ls close to his. With a
movement more rapid than thought itself, he seized the wolf by the
throat with his left hand, and picking up his navaja with the other,
plunged it up to the hilt into the animal's breast. It must have gone
through the heart, for he dropped down dead in the road, without a
struggle.

Although he had gained the victory so easily over his fierce assailant,
Agostino concluded that this was not a good place for them to tarry
in, and called to Chiquita, who jumped up instantly, wide awake, and
manifested no alarm at sight of the dead wolf lying beside the chariot.

"We had better move on," said he, "that carcass of the horse there draws
the wolves; they are often mad with hunger in the winter time you know,
and especially when there is snow on the ground. I could easily kill a
pretty good number of them, but they might come down upon us by scores,
and if I should happen to fall asleep again it would not be pleasant
to wake up and find myself in the stomach of one of those confounded
brutes. When I was disposed of they would make only a mouthful of you,
little one! So come along, we must scamper off as fast as ever we can.
That fellow there was only the advance guard, the others will not be far
behind him--this carcass will keep them busy for a while, and give us
time to get the start of them. You can walk now, Chiquita, can't you?"

"Yes, indeed," she replied cheerily, "that little nap has done me so
much good. Poor Agostino! you shall not have to carry me again, like
a great clumsy parcel. And Agostino," she added with a fierce energy,
"when my feet refuse to walk or run in your service you must just cut
my throat with your big knife there, and throw me into the next ditch.
I will thank you for it, Agostino, for I could not bear to have your
precious life in danger for the sake of poor, miserable little me."
Thereupon this strange pair, both very fleet of foot, set off running,
side by side, the brigand holding Chiquita by the hand, so as to give
her all the aid and support he could, and they quickly passed out of
sight. No sooner had they departed than the crows came swooping down
from their perch in the nearest tree, and fell to fiercely upon their
horrible feast, in which they were almost directly joined by several
ravenous wolves--and they made such good use of their time, that in
a few hours nothing remained of the poor old horse but his bones, his
tail, and his shoes. When somewhat later the t