tense. In front, a thick, dark mass that
looked like a clump of euphorbia or cactus stood beside the path, and
just beyond it a bright beam of moonlight shone between the drooping
branches of the palms.

He thought the spot the beam touched was dangerous. As he crossed it his
figure would be strongly illuminated and he would have his back to the
dark bush. He wanted to move aside and go round the bush, but this might
give somebody time to spring out and get between him and the gate. The
gate was close by and he was strangely anxious to reach it. For all that,
he was not going to indulge his imagination.

He plunged into the gloom, without deviating from his path, and conquered
a nervous impulse that urged him to run. When he had nearly passed the
bush he thought he heard a movement and a thick stalk of the cactus
shook. Half instinctively, Kit leaped forward and felt something soft
brush against his shoulder. As he swung round, in the moonlight, with his
mouth set and his hand drawn back to strike, he saw a blanket on the
ground. There was nothing else and he breathed hard as he searched the
gloom. The blanket had not been there before.

Next moment, a dark figure sprang from the shadow and a knife flashed in
the moonlight; then he heard a heavy report and a puff of smoke blew
past his head. The figure swerved and, staggering awkwardly, fell with a
heavy thud. It did not move afterwards, and while Kit gazed at it dully
a man in white uniform ran past and stooped beside the fellow on the
ground. Kit vacantly noted that a little smoke curled from the muzzle of
his pistol.

"One cartridge is enough," he said coolly. "Your worship did not
escape by much."

Another _rural_ came out of the bushes and when they turned over the body
Kit saw a dark face and a long, thin knife clenched in a brown hand. He
understood now that the blanket had been meant to entangle his arm or
head; half-breed peons often carry a rolled-up blanket of good quality on
their shoulder.

"It is Gil Ortega," the _rural_ remarked. "A good shot that will save us
some trouble, comrade!"

"How did you come here when you were wanted?" Kit asked as calmly
as he could.

The _rural_ smiled. "By the president's order, senor. We were watching
the cafe."

"But it looks as if you had got in front of me."

"It is so, senor. We thought it best to follow this fellow. He lost you
when you turned back."

Kit nodded, for he remembered that he had instinctiv