Now de Garcia reeled in his saddle and swore a great oath.

'Mother of God!' he said, 'years ago I was told that you had taken up
your abode among some savage tribe, but since then I have been far,
to Spain and back indeed, and I deemed that you were dead, Thomas
Wingfield. My luck is good in truth, for it has been one of the great
sorrows of my life that you have so often escaped me, renegade. Be sure
that this time there shall be no escape.'

'I know well that there will be no escape for one or other of us, Juan
de Garcia,' I answered. 'Now we play the last round of the game, but do
not boast, for God alone knows to whom the victory shall be given. You
have prospered long, but a day may be at hand when your prosperity shall
cease with your breath. To your errand, Juan de Garcia.'

For a moment he sat silent, pulling at his pointed beard, and watching
him I thought that I could see the shadow of a half-forgotten fear creep
into his eyes. If so, it was soon gone, for lifting his head, he spoke
boldly and clearly.

'This is my message to you, Thomas Wingfield, and to such of the Otomie
dogs with whom you herd as we have left alive to-day. The Captain Bernal
Diaz offers you terms on behalf of his Excellency the viceroy.'

'What are his terms?' I asked.

'Merciful enough to such pestilent rebels and heathens,' he answered
sneering. 'Surrender your city without condition, and the viceroy, in
his clemency, will accept the surrender. Nevertheless, lest you should
say afterwards that faith has been broken with you, be it known to
you, that you shall not go unpunished for your many crimes. This is the
punishment that shall be inflicted on you. All those who had part or
parcel in the devilish murder of that holy saint Father Pedro, shall be
burned at the stake, and the eyes of all those who beheld it shall be
put out. Such of the leaders of the Otomie as the judges may select
shall be hanged publicly, among them yourself, Cousin Wingfield, and
more particularly the woman Otomie, daughter of Montezuma the late king.
For the rest, the dwellers in the City of Pines must surrender their
wealth into the treasury of the viceroy, and they themselves, men, women
and children, shall be led from the city and be distributed according to
the viceroy's pleasure upon the estates of such of the Spanish settlers
as he may select, there to learn the useful arts of husbandry and
mining. These are the conditions of surrender, and I am comm