"What are we to do now?"
"Light the fire, and depart."
"How depart? Our friends?"
"They stand in no need of us; as soon as the fire is alight we will set out in search of the young maiden."
"God grant that we may save her!"
Curumilla, after lighting a bit of tinder which he had in a horn box, collected with his feet a heap of dried leaves, placed the tinder beneath them, and began to blow with all his might. The fire, acted upon by the breeze, which at that height blew strongly, was rapidly communicated, and shortly a thick column of flame mounted roaring to the sky.
"Good!" said Curumilla to his companions; "they see the signal."
"Let us begone, then, without delay," cried the count, impatiently.
"Come on, then," said Don Tadeo.
The three men plunged into the immense virgin forest which covered the summit of the mountain, leaving behind them that sinister beacon—a signal for murder and destruction. On the plain, Don Gregorio, fearing to advance before he knew what he had positively to trust to, had given orders to his troops to halt. He did not conceal from himself the dangers of his position, so that if he fell in the battle he was about to fight, his honour would be safe and his memory without reproach.