In spite of the young lady's resistance, he raised her in his muscular arms, and ran off with her into the thicket.
Carmela understood that nothing could change the half-breed's resolution, so she yielded to him.
The hunter accepted Lanzi's devotion as simply as he had offered his own, for the half-breed's conduct appeared to him perfectly natural; he therefore made not the slightest objection, but busied himself with getting the horses ready.
"Now begone," the half-breed said, so soon as the hunter and the maiden had mounted; "go, and may heaven be merciful to you!"
"And you, my friend?" Doña Carmela remarked sadly.
"I?" he answered with a careless toss of his head; "The red devils have not got me yet. Come, be off."
To cut short the conversation, the half-breed roughly lashed the horses with his chicote; the noble animals started at a gallop, and soon disappeared from his sight.
So soon as he was alone, the poor fellow gave vent to a sigh.
"Hum!" he muttered sadly; "This time I am very much afraid that it is all up with me; no matter, Canarios, I will fight to the last, and if the pagans catch me, it shall cost them dearly."
After forming this heroic resolution, which seemed to restore all his courage, the worthy man mounted his horse and prepared for action.