s against which I might press, to force my body
silently downward, but discovered none. Then there sounded, slightly
to my left, the soft rustle of a moccasoned foot, and a low, guttural
voice muttered some indistinct sentences. The lurking form in my front
appeared to rise, and there was a brief grunt as if in response to
command. Then a huge warrior stalked past so close that his moccasoned
foot planted itself fairly between my outstretched arms. Instantly he
faded away within the enveloping gloom, and with hardly the hesitation
of a moment I was on hands and knees creeping toward my goal. With
groping fingers I touched the riven trunk that formed the threshold,
and, reaching upward, noted with a thrill of delight that merely a
heavy curtain of woven straw guarded the interior. There was no time
for hesitancy; at any instant the savage guard might return to his
deserted post. Pushing the slight barrier noiselessly aside, I gained
the interior, dropped the mat behind me, and, for the first time,
ventured to pause and survey my surroundings.

The single partition did not extend to the roof by a foot or more, so
sufficient light found passage through the narrow aperture to render
dimly visible the principal features of this apartment into which I had
ventured. It was evidently a sleeping-chamber, handsomely furnished in
barbaric fashion, the faint light gleaming on numerous burnished
ornaments, while a carpet of soft skins concealed the floor. To this I
gave brief attention, my anxious glance falling almost instantly upon
the draped figure of a woman, vaguely defined in the dimness, lying
outstretched on a slightly raised cushioned couch, her face concealed
by the denser shadows of the wall, sound asleep.

Cautiously I crept forward, hesitating to touch her lest so sudden an
awakening might cause alarm. It seemed safer to trust in speech, as
then she would recognize at once who was by her side.

"Madame," I whispered softly, my lips as close as possible to her tiny
ear, "I seek brief word with you to-night."

She must have slept lightly, for at my faint whisper I perceived that
her wide-opened eyes were scrutinizing my face.

"'Tis I, Madame, Geoffrey Benteen. I beg you make no noise."

"You need have no fear," returned a soft voice in purest Spanish. "You
do me honor by so unexpected a visit; I bid you welcome, Geoffrey
Benteen."

CHAPTER XXVIII

SPEECH WITH NALADI

If you were ever rudely a