We had been warned whatever
happened not to be discouraged, and we cheered each other bravely, while
our heads bumped the roof. "We shall be out of this presently," we gasped.
"It will surely be all right soon."

Meanwhile, however, it was a nightmare; the sort of thing which a
delirious chauffeur might dream and rave of, in a fever; and instead of
improving, the way grew worse.

"Can it be possible those chaps deceived us on purpose?" I jerked out
between chattering teeth, as the car sprang from one three-foot rut into
another, in spite of Ropes' coaxing.

"I'll bet it's a trick of Carmona's," gasped Dick, at the risk of biting
his tongue. "I thought that fellow in the two hats looked a fox."

"I _did_ see them laughing when I glanced round after we passed," said
Pilar, as jumpily as if she rode a trotting horse. "But I--thought--they
were pleased with the pesetas."

"I expect they'd got more than we gave, to send us the wrong way," growled
Dick. "We must have been dreaming not to think of it."

"We can't go about suspecting everyone we meet to be in Carmona's pay,"
said I. "We'd be mistaken as often as right, and then we should feel
small. After all, there isn't much harm done."

"It's a wonder we haven't smashed something, sir," sighed the much
enduring Ropes.

"That's what Carmona prayed to his demons we would do," said Dick.

"I'll back San Cristobal against them all," said I.

"Besides, there was the mule with the four white feet, and the goat-herd,"
Pilar reminded me.

"I can't say they've brought us luck."

"Wait," said Pilar.

"Meanwhile let's turn back," said Dick. "Another hundred yards like this,
and even if we don't smash the differential or the chassis, Ropes will get
side-slip of the brain. Half an hour of such driving must be equal to a
week in Purgatory for a chauffeur."

We did turn back, and feeling years older, arrived once more at the point
from which he had started. We would have given something to see the man
with the two hats, and his companion, but they had prudently taken
themselves off, like full-fed vultures. This time we made no inquiries,
but trusted to our intuition and our maps, which, without once
contradicting each other, led us into a decent road that seemed like a
path to paradise after all we had endured.

Making up for lost time, and revelling in joy of motion, we put on our
best speed, which for a few moments brought the roadside telegraph posts
as close together