"If it must be so, it must," said the captain, after a moment's hesitation; and taking his gourd, he applied it to the lips of the guide. The latter drank eagerly and copiously; a feverish flush coloured his hollow cheeks, his almost extinguished eyes flashed and gleamed with an unnatural fire. "Now," he said, in a firm and pretty loud voice, "do not interrupt me: when you see me become weak, let me drink again. I, perhaps, shall have time to tell you all." The captain made a sign of assent, and the Babbler began. His recital was rendered long by the repeated weakness with which he was seized; when it was terminated, he added,-- "You see, that this woman is, as I have told you, a demon; she has killed both Kennedy and me. Renounce the capture of her, captain; she is game you cannot bring down; you will never get possession of her." "Hum!" said the captain, knitting his brows; "do you imagine that I give up my projects in that fashion?" "I wish you luck, then," the guide murmured; "as for me, my business is done--my account is settled. Adieu, captain!" he added, with a strange sort of smile, "I am going to all the devils--we shall meet again yonder." And he sank back. The captain endeavoured to raise him again; but he was dead. "A good journey to you!" he muttered, carelessly. He took the corpse upon his shoulders, carried it into a thicket, in the middle of which he made a hole, and placed it in it; then, this operation being achieved in a few minutes, he returned to the fire, wrapped himself in his cloak, stretched himself on the sod, with his feet towards the brazier, and fell asleep, saying,-- "In a few hours it will be light, and we will than see what we have to do." Bandits do not sleep late. At sunrise all were on the alert in the camp of the pirates; everyone was preparing for departure. The captain, far from renouncing his projects, had, on the contrary, determined to hasten the execution of them, so as not to allow the Mexicans time to find among the white trappers of the prairies auxiliaries who might render success impossible. As soon as he was certain that the orders he had issued were understood, the captain gave the signal for departure. The troop set off in the Indian fashion, that is to say, literally turning their backs towards the point to which they directed their course. When they arrived at a spot which appeared to present to them the security they desired, the pirates dismounted; the horses were confided to a few determined men, and the rest, crawling along upon the ground like a swarm of vipers, or jumping from branch to branch, and from tree to tree, advanced, with all the customary precautions, towards the camp of the Mexicans. CHAPTER III. DEVOTEDNESS. As we said in a preceding chapter, the doctor had left the camp of the Mexicans, charged by Doña Luz with a message for Black Elk. Like all learned men, the doctor was absent by nature, and that with the best intentions in the world.