“Troubles are not heavy enough upon us but we must endure your presence?” she asked. “It is like Captain Fly-by-Night to affront women when they are unprotected, to offer violence----” “Have I offered violence, sweet _señorita_?” he asked pleasantly. “Have I said or done what I should not?” “Why are you here? Why do you crawl through the chimney like a thing of evil? For some good purpose?” “Possibly; you may be the best judge of that. My purpose is to remove you from here--the two of you--and take you where there are neither traitors nor hostile Indians--to the mission, to be precise. I understand the close of another day will see siege and perhaps bloodshed at this same San Diego de Alcalá, yet it would be better for you to withstand the one and see the other than to remain at the Fernandez rancho. For surely you realise your situation here. If this revolt fails, as it will, you will be at the mercy of furious gentiles. If it succeeds--well, if it succeeds, you will at least be at the mercy of the traitor who caused it to succeed----” The girl interrupted him again. “You speak boldly of traitors, Captain Fly-by-Night. What about yourself?” “You consider me one?” he asked. “Is not the fact well known, _señor_? Did not word come from the Governor that your perfidy was discovered, and that you were to be taken dead or alive? Have you not been fugitive these two days past?” “Ah, yes! His Excellency the Governor has, intentionally or not, caused me some annoyance by that same order. I must speak harshly to him when next we meet. It is true also that I have been fugitive and forced to use my poor wits to exist, with both soldiers and redskins trying to run me down or run me through.” “So your Indians have turned upon you? You are a double traitor, perhaps. It was only recently I learned that this Rojerio Rocha, who--Heaven help me!--is of a distant branch of my family, is a renegade dealing with hostiles; and he as good as told me, here in this very room, that you also were a renegade, that you fought for leadership, since it was considered one white general was enough. I believe he intimated, too, that you fought concerning myself, regarding the question as to whose property I was to be after your plans had been carried out. ’Tis like Captain Fly-by-Night to heap these additional insults upon an unprotected girl!” “This man you call Rojerio Rocha said all that, eh? Hah! How my blade will sing when we meet!” “He expressed a wish to stand up to you again, I believe. ’Twere a pity you did not slay each other!” “When next we meet my blade shall do more than pierce his shoulder, _señorita_, I promise you.” “Almost could I forgive your baseness and your cruel boasts concerning myself, if you did that! Almost could I forgive your treason if you took the life of the man who has put the stain of disloyalty upon our name!” “You speak freely of treason, _señorita_. I am no traitor.”