Back in the room Mendez saw his blunder and made way. Ney passed him first, reached the door, aimed and fired. But someone behind him touched his arm, and the ball sped high. Ney turned, and saw Tiburcio filling the door against the others, and regarding him with evil challenge in his eye.
“Oh, don’t think that I hold it against you,” Ney cried gratefully.
Tiburcio half laughed.
“A man who don’t want prisoners shot is better with the enemy than dead,” he said.
Tiburcio’s chuckle was prophetic. The enemy invariably 292executed Exploradores, and would certainly do as much for Don Tiburcio if they caught him.
Ney heard the hoof beats, already far away.
“May the god of fools look after him too,” he murmured heavily.
The fugitive swept round the first corner of the street and on through the town. None thought to stop him. Soldiers and townsmen supposed him on the Empire’s urgent business, and when they knew better, there was no longer hope for their ponies against the great Missouri buckskin, now a diminishing dusty speck mid cacti and maguey.
“The devil of it is,” Driscoll muttered ruefully, “I don’t know where there’s anybody to desert to!”
However, he was feeling much better.