'So, by your right, quick march!' I continued
imperatively. 'Turn your horse, my friend, or take the
consequences.'
He turned like a lamb, and headed down the valley again, without
giving a thought to his pistols. I kept close to him, and in
less than a minute we had left the Devil's Chapel well behind us,
and were moving down again as we had come up. Only now I held
the gun.
When we had gone have a mile or so--until then I did not feel
comfortable myself, and though I thanked heaven that the place
existed, I thanked heaven also that I was out of it--I bade him
halt.
'Take off your belt,' I said curtly, 'and throw it down. But,
mark me, if you turn I fire.'
The spirit was quite gone out of him, and he obeyed mechanically.
I jumped down, still covering him with the gun, and picked up the
belt, pistols and all. Then I remounted, and we went on. By-
and-by he asked me sullenly what I was going to do.
'Go back,' I said, 'and take the road to Auch when I come to it.'
'It will be dark in an hour,' he answered sulkily.
'I know that,' I retorted. 'We must camp and do the best we
can.
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