, he is a chief--a great chief," returned Pedro, gazing at his
cigarette in a meditative mood--"a very great chief. You see, she
happened to be living with friends on the western side of the mountains
when this war between Chili and Peru broke out, and her father naturally
wants to get her out of danger. The old chief once saved my life, so,
you see, I am bound both by duty and gratitude to rescue his daughter."

"Indeed you are, and a pleasant duty it must be," returned Lawrence with
an approving nod; "but don't you think it might have been wise to have
rescued some other female, a domestic for instance, to keep her company?
The poor girl will feel very lonely on such a long journey as you speak
of."

Pedro again looked musingly at his cigarette, and flipped off the ash
with his little finger.

"You have not had much experience of war, young man," he said, "if you
think that in cases of rescue men can always arrange things comfortably,
and according to the rules of propriety. When towns and villages are in
flames, when plunder and rapine run riot everywhere, and little children
are spitted on the bayonets of patriots, as is often the case even in
what men have agreed to term civilised warfare, one is glad to escape
with the skin of one's teeth. Yet I was not as regardless of Manuela's
comfort as you seem to think. A poor woman who had nursed her when a
child volunteered to accompany us, and continued with us on the first
part of our journey; but the exertion, as I had feared, was too much for
her. She caught a fever and died, so that we were forced to come on
alone. If you join us, however, I shall be greatly pleased, for two can
always make a better fight than one, and in these unsettled times there
is no saying what we may fall in with in crossing the mountains."

"But why expose the poor girl to such risks?" asked Lawrence. "Surely
there must be some place of safety nearer than Buenos Ayres, to which
you might conduct her?"

"Senhor Armstrong," replied the man, with a return of his stern
expression, "I have told you that my business is urgent. Not even the
rescue of my old friend's daughter can turn me aside from it. When
Manuela begged me to take her with me, I pointed out the difficulties
and dangers of the route, and the necessity for my pursuing a long and
devious course, but she said she feared to remain where she was; that,
being young, strong, and accustomed to an active life, she felt sure she