o's troops.

In the work that now went forward Jose Sanchez took a prominent part.
For once in his life he was a person of recognized importance. Not only
was he the right hand of the owner of La Feria, but the favor of that
redoubtable general, the hero of a hundred tales, rested upon his
shoulders like a mantle. Jose's extravagant praises of the Federal
commander, together with the daily presence of the military guard,
forcibly brought home to the ranch-dwellers the fact that war was
actually going on, and that Luis Longorio was indeed a man of flesh and
blood, and no myth. This realization caused a ripple of excitement to
stir the peons' placid lives.

And yet in the midst of his satisfaction Sanchez confessed to one
trouble. He had expected to find his cousin, Panfilo, here, and the
fact that nothing whatever had been heard from him filled him with
great uneasiness. Of course he came to Alaire, who told him of seeing
Panfilo at the water-hole on the day after her husband had discharged
him; but that information gave Jose little comfort, since it proved
nothing as to his cousin's present whereabouts. Alaire thought best not
to tell him the full circumstances of that affair. Believing that
Panfilo would turn up at La Feria in due time, she gave little heed to
Jose's dark threats of vengeance for any injury to his relative.

The horse-breaker's concern increased as the days passed, and to the
lieutenant and members of the guard he repeated his threats. Truly, he
declared, if any evil had fallen upon his beloved cousin Panfilo, he,
Jose, would exact a terrible reckoning, a revenge befitting a man of
his character and a friend of Luis Longorio.

These soldiers, by the way, were something of a trial to Alaire, for
they were ever in her way. She could not ride a mile over her own
pastures without the whole martial squad following at her heels.
Protest was unavailing; the lieutenant was mulishly stubborn. He had
been ordered to keep the senora in sight at all times, so he said, and
that ended the matter as far as he was concerned. His life and the
lives of his six followers depended entirely upon her safety and
happiness, for General Longorio was a man of his word.

Of course the lieutenant would not offend for the world--the object of
his solicitude was at liberty to tread upon his worthless old
carcass--but orders were orders, especially when they came from a
certain source. He besought Alaire to exercise forbearance