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"Well, massa," said Quashy, with a broad grin, "das jist w'at I's agwine to say, but you's too quick for me." "I meant the bandit, not myself," said Lawrence, looking over the cliff at the pool with an expression of great pity. "Ha! don't be uneasy about him," said Pedro, with a short laugh, as he resumed the binding of the stunned robber. "If he's killed or drowned he's well out o' the way.
And Quashy, we need scarcely add, was right. He was not dead. He did not die for many years afterwards. For aught that we know, indeed, he may be living still, for he came of a very long-lived race.
Lawrence sought refuge from conflicting feelings in a loud laugh, and asked what hope Quashy could by any possibility entertain of ever seeing Susan again she having, as it were, vanished from off the earth. "Oh, nebber fear," was Quashy's comfortable reply. "I's sure to find Sooz'n, for she no can git along widout me, no more nor I can git along widout her.
As noon approached Quashy gave a shout, and pointed to the horizon ahead of them, where living objects of some kind were seen moving along. "Ostriches," said Lawrence. "Dey's a noo kind ob ostriches wid four legs," returned the negro, "an' wid peepil on deir backs." "I believe you are right. A party of mounted men, apparently. Come, this is well.
Behind the hedge the men dispersed themselves, armed with several rusty flint-lock guns, some old swords, a few Indian spears, and other less warlike weapons. Lawrence and Quashy took up a position at the entrance to the little fortress, the opening of which was blocked by cactus-bushes. Their host of the previous night stood beside them.
Poor Quashy went up to it smilingly after that, frowningly; he cringed towards it; he advanced straightforwardly; he sidled slily; he ran at it; he rushed at it; he bounced at it; he yelled at it; he groaned at it; he perspired after it; he went nearly mad over it, and, finally, he sat down before it, and glared in deadly silence in its innocent face!
"Of course, when I felt the earthquake," said Pedro to Lawrence, "I knew that, although little damage was done to the village to which I had gone in search of my friends, it must have been very severe on the town with its spires and public buildings; so I saddled up at once, and set off on my return. I met Quashy just as I left the village, and we both spurred back as fast as we could.
They rushed into each other's arms, and their lips met. Pistols and carbines! what a smack it was! In his joy Quashy lifted Susan fairly off her feet and danced with her until he was exhausted, then he set her down and danced round her. Susan had recovered her composure by that time.
"O massa! he not dead, eh?" groaned the negro, as he assisted in the work. "No; nor likely to die yet a while," replied Lawrence, with much satisfaction, as he examined and bound up the scalp-wound. "It is not deep; he'll soon come round; but we must get him home without delay. Out with your paddle, Quashy, and use it well. I'll take the bow."
Despite the utmost application of voice and spur, Quashy also dropped to the rear, and the race lay at last between our hero and the Inca princess! Mile after mile was passed as they flew like the wind over the rolling plains, scarcely impeded at all by the Pampas grass, which was not long at that season, but at last they came to a ridge on which there was a line of low bushes.
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