DuringthatmealBernalDiazspokeofourfirstmeetingonthecauseway，andofhowIhadgoneneartokillinghiminerror，thinkingthathewasSarceda，andthenheaskedmewhatwasmyquarrelwithSarceda。
InasfewwordsaspossibleItoldhimthestoryofmylife，ofalltheevilthatdeGarciaorSarcedahadworkeduponmeandmine，andofhowitwasthroughhimthatIwasinthislandthatday。
Helistenedamazed。
’HolyMother！’hesaidatlength，’Ialwaysknewhimforavillain，butthat，ifyoudonotlie，friendWingfield，hecouldbesuchamanasthis，Ididnotknow。
Nowbymyword，hadIheardthistaleanhourago，Sarcedashouldnothaveleftthiscamptillhehadanswereditorclearedhimselfbycombatwithyou。
ButIfearitistoolate；hewastoleaveforMexicoattherisingofthemoon，tostirupmischiefagainstmebecauseIgrantedyouterms——notthatIfearhimthere，wherehisreputeissmall。’
’Idonotlieindeed，’Ianswered。
’MuchofthistaleIcanproveifneedbe，andItellyouthatIwouldgivehalfthelifethatislefttometostandfacetofaceinopenfightwithhimagain。
Everhehasescapedme，andthescorebetweenusislong。’
NowasIspokethusitseemedtomethatacoldanddreadfulairplayeduponmyhandsandbrowandawarningsenseofpresentevilcreptintomysoul，overcomingmesothatIcouldnotstirorspeakforawhile。
’Letusgoandseeifhehasgone，’saidDiazpresently，andsummoningaguard，hewasabouttoleavethechamber。
ItwasatthismomentthatIchancedtolookupandseeawomanstandinginthedoorway。
Herhandrestedonthedoorpost；herhead，fromwhichthelonghairstreamed，wasthrownback，andonherfacewasalookofsuchanguishthatatfirst，somuchwasshechanged，IdidnotknowherforOtomie。
WhenIknewher，Iknewall；onethingonlycouldconjureuptheterrorandagonythatshoneinherdeepeyes。
’Whathaschancedtoourson？’Iasked。
’DEAD，DEAD！’sheansweredinawhisperthatseemedtopiercemymarrow。
Isaidnothing，formyhearttoldmewhathadhappened，butDiazasked，’Dead——why，whathaskilledhim？’
’DeGarcia！
Isawhimgo，’repliedOtomie；thenshetossedherarmshigh，andwithoutanothersoundfellbackwardstotheearth。
InthatmomentIthinkthatmyheartbroke——atleastIknowthatnothinghashadthepowertomovemegreatlysince，thoughthismemorymovesmedaybydayandhourbyhour，tillIdieandgotoseekmyson。
’Say，BernalDiaz，’Icried，withahoarselaugh，’didIlietoyouconcerningthiscomradeofyours？’
Then，springingoverOtomie’sbodyIleftthechamber，followedbyBernalDiazandtheothers。
WithoutthedoorIturnedtothelefttowardsthecamp。
Ihadnotgoneahundredpaceswhen，inthemoonlight，Isawasmalltroopofhorsemenridingtowardsus。
ItwasdeGarciaandhisservants，andtheyheadedtowardsthemountainpassontheirroadtoMexico。
I
wasnottoolate。
’Halt！’criedBernalDiaz。
’Whocommandsmetohalt？’saidthevoiceofdeGarcia。
’I，yourcaptain，’roaredDiaz。
’Halt，youdevil，youmurderer，oryoushallbecutdown。’
Isawhimstartandturnpale。
’Thesearestrangemanners，senor，’hesaid。
’OfyourgraceIask——“
AtthismomentdeGarciacaughtsightofmeforthefirsttime，forIhadbrokenfromtheholdofDiazwhoclutchedmyarm，andwasmovingtowardshim。
Isaidnothing，buttherewassomethinginmyfacewhichtoldhimthatIknewall，andwarnedhimofhisdoom。
Helookedpastme，butthenarrowroadwasblockedwithmen。
I
drewnear，buthedidnotwaitforme。
Onceheputhishandonthehiltofthesword，thensuddenlyhewheeledhishorseroundandfleddownthestreetofXaca。
DeGarciafled，andIfollowedafterhim，runningfastandlowlikeahound。
Atfirsthegainedonme，butsoontheroadgrewrough，andhecouldnotgallopoverit。
