"I wonder if the sergeant has discovered anything yet? According to his account, the guards will think us dead."
"So much the better for us; they'll give up the search sooner. Hurrah! the ground's getting firmer at every step. I believe we're out of the morass."
The words were hardly spoken, when, my foot catching in some coarse grass, I fell sprawling, face downwards.
"Not quite," observed Alzura, pulling me up, while I tried to get the mud from my mouth and eyes. "It's a lucky thing you didn't try that trick before. Faith, Juan, you do look a picture! I'd willingly give a hundred dollars to be able to pop you down in Lima!"
"Come along, and don't be idiotic, or we shall find ourselves back on the islet."
"Yes," said he, still grinning all over his face; "we can't stay here laughing all day."
"I'm not laughing," I cried indignantly.
"Aren't you? Well, you see, old fellow, it's rather difficult to tell what you're doing through that black mask. I shouldn't try to rub it off. Let it cake, and we'll chip it off with a stone."
"This way," said I gruffly, taking no notice of his attempts to be funny. "We'd better make straight for the mountains and hide ourselves."
"We've need to," he replied, with a meaning laugh.