“A gambler, swindler and thief, a wronger of women and a worthless vagabond, according to the world’s estimate of him,” she replied. “Yet a man beside whom you are not worthy to crawl, Rojerio Rocha, despite the blood that flows in your veins.” “I can imagine but one such contradictory paragon. So it was this man you call Captain Fly-by-Night?” “It was, _señor_.” “Did Señorita Anita Fernandez so far forget herself as to ride through the night, even with her _duenna_, in company with such a character?” he sneered. “I had it in mind to wed you, _señorita_, but if you have been consorting with such persons----” “_Señor!_” she cried angrily, her face aflame. “That touches you, does it? However, I am master now. As you are aware, the revolt has almost made a winning here at San Diego de Alcalá. Another quarter hour and my hostiles will be inside that church and attend to their enemies. An hour, and the mission and presidio will be black ruins, and we return to the rancho for a wedding feast and honeymoon, _señorita_ mine. So your escape availed you nothing. Did you hope to escape me again by remaining in the guest house while the others fled into the church? Or, perhaps, did you hope I’d find you here, alone?” “Renegade!” she taunted. “Hard names do not injure me, _señorita_, in the hour of my success; and, as I told you before, you are beautiful when aroused and angry. ’Twas a pretty fight your friends put up here at the mission, and cost us many men, but there was only one end possible. Have you heard of my exploit, _señorita_? And that reminds me--I was accepted as a friend by the men in the plaza, so you must not have told them of our little interview out at the rancho.” “I told them nothing,” she said. “Hah! You had that much affection for me, then? You loved your family name that much?” “But I regret now that I did not,” she answered. “It would have been the same had you told. It was a great trick we played. Hah! Like fools they swallowed the bait. I broke over the hill and ran, with hostiles pursuing and firing at me. Those at the wall helped me inside, and I gasped out that I had been held for torture and had made my escape. It was a pretty bit of acting, I assure you. Then another attack--and while all were busy it was an easy matter to slip into the storehouse, put the guard out of the way and throw open the window. In my friends tumbled--to take the defenders in the rear. Poor fools!” “I would to God I had told them!” she cried. “But you did not, eh? Why not make the best of matters, _señorita_? I am master and I have said you are to be my bride. Why not surrender gracefully, when there is nothing else left to do?” “There is something else left to do,” she answered. “There always is death waiting.”