sunk to the ground, and a
soldier was about to plunge his sword into his body, he could restrain
himself no longer.

"Hold, wretch!" he exclaimed. "Add not murder to your cruelty."

The soldier, taken by surprise, did not strike the fatal blow till his
horse had carried him past the fainting Indian; but, balked of his prey,
his anger was kindled against my father, and turning round, he made a
cut at him with his sword. Fortunately I carried a heavy riding-whip,
with which I was able to parry the blow. The man did not attempt to
repeat it, for the junior officer turning round, observed the act, and
called him to order; but it showed us what we were to expect if we
excited the anger of our captors. I could not withstand the despairing
look the poor wretch cast on us as he thought we were about to pass him
and to leave him to his fate; so throwing myself from my horse, I lifted
his head from the ground. My father stopped also, and so did Ithulpo.

"On, on!" shouted the rear-guard of the Spaniards. "On, or we will fire
at you."

"We will follow immediately," replied my father. "On my word of
honour--on the word of an Englishman."

The Spaniards had never known that word broken, so they allowed us to
stop to help the Indian. One of our baggage mules was lightly laden,
and in spite of the threats of the soldiers we lifted him upon it. I
had, as I mentioned, filled a small spirit-flask with water, and unseen
I poured a few drops down his parched throat. This much revived him,
and by urging on our animals, we were soon able to overtake the already
weary horses of the Spaniards.

The time for breakfast had long since passed, but still no signs of a
resting-place appeared. On the contrary, the sand became finer and
deeper, and the dreary expanse before us seemed to lengthen out to the
horizon. As the sun also rose higher in the sky, his unobstructed r