to the government every cent so sacrificed. His father could
pay it four times over, and would rather sink his last cent than that
the faintest harm should come to those beloved children; but the next
moment Feeny's splendid defiance had so thrilled him that he could not
frame the words he thought to speak, and yet, here was awful peril
close at hand. What right had he to further jeopard the life, the
honor, of these, his father's fondest treasures? If it were only
himself it would be stay and fight it out to the bitter end. But if
the robbers could now be content with the money alone and pledge
safeguard for the party, was it not his duty, would it not be his
father's mandate were he there, to buy the safe and contents from the
agent of the general government and pay the ransom levied?

But he little dreamed of the fury of revenge and hatred burning in the
soul of Pasqual Morales. He little fathomed the treachery and cunning
of the outlawed scoundrel. Even as he was revolving these thoughts in
mind, ever and again listening with new hope for the sound of rallying
trumpet, the beat of rescuing hoofs, there resounded through the night
the sonorous and ringing voice that so short a time before had called
for the surrender of the safe.

"Edward Harvey, we pledge safe-conduct for you, your sisters, and your
party. Here is your wagon ready, your team hitched in. Throw your arms
out of the door. Come forth as you please. Put the senoritas in the
wagon. Look neither to the right nor left, but drive away, and God be
with you. We have no quarrel with you and yours. We war only with
these soldiers who have killed our chief."

Put yourself in his place. Death for him, perhaps for them,--dishonor
anyway,--was all they could look for if no rescue came. Was it not his
duty to his parents, to his sisters, even to God, to accept these
terms,--to withdraw his little force? Why should he be perilling such
precious lives and names in the defence of a government official who
had been so reckless as to part with his guard and put himself and his
funds in such a predicament? From the other room in which the major
now lay, feebly moaning, no word of remonstrance came. Even in their
extremity, then, the soldiers of the government would not urge that he
stay and encounter further peril in their defence. One of the drugged
troopers was beginning to regain some atom of sense, and, sitting up,
was miserably asking what had happened, what was the