tinguish us until we strike out into the open."

"But how plainly we can perceive her crew! And see the stir upon the
decks--are they not drawing up the anchor? Oh, Padre Felipe!" I cried
piteously, "wave to them! signal them! or they will leave us after all!"

The friar rose carefully to his feet; he, too, was heartily glad of this
chance to be rid of his charges, and in no mind to let it slip by. With
Barbara's white kerchief in his hand he was about to make another effort
to attract the notice of the _Carolina_, when suddenly he glanced over
his shoulder toward the land, his hand fell quickly to his side, and he
dropped back into his seat with an exclamation of dismay.

One of the Indians rose immediately, and with shaded eyes gazed along
the beach as it stretched away southward to San Augustin. He gave a
grunt of acquiescence and sat down, and the motion of the paddles
ceased.

"What have you seen?" I cried in agony, struggling also to my feet.

We were so near the river's mouth--almost upon the blue waves of the
ocean rolling out to the shining east! Under the lee of the northern
shore lay the English ship; and south of us the coast spun out its
gleaming line of sandy beach away, away back to the prison we had left.
But what were those dark forms that swarmed the sands?

"We are too late!" muttered the Spanish friar. "Discovering your flight,
they have not waited for calm weather to follow in a swift
sailing-vessel, as I had thought they would, but have sent out a
search-party afoot to overtake you at the outset."

"But we must reach the _Carolina_ before they arrive, Padre!"

"It can be done, easy enough," he answered, "but what shall I and my
followers do if we are seen? Girl, I have too much at stake! I choose
not to incur the Governor's anger. 'Tis not likely that they connect us
with your disappearance, for Dona Orosia swore to shield me in the
matter. I have done all I could. It is thus far and no farther. But you
may yet escape; 'tis only a little distance to the ship; take up the
paddles and make your way thither."

As he spoke he stepped from our canoe to the larger one which had closed
up with us, and the two Indians followed him.

"Padre! oh, Padre! Do not leave me, do not desert me!"

They paid no heed to my appeal save to give a mighty shove to our canoe
that sent it out toward midstream; then, seizing their paddles, with
swift strokes they sent their own piragua speeding up the river.

It