Anita Fernandez stood against the wall, breathing quickly, a whimsical smile on her lips, something of timidity in her manner now, and watched the man to whom she had given her kisses. For, despite danger and noise of battle, the caballero sat on a block of stone and loaded his pistol again--and as he loaded it he smiled and hummed a song. CHAPTER XXIV LOVE PROVES TRUE The hammering at the door of the mortuary chapel ceased after a time, for those in the main part of the church had more serious business to occupy their attention than the attempted capture of Captain Fly-by-Night. The front doors of the church had been battered in, and several times hostiles had invaded the building, but always to be driven back after suffering heavy losses, for men can fight with thrice their usual strength and courage when making a last stand against an overwhelming foe. Now storehouse and hospital building and guest house were burning, the most of the loot having been removed, and clouds of heavy smoke poured into the church, half suffocating the defenders there, yet at the same time proving a blessing, since the dense pall made it impossible for those in the plaza to get good aim at a defender. In a corner Señora Vallejo, some wives of ranchers and a few loyal Indian women and children crouched, the most of the time at their prayers. Dead men were against one wall, wounded against another, a fray attending to the latter. At the windows and both sides of the doorway stern men waited with muskets and pistols to fire whenever a hostile could be seen through the smoke. Thanks to the action of the _comandante_ in removing supplies from the presidio, there was an abundance of ammunition. Yet the defenders were being cut down one at a time, and it seemed only a question of hours until the enemy would triumph. It was the sudden, unexpected rushes those in the church feared, for if enough hostiles could invade the church at one time the defenders would be scattered and cut down. “A ghost, eh?” Cassara was shouting in Gonzales’s ear. “So this Captain Fly-by-Night is in the mortuary chapel, eh? I told you I saw him go into the church. He has been hiding there!” “The imbecile trooper declares Señorita Anita is with him, and how can that be?” Gonzales wanted to know. “We are all aware that she was left behind in the guest house, and that Rojerio Rocha went there to save her. Since the guest house is in flames, it is to be supposed both died there.” “The trooper saw double,” Cassara replied. “He had been wounded. But Captain Fly-by-Night is there, nevertheless, and presently we shall attend to him. Hah! When I stand before him----” “If I do not face him first,” Gonzales interrupted. “Bar the door, will he? ’Twill not take me long to break it in when I am at liberty to do so. ’Ware the window, good pirate! They are coming again!”