“And why should I fight with you?” the other demanded. “A victorious general does not cross blades with a fugitive. One call from the door and you are undone!” Two quick steps he took toward the door, as if to let down the bar and throw it open to call. “Stop!” the caballero commanded. “If for no other reason, you should fight with me to show you are not a coward, _señor_. This lady, too, has called for assistance, and I have responded. Seek not to delay me until your men come from the church in search of you. You fight, else die with knife in back like a common cur!” The other whirled toward him, snarling; their wrists crashed together. They swerved and twisted, trying to gain advantage, the caballero silent and deliberate as he went about his business of killing this man who mouthed curses. Thrice around the room they circled, while the girl crouched in the corner, clasped hands to her breast and breathed deeply and watched from narrowed eyes. “If you have prayers to say, renegade, say them now!” the caballero shouted. “Rojerio Rocha, scion of a noble family--you! In a moment we shall see whether your blood is blue. You have committed enough crimes to merit ten deaths, yet I can cause you but one!” They separated for an instant, clashed again. The caballero spoke no more, and the watching girl saw that his face was white and that he bit at his lip and seemed to be growing weak. For the wound in his shoulder was paining, and he was struggling to keep the film from before his eyes, conserving strength for the final effort. His antagonist sensed the advantage and pressed the fighting. A cry of fear for the caballero came from the girl’s throat. But he was not to be defeated yet. He braced himself and assumed the aggressive once more, and again they fought to the centre of the room. Now fear clutched at the heart of the caballero’s antagonist, and he showed his craven spirit and love of unfairness. “Ho!” he shrieked, to be heard above the din of battle in the plaza. “To the rescue! Hostiles! Your general is being slain! To the rescue!” A wounded man sitting before the door heard him and spread the alarm. A score of hostiles left the church and ran across the plaza to peer through the window of the guest house. They had been told not to enter there, but what they saw caused them to disregard their orders. In an instant they were battering at the door and shrieking to their comrades. They appeared at the windows, some of them holding muskets ready to fire, but they dared not for fear of sending a bullet to the heart of their leader. Purposely, the caballero circled so that his enemy was between him and the windows; and now, feeling his strength going, half sick because of the pain his shoulder gave him, he attempted a quick end to the combat. There flashed through his mind what fate was in store for the _señorita_ if he went down before this man. He remembered other things, too, that gave him an unnatural strength.