Salezar was no weakling and although he had no more real courage than a rat, like a rat he was cornered and fighting for his life; but Captain Salezar had lived well and lazily, as his pampered body was now showing evidence. Try as he might he could not escape those steel-like fingers for more than a moment. With desperate strength he broke their hold time and again as he writhed and bridged and rolled, clawed and bit; but they clamped back again as often. His shouts for help were choked gasps and the strength he had put forth in the beginning of the struggle was waning. The table was now a wreck and they rolled in and over the debris. Salezar made use of his great spurs at every chance and his opponent's clothing was ripped and torn to shreds wet with blood. His fingers searched for his enemy's eyes and missed them, but left their marks on the painted face. They rolled against one wall and then back to the other; they slammed again at the door and back into the wreckage of the table. "Where _is_ she?" panted the Delaware. "Tell me, Salezar, _where is she_?" The captain wriggled desperately and almost gained the top, and thought he sensed a weakened opposition. "Where she will remain!" he choked. "Mistress of the _palacio_--until he tires--of her. You--cursed _Tejano_ dog!" He drove a spur at his enemy's side, missed, and it became entangled in the rags. The Delaware, blind with fury, smashed his knee into the soft abdomen and snarled at the answering gasp of pain. "Remember th' prisoners? Near Valencia--Ernest died in the--night. You cut off his ears--and threw his body in a--ditch!" He got the throat hold again in spite of nails and teeth, blows and spurs. "McAllister was shot because he--could not walk. You stole his clothes--cut off his ears and left--his body at th' side of th'--road for the wolves!" He felt the spurs graze his leg and he threw it across the body of the Mexican. "Golpin was shot--other side of Dead Man's Lake. You took--_his_ ears _too_!" He hauled and tugged and managed to roll his enemy onto his other leg. "On th' Dead Man's Journey--Griffin's brains were knocked out with a--gun butt. _His_ ears were cut off, _too_!" Hooking his feet together he clamped his powerful thighs in a viselike grip on his enemy. "Gates died in a wagon near--El Paso, of starvation, sickness--an' fright. You got _his_--ears!" "As--I'll get--_yours_!" hoarsely moaned Salezar, again missing with the spurs. "The senorita will be happy--in Armijo's arms. After that--the soldiers--can have her!" The Delaware loosened his leg grip, jerked them up toward the captain's stomach as he hauled his victim down toward them, and clamped them tight again over the soft stomach.