s flashed and he cocked his
revolver. But changing his mind, he left the arms and went to open
the door at the same moment that the servants came up.

Three Guards seized him instantly.

"You are made a prisoner in the name of the King!" said the sergeant.

"What for?"

"They will tell you later. We are prohibited from saying a word."

The young man reflected a moment and not wishing, perhaps, the soldiers
to discover his preparations for flight, he took his hat and said:

"I am at your disposal. I suppose it will be only for a short time."

"If you promise not to escape, we will not handcuff you. The alferez
grants this favor, but if you flee----"

Ibarra followed, leaving the servants in consternation.

In the meantime, what had become of Elias?

On leaving Crisostomo's house, like a madman, he ran about without
knowing where. He crossed fields, and in violent agitation arrived at a
forest. He was fleeing from people, and from light. The moon troubled
him and he entered the mysterious shade of the forest. Sometimes
stopping, sometimes following unbroken paths, leaning upon century-old
trunks, entangled in the briars, he looked toward the town, which
lay at his feet bathed in the light of the moon, stretching itself
out on the plain, lying on the shore of the lake. Birds, disturbed
in their sleep, flew away. Owls screeched and flew from one limb to
another. But Elias neither heard nor saw them. He thought he was being
followed by the infuriated shades of his ancestors. He saw the horrible
basket hanging from every branch with the blood-covered head of Balat,
just as his father had described it to him. He thought he saw the dead
body of his grandmother lying at the foot of every tree. He seemed
to see the skeleton of his dishonored grandfather in the darkness,
and the skeleton, the old woman, and the head all cried out to him,
"Coward! Coward!"

He left the mountain and fled down toward the sea. He ran along the
beach in agitation. But there in the distance, amid the waves, where
the light of the moon seemed to raise a fog, he thought he saw a shade
raise itself, the shade of his sister, with her breast covered with
blood, her hair hanging loose in the air.

Elias fell upon his knees on the sand.

"And you, too!" he cried stretching out his arms.

Then, with his eyes fixed on the fog, he arose slowly and, advancing
toward it, went into the water as if to follow somebody. He waded on
over the gentle slop