on living. He says he's too damned tired to walk."

The prisoner had fallen in the middle of the road, ut-
terly exhausted.

"Well, well!" Blondie shouted, retracing his steps. "So
little mama's boy is tired, eh? Poor little fellow. I'll buy
a glass case and keep you in a corner of my house just
as if you were the Virgin Mary's own little son. You've
got to reach home first, see? So I'll help you a little,
sonny!"

He drew his sword out and struck the prisoner several
times.

"Let's have a look at your rope, Pancracio," he said.
There was a strange gleam in his eyes. Quail observed
that the prisoner no longer moved arm or leg. Blondie
burst into a loud guffaw: "The Goddamned fool. Just as
I was learning him to do without food, too!"

"Well, mate, we're almost to Guadalajara," Venancio
said, glancing over the smiling row of houses in Tepatit-
lan nestling against the hillside.

They entered joyously. From every window rosy
cheeks, dark luminous eyes observed them. The schools
were quickly converted into barracks; Demetrio found
lodging in the chapel of an abandoned church.