Senor Whitely, and enough vaqueros, rode with the herds, and General
Rotil took the rest of the ranchmen to be his soldiers. Of course it
might be Senor Whitely would some day return, who knows? And he left a
letter for the senor of the songs."

The letter corroborated Isidro's statements--it was the only way to
save any of the stock. Whitely thought there was a hundred or two
still ranging in the far corners, but time was short, and he was
saving what he could. The men were joining the revolutionists and he
would be left without help anyway. If Rhodes came back he was to use
the place as his own. If he could round up any more horses or cattle
on the range and get them to safety Isidro would find some Indians to
help him, and Whitely would divide the profits with him.

"Fine!--divides first with the Deliverer, and next with me! Can't see
where that hombre gets off when it comes to staking his own family to
a living. But it's a bargain, and this is my headquarters until I can
get out. How long has Whitely and his new friends been gone?"

"Four days, senor."

"Seen any stragglers of cattle left behind?"

Isidro's grandson, Clodomiro, had found both horses and cattle and
herded them into far canons; a man might ride in a circle for five
miles around the ranch house and see never a fresh track. Clodomiro
was a good boy, and of much craft.

Dinner was announced for the senor, and the women showed him welcome
by placing before him the most beautiful repast they could arrange
quickly, _chile con carne_, _frijoles_, _tortillas_, and a decanter of
Sonora wine--a feast for a king!

After he had eaten, tobacco was brought him from some little hidden
store, and Isidro gave him the details of the slave raid of Palomitas,
and Sonora affairs in general. Kit was careful to state that he has
been prospecting in the mountains and out of touch with ranch people,
and it must be understood that all Isidro could tell would be news to
a miner from the desert mountains. And he asked if General Rotil also
collected stock from the ranch of Soledad.

Whereupon Isidro told him many things, and among them the wonder that
Soledad had been left alone--the saints only knew why! And Juan
Gonsalvo, the foreman at Soledad, had helped with the slave raid, and
was known in Palomitas where they took girls and women and men as
well, even men not young! Miguel, the major-domo, was taken with his
wife and two daughters, the other men were young. The