.

Once more she scanned the sweltering expanse of sagebrush, scant grass,
many rock patches and much sand. She saw a rider moving along a shallow
watercourse, and immediately she focused her glasses upon him. She gave
an ejaculation of surprise when the powerful lenses annihilated nine
tenths of the distance between them. One would judge from her manner and
her tone that, while she had not been surprised to see a rider, that
rider's identity was wholly unexpected.

She watched him until, having reached a certain place where a group of
cottonwoods shaded the gully, he stopped and dismounted to fuss with his
cinches. Mary V could not be sure whether he was merely killing time, or
whether he really needed to tighten the saddle; but when another rider
appeared suddenly from the eastward, she did know that the first rider
showed no symptoms of surprise.

She did not know the second arrival at the cottonwoods. She could see
that he was Mexican, and that was all. The two talked together with much
gesturing on the part of the Mexican, and sundry affirmative nods on the
part of the first rider. The Mexican frequently waved a hand toward the
south--toward Sinkhole Camp, perhaps. They seemed to be in a hurry, Mary
V thought. They did not tarry more than five minutes before they parted,
the Mexican riding back toward the east, the first rider returning
westward. He had come cautiously, at an easy pace. He went back riding
at a long lope, as though time was precious to him.

Mary V watched until she saw him emerge out of that hollow and duck into
another which led toward the northwest and, if he followed it, would
bring him out near the head of Dry Gulch, which was several miles nearer
the Rolling R home ranch than was the ridge where she stood. When he had
gone, she turned again to see where the Mexican was going. The Mexican,
she discovered, was going east as fast as his horse could carry him
without dropping dead in that heat; and he, also, was keeping to the
hollows.

"Here's a pretty howdy-do!" said Mary V to the palpitating atmosphere.
"I'm just going to tell dad about Tex sneaking away down here to meet
Mexicans and things on the sly! I never did like that Tex. I don't like
his eyes. You can't see into them at all. I'll bet they're framing up
something on Johnny Jewel--they were pointing right toward his camp.
There's no telling _what_ they're up to! I'm going right and tell dad--"

But she couldn't. Mary V knew she co