Wewereclearofthetownnow，orratherofitsruins，andtravellingalongalittlepathwhichtheIndiansusedtobringdownsnowfromXacainthehotweather。
Perhapstherearesomefivemilesofthispathbeforethesnowlineisreached，beyondwhichnoIndiandaredtosethisfoot，forthegroundabovewasholy。
Alongthispathhewent，andIwascontenttoseeit，forIknewwellthatthetravellercannotleaveit，sinceoneithersideliewater-coursesandcliffs。
MileaftermiledeGarciafollowedit，lookingnowtotheleft，nowtotheright，andnowaheadatthegreatdomeofsnowcrownedwithfirethattoweredabovehim。
Butheneverlookedbehindhim；heknewwhatwasthere——deathintheshapeofaman！
Icameondoggedly，savingmystrength。
IwassurethatImustcatchhimatlast，itdidnotmatterwhen。
Atlengthhereachedthesnow-linewherethepathended，andforthefirsttimehelookedback。
ThereIwassometwohundredpacesbehindhim。
I，hisdeath，wasbehindhim，andinfrontofhimshonethesnow。
Foramomenthehesitated，andIheardtheheavybreathingofhishorseinthegreatstillness。
Thenheturnedandfacedtheslope，drivinghisspursintothebrute’ssides。
Thesnowwashard，forherethefrostbitsharply，andforawhile，thoughitwassosteep，thehorsetravelledoveritbetterthanhehaddonealongthepathway。
Now，asbefore，therewasonlyoneroadthathecouldtake，forwepassedupthecrestofaridge，apleatasitwereinthegarmentofthemountain，andoneithersideweresteepsofsnowonwhichneitherhorsenormanmightkeephisfooting。
Fortwohoursormorewefollowedthatridge，andaswewentthroughthesilenceofthehauntedvolcan，andthelonelinessofitseternalsnows，itseemedtomethatmyspiritenteredintothespiritofmyquarry，andthatwithitseyesIsawallthatwaspassinginhisheart。
Toamansowrongedthedreamwaspleasantevenifitwerenottrue，forIreadtheresuchagony，suchblackdespair，suchhauntingmemories，suchterrorofadvancingdeathandofwhatlaybeyondit，thatnorevengeofman’scouldsurpasstheirtorment。
Anditwastrue——Iknewthatitwastrue；hesufferedallthisandmore，forifhehadnoconscience，atleasthehadfearandimaginationtoquickenandmultiplythefear。
Nowthesnowgrewsteeper，andthehorsewasalmostspent，forhecouldscarcelybreatheatsogreataheight。
InvaindiddeGarciadrivehisspursintoitssides，thegallantbeastcoulddonomore。
Suddenlyitfelldown。
Surely，Ithought，hewillawaitmenow。
ButevenIhadnotfathomedthedepthofhisterrors，fordeGarciadisengagedhimselffromthefallenhorse，lookedtowardsme，thenfledforwardonhisfeet，castingawayhisarmourashewentthathemighttravelmorelightly。
Bythistimewehadpassedthesnowandwerecometotheedgeoftheicecapthatismadebythemeltingofthesnowwiththeheatoftheinnerfires，orperhapsbythatofthesuninhotseasons，I
knownot，anditsfreezinginthewintermonthsorinthecoldofthenights。
AtleastthereissuchacaponXaca，measuringnearlyamileindepth，whichliesbetweenthesnowandtheblackrimofthecrater。
UpthisiceclimbeddeGarcia，andthetaskisnotoftheeasiest，evenforoneofuntroubledmind，foramanmuststepfromcracktocrackorneedletoneedleofroughice，thatstanduponthesmoothsurfacelikethebristlesonahog’sback，andwoetohimifonebreakorifheslip，forthen，ashefalls，veryshortlythefleshwillbefiledfromhisbonesbythethousandsofsword-likepointsoverwhichhemustpassinhisdescenttowardsthesnow。
Indeed，manytimesIfearedgreatlylestthisshouldchancetodeGarcia，forIdidnotdesiretolosemyvengeancethus。
