ptuously.

"Look," he said, pointing toward the adobe. "Judge if it be wise to
hesitate when _la senorita reina_ says enter."

They saw graveled driveways and flower bordered walks under the oaks;
blossoming, fragrant shrubs welcoming countless birds; an expanse of
velvet lawn with a marble-rimmed pool and fountain. A beautiful
garden, empty one instant, then slowly filling as from about a far
corner of the house came a line of men. Young men, every one of them,
fine-looking, dark-skinned fellows dressed after the extravagant
fashion of the land which mothered them, with tall conical hats and
slashed trousers, broad sashes and glistening boots. They came on like
military squads, silent, erect, eyes full ahead. Out in the driveway
they halted, fifty of them. And like one man, they saluted.

"Will you enter as a guest?" jeered Escobar.

Kendric's anger flared up.

"I'll tell you one thing, my fine friend Fernando Escobar," he said
hotly, "I don't like the cut of your sunny disposition. You and I are
not going to mix well, and you may as well know it from the start. As
for this 'guest' business, just what do you mean?"

Escobar shrugged elaborately and half veiled his insolent eyes with the
long lashes.

"You mean," went on Kendric stubbornly, "your 'Queen Lady' as you call
her, has instructed her rabble to bring us in, willy-nilly?"

"Ai!" cried Escobar in mock surprise. "_El Americano_ reads the secret
thought!"

"Come ahead, Jim," urged Barlow anxiously. "Don't I tell you there is
no sense startin' a rumpus? Suppose you weeded out half of 'em, the
other half would get you right. And haven't we got enough ahead of us
without goin' out of our way, lookin' for a row?"

For answer Kendric gave his horse the spur and dashed through the gate.
If a man had to tie into fifty of a hard-looking lot of devils like
those saturnine henchmen of Zoraida, it would at least be a scrimmage
worth a man's going down in; but Barlow was right and there was no
doubt enough trouble coming without wandering afield for it.

So, close behind Escobar, they rode under the oaks and to the house.
Here was a quadrangle, flanked about with white columns; through
numerous arches one saw oaken doors set into the thick walls of the
shaded building. The three men dismounted; three of the men in the
driveway took the horses. Escobar stepped to the broad double door
directly in front of them. As his spurred boot rang on the stone