When the band had almost reached Cuquio, Anastasio Montanez rides up to Demetrio and jokingly tells him about what had happened to a poor old man who had complained about the corn they had taken for their horses. Acting as if he was sympathetic, Guero had lured the man in on the pretext of getting him reparation, and instead had beaten him cruelly with his sword until he begged for mecty. Pintada, who is listening, "double(s) over in laughter, but Camilla is angry, and expresses her displeasure. Pintada turns on her then, and causes Camilla to fall from her horse and gash her forehead.
Cervantes is called to treat Camilla's wound, but she refuses to let him touch her. In the meantime, Demetrio receives orders to go to Aguascalientes. The men protest and complain, and Camilla cries all night, and begs Demetrio to let her go home in the morning because of Pintada. Demetrio wants Camilla to stay, so he tells Pintada she must leave instead. Furious, Pintada proceeds to insult everyone she can think of, until Demetrio orders a soldier to throw her out.
In "the blink of an eye", Pintada draws "a sharp, gleaming blade from her stocking", and stabs Camilla. Demetrio orders his soldiers to kill Pintada, but the irate woman steps forward and dares Demetrio to kill her himself. Demetrio picks up the bloody dagger, but hesitates, then growls menacingly to her to get out. No one dares stop her when she finally leaves (Part 2, Chapter 12).
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