ThereforetwicewhenIsawhimindangerIshoutedtohim，tellinghimwheretoputhisfeet，fornowIwaswithintwentypacesofhim，and，strangetosay，heobeyedmewithoutquestion，forgettingeverythinginhisterrorofinstantdeath。
ButformyselfIhadnofear，forIknewthatIshouldnotfall，thoughtheplacewasonewhichIhadsurelyshrunkfromclimbingatanyothertime。
AllthiswhilewehadbeentravellingtowardsXaca’sfierycrestbythebrightmoonlight，butnowthedawnbrokesuddenlyonthemountaintop，andtheflamediedawayintheheartofthepillarofsmoke。
Itwaswonderfultoseetheredglorythatshoneupontheice-cap，andonustwomenwhocreptlikefliesacrossit，whilethemountain’sbreastandtheworldbelowwereplungedintheshadowsofnight。
’Nowwehaveabetterlighttoclimbby，comrade！’IcalledtodeGarcia，andmyvoicerangstrangelyamongtheicecliffs，whereneveraman’svoicehadechoedbefore。
AsIspokethemountainrumbledandbellowedbeneathus，shakinglikeawind-tossedtree，asthoughinwrathatthedesecrationofitssacredsolitudes。
Withtherumblingcameashowerofgreyashesthatraineddownonus，andforalittlewhilehiddeGarciafrommysight。
Iheardhimcalloutinfear，andwasafraidlesthehadfallen；butpresentlytheashesclearedaway，andIsawhimstandingsafelyonthelavarimthatsurroundsthecrater。
Now，Ithought，hewillsurelymakeastand，forcouldhehavefoundcourageithadbeeneasyforhimtokillmewithhissword，whichhestillwore，asIclimbedfromtheicetothehotlava。
Itseemedthathethoughtofit，forheturnedandglaredatmelikeadevil，thenwentonagain，leavingmewonderingwherehebelievedthathewouldfindrefuge。
Somethreehundredpacesfromtheedgeoftheice，thesmokeandsteamofthecraterroseintotheair，andbetweenthetwowaslavasohotthatinplacesitwasdifficulttowalkuponit。
Acrossthisbed，thattrembledasIpassedoverit，wentdeGarciasomewhatslowly，fornowhewasweary，andI
followedhimatmyease，gettingmybreathagain。
PresentlyIsawthathehadcometotheedgeofthecrater，forheleanedforwardandlookedover，andIthoughtthathewasabouttodestroyhimselfbyplungingintoit。
Butifsuchthoughtshadbeeninhismind，heforgotthemwhenhehadseenwhatsortofnestthiswastosleepin，forturning，hecamebacktowardsme，swordup，andwemetwithinadozenpacesoftheedge。
Isaymet，butintruthwedidnotmeet，forhestoppedagain，welloutofreachofmysword。
Isatdownuponablockoflavaandlookedathim；itseemedtomethatIcouldnotfeastmyeyesenoughuponhisface。
Andwhatafaceitwas；thatofamorethanmurdererabouttomeethisreward！
WouldthatIcouldpainttoshowit，fornowordscantellthefearfulnessofthoseredandsunkeneyes，thosegrinningteethandquiveringlips。
Ithinkthatwhentheenemyofmankindhascasthislastdieandwonhislastsoul，hetoowilllookthusashepassesintodoom。
’Atlength，deGarcia！’Isaid。
’Whydoyounotkillmeandmakeanend？’heaskedhoarsely。
’Whereisthehurry，cousin？
ForhardontwentyyearsIhavesoughtyou，shallwethenpartsosoon？
Letustalkawhile。
Beforeweparttomeetnomore，perhapsofyourcourtesyyouwillanswermeaquestion，forIamcurious。
Whyhaveyouwroughttheseevilsonmeandmine？
Surelyyoumusthavesomereasonforwhatseemstobeanemptyandfoolishwickedness。’
Ispoketohimthuscalmlyandcoldly，feelingnopassion，feelingnothing。
ForinthatstrangehourIwasnolongerThomasWingfield，Iwasnolongerhuman，Iwasaforce，aninstrument；I
couldthinkofmydeadsonwithoutsorrow，hedidnotseemdeadtome，forIpartookofthenaturethathehadputoninthischangeofdeath。
IcouldeventhinkofdeGarciawithouthate，asthoughhealsowerenothingbutatoolinsomeotherhand。
Moreover，I
