 to leave you, senor," Maria said.

"I have not the least fear of their attacking us, and with our rifles
and double-barrelled guns and pistols we could beat them off if they
did. I can't see any better way of getting out of this scrape, and am
quite willing to adopt this plan."

"I don't see any other way, senor," Dias said. "The plan is a good one;
but I wish I could stay here with you."

"But that would be impossible, Dias, for there would be no chance of
our finding the mouth of this pass by ourselves."

"Why could we not all go together?" Maria asked.

"Because if there were no one here the brigands might discover that we
had gone, within an hour or so of our starting. They might fire a shot
or two, and, finding that we did not answer, crawl gradually down till
they got here, for it must seem possible to them that we should return
down the pass; and as there is no getting the baggage mules to go fast,
we might very well be overtaken--I don't mean by those eight men, but
by a considerable number."

"But how are you to find your way, senor?" Dias said.

"We shall follow the valley down till we come to the spot where you
have struck off. You can fasten a white handkerchief to a stick and put
it in some bare place where we are sure to see it. I want you to halt
when you get to the river somewhere opposite the mouth of the pass. We
will ride nearly due north, and when we strike the river will follow it
down till we reach you."

"We can't halt opposite the mouth of the pass, for the river there is
already some size, and we could not cross it. I shall keep along near
the foot of the hills--the water there is shallow enough to ford. Then
I will follow it down until, as you say, near the entrance to the pass,
and there stop on the bank till you come."

"That will do very well. In that case it won't matter much where we
strike the stream, as our mules can swim across easily enough--they
have had plenty of practice during the past six months. However, we
will turn off north where we can see your signal."

"When will yo