'Our plight cannot be worse than it is now; life has no greater evils than torment and death, and they are with us already.' Then I sat upon the stool, and my arms being left sound and strong, I hacked with the sharp sword at the wooden bars of the window, severing them one by one till there was a space big enough for us to creep through.

This being done and no one having appeared to disturb us, Otomie clad me in the clothes of a Spanish soldier which Marina had brought, for I could not dress myself.

What I suffered in the donning of those garments, and more especially in the pulling of the long boot on to my burnt foot, can never be told, but more than once I stopped, pondering whether it would not be better to die rather than to endure such agonies.

At last it was done, and Otomie must put on the red and yellow robe, a garb of shame such as many honest Indian women would die sooner than be seen in, and I think that as she did this, her agony was greater than mine, though of another sort, for to her proud heart, that dress was a very shirt of Nessus.

Presently she was clad, and minced before me with savage mockery, saying: 'Prithee, soldier, do I look my part ?' 'A peace to such fooling,' I answered; 'our lives are at stake, what does it matter how we disguise ourselves ?' 'It matters much, husband, but how can you understand, who are a man and a foreigner?
Now I will clamber through the window, and you must follow me if you can, if not I will return to you and we will end this masquerade.' Then she passed through the hole swiftly, for Otomie was agile and strong as an ocelot, and mounting the stool I made shift to follow her as well as my hurts would allow.