bear, then leaped aside, his dripping knife in his
hand, and danced about the maddened beast with the agility of a modern
prize-fighter. The bear, too, danced, as if obsessed by some infernal
music; and the skipping, and leaping, and dodging, and waltzing of
these two would have been ludicrous had it not been a matter of life
and horrid death. Through it all Roldan was vaguely conscious of
approaching hoofbeats, but there was no room in his consciousness for
hope or despair. He was not even aware that he was panting as if his
lungs and throat were bursting, nor even that his vision was a trifle
blurred from constant and rapid change of focus and surcharged veins.
But he executed his dance of life as unerringly as if fresh from his
bed and bath. The bear, a clumsy creature at best, and streaming and
blinded with his blood, was slackening a little, but there was life in
him yet, and twice its measure of vengeance. Suddenly he lay down, but
became so abruptly inert that Roldan was not deceived. Instead of
putting himself within reach of those waiting arms he fled with all his
strength. It was then that he knew how fully that strength was spent:
his lungs and legs refused to work with his will and impulse after the
first hundred yards, and he fell to the ground with a sensation of
utter indifference, longing only for physical rest. He heard the bear
plunging after, the loud sound of a horse's hoofs, mingled with a
single shout, then gave up his consciousness.

He awoke in a few moments. Adan was bending over him, propping his
head. "The bear?" he demanded, ashamed of the pitiful quality of his
voice.

"I came just in time to rope him," replied Adan. "You were a fool, my
friend, to go off alone like that--but very brave," he added hastily,
knowing that Roldan did not like criticism.

"You are quite right. And this is the second time you and your lariat
have saved me. Perhaps it may be the other way some time."

"Likely it will if you go on hunting for adventures as the old women
hunt for fleas of a night. Do you feel able to get on my horse? It will
carry the two of us."

"If I were not equal to that much I should find another bear and go to
sleep in his arms."

XVIII

At last the night arrived for the gold quest. The guests had gone.
Roldan, Adan, and Rafael were alone on their side of the great house.
They waited, kicking their heels together with leashed impatience,
until eleven o'clock. The family and serva