y horror to see its hinder
feet slipping over the precipice! Marian shrieked out with alarm, and I
expected the next moment that Arthur would be dashed to pieces on the
rocks below. Such would have been his fate, had he not sprung from his
saddle just as the animal went over the precipice. In vain the creature
instinctively attempted to spring up again, desperately clinging to the
rock with its feet. Arthur tried to seize its bridle to help it; but in
another instant we saw it fall on the rocks below with a force which
must have broken every bone in its body.

So thankful did we feel that Arthur had been preserved, that we scarcely
thought about the poor horse.

"Go forward! go forward!" cried out Arthur. "I'll run on by Marian's
side. You must not be delayed on my account."

We accordingly pushed on, and at length came to a part of the coast
where the road ceased, and it was impossible to proceed further with our
horses. Our chief guide--who, knowing that we had strong reasons for
wishing to escape, was anxious to assist us--advised that we should send
the horses back over the mountains by a different road from that by
which we had come, while we continued along the coast till we reached a
place of concealment, which he said we should find some way further on;
he himself proposing to accompany the horses, and to rejoin us when he
had conveyed them to a place of safety, where the officials of the
Inquisition were not likely to find them.

CHAPTER TWO.

OUR JOURNEY--THE PASSAGE OF THE STREAM--OUR FLIGHT DISCOVERED--ARRIVAL
AT THE RETREAT--OUR FIRST NIGHT IN THE WILDS--CAMO'S ARRIVAL--THE
SPIDER-MONKEYS--A CURIOUS SCENE--THE MONKEYS CROSSING A RIVER.

We had now a toilsome journey to perform, partly along the coast and
partly inland, where the rocks which jutted into the sea, were so
precipitous that we were unable to climb over them. Still, though
Marian was already much fatigued, we pushed forward, as it was of the
greatest importance that we should reach a place of concealment before
the officials of the dreaded Inquisition had discovered our flight.
Even should they pursue us, and take natives with them as guides, we
hoped that they might be deceived by our having sent the horses into the
interior, and would follow their footsteps, supposing that we were still
upon them, instead of continuing along the shore in the direction we
were taking. The rocky character of the ground over which we passed
aft