Page:Pictures of life in Mexico Vol 2.djvu/103

Rh the flames without rendered objects in the apartment indistinctly visible, I thought it was my servant. 'Juan,' said I, abstractedly, 'collect all the arms in the house: we will not surrender our lives without at least an effort!'

"The Alcalde! exclaimed a deep voice behind me and at the same instant the hand tightened on my throat with sudden ferocity, 'The Alcalde! The Alcalde!'

"Turning round in the extremity of suffocation, I saw that a tall and powerful Indian was behind me, and that, while his right hand was grasping my throat with determined energy, the other was fumbling about for a knife that had fallen on the ground. Before he could regain his weapon, I sprang up, madly striving to free myself from his hold; and a desperate struggle for existence ensued between us. We tugged, and strained, and fought: but his strength held out longer than mine; and, utterly powerless, I was just on the point of yielding, when my adversary's grasp suddenly relaxed, and he staggered and fell. Much to my surprise, I perceived that he had been stabbed from behind by my wife; who, recovering from her first stupor of fear had