get you
into a scrape some day."

'Rube laughed. "I am big enough to get out of it if it does, Seth; but
you know I did feel uncommon soft towards Pepita, and really thought of
marrying and taking her back to Missouri."

'"Only she wouldn't come, Rube?"

'"Just so, Seth," said he, laughing. "So we agreed we would be the best
friends; and she asked me, if ever I went out to San Miguel, to go and
see her. She said her father was generally out, but would be glad to see
me if he were in. She lives in a small hacienda, a league this side of
the town."

'I saw that it was of no use to argue, but I didn't like it. The Mexican
women hated us worse than the men did, and that warn't easy to do; and
many of our fellows had been murdered after being enticed by them to
out-of-the-way places. Still, in the present case, I did not see that
the girl could have expected that Rube would be there unless the rest of
us were near at hand, and I did not attempt to oppose Rube's wishes.

'So next morning off we started, and by ten o'clock we rode up to the
door of the place which Rube said answered to the description Pepita had
given him. It was a pretty place, with trees round it, and might have
been the residence of a small proprietor such as Pepita had described
her father to be. As we rode up to the door it opened, and I saw at once
that Rube were right, for a dark-eyed Mexican girl came out and looked
at us inquiringly.

'"What can I do for you, senors?" she asked.

'"Don't you remember me, Donna Pepita?" Rube said, laughing as he lifted
the sombrero which had shaded his face.

'The girl started violently. "Ah, Signor Americano, is it you? I might
have known, indeed," she said, smiling, "by your size, even wrapped up.
This, of course, is Signor Seth: you are always together. But come in,"
she said.

'"Who have you got inside, Donna Pepita?" Rube asked. "I know that I can
trust you, but I can't trust others, and I don't want it known I am
here."

'"The house is empty," Pepita said. "My father is out. There is only old
Jacinta at home."

'At this moment an old woman made her appearance at the door, and at a
word from Pepita took our horses, while Pepita signed to us to enter.

'"Excuse me, signora," I said. "We will go first and see our horses
stabled. It is our custom; one never knows when he may want them."

'I thought Pepita looked annoyed, but it was only for a moment, and
then she said something in one of the country