lamentations. The priest, who was made of sterner stuff, did his best
to bear his tortures cheerfully.

In spite of their efforts the first rosy heralds of dawn discovered
them still a long way from the river and just entering a more thickly
settled country. Daylight came swiftly, and Juan finally gave them
warning.

"We can't go on; the danger is too great," he told them. "If the
soldiers are still in Romero, what then?"

"Have you no friends hereabouts who would take us in?" Dave inquired.

The Mexican shook his head.

Dave considered for a moment. "You must hide here," he told his
companions, "while I ride on to Romero and see what can be done. I
suspect Blanco's troops have left, and in that case everything will be
all right."

"Suppose they haven't?" Alaire inquired. All night she had been in the
lightest of moods, and had steadily refused to take their perils
seriously. Now her smile chased the frown from her husband's face.

"Well, perhaps I'll have breakfast with them," he laughed.

"Silly. I won't let you go," she told him, firmly; and, reading the
expression in her face, he felt a dizzy wonder. "We'll find a nice
secluded spot; then we'll sit down and wait for night to come. We'll
pretend we're having a picnic."

Dolores sighed at the suggestion. "That would be heaven, but there can
be no sitting down for me."

Garcia, who had been standing in his stirrups scanning the long, flat
road ahead, spoke sharply: "CARAMBA! Here come those very soldiers now!
See!"

Far away, but evidently approaching at a smart gait, was a body of
mounted men. After one look at them Dave cried:

"Into the brush, quick!" He hurried his companions ahead of him, and
when they had gone perhaps a hundred yards from the road he took Juan's
Winchester, saying: "Ride in a little way farther and wait. I'm going
back. If you hear me shoot, break for the river. Ride hard and keep
under cover as much as possible." Before they could remonstrate he had
wheeled Montrosa and was gone.

This was luck, he told himself. Ten miles more and they would have been
safe, for the Rio Grande is not a difficult river either to ford or to
swim. He dismounted and made his way on foot to a point where he could
command a view, but he had barely established himself when he found
Alaire at his side.

"Go back," he told her. But she would not, and so they waited together.

There were perhaps a dozen men in the approaching squad, and Dave saw
that th