“Listen, _señora_, listen,” he kept saying. “If you give up now, I can’t save you. We’re lost, but there’s a way out. Listen--don’t tear at me so--there’s a way out. Do you hear? You go on alone--follow these deer tracks till you come to water. Soon they’ll lead to water. That water will be the Santa Rosa. Follow up the stream till you come to Micas. It’ll be hard, but you can do it.” “Go on alone! And you?” she said brokenly. “I’ll turn on our back trail. I’ll meet Tigre and stop him.” “Tigre will kill you!” “He is blind and deaf. I shall be prepared. I’ve a chance, at least, to cripple him.” “At the end of a trail Tigre is a demon. He has been trained to kill the thing he’s put to trail. You--with only a machete! Ah, _señor_, I’ve heard that you are brave and strong, but you must not go back to meet Tigre. Come! We’ll follow the deer tracks together. Then if Tigre catches us--well, he can kill us both!” “_Señora_, I can serve you best by going back.” “You think that if you took me to Micas the old women would talk--that my good name would be gone?” she asked searchingly. “_Señora_, we waste time, and time is precious,” he protested. Muella studied the haggard, set face. This man meant to sacrifice his life for her. Deep through the fire of his eyes she saw unutterable pain and passion. If she had doubted his love, she doubted no more. He must be made to believe that she had followed him, not alone to save him from Tigre, but because she loved him. Afterward he would be grateful for her deceit. And if her avowal did not break his will, then she would use a woman’s charm, a woman’s sweetness. “_Señor_, you told Bernardo the truth--and I lied to him!” she said. Stranger than all other sensations of that flight was the thrill in her as she forced herself to speak. “What do you mean?” demanded Augustine. “He asked you if you loved me. You told the truth. He asked me if--if I loved you. And--I lied!” “_Santa Maria!_” the man cried, starting up impulsively. Then slowly he fell back. “_Señora_, may the saints reward you for your brave words. I know! You are trying to keep me from going back. We waste precious time--go now!” “Augustine, wait, wait!” she cried. Running blindly, she flung herself into his arms. She hid her face in his breast, and pressed all her slender, palpitating body close to his. As if he had been turned to stone, he stood motionless. She twined her arms about him, and her disheveled hair brushed his lips. She tried to raise her face--failed--tried again, and raised it all scarlet, with eyes close shut and tears wet on her cheeks. Blindly she sought his mouth with her lips--kissed him timidly--tremulously--and then passionately. With that, uttering a little gasp, she swayed away and turned from him, her head bowed in shame, one beseeching hand held backward to him. “Don’t go! Don’t leave me!” “_Dios!_” whispered Augustine.