"Haven't I talked with Zoraida?" countered Bruce. "Haven't I heard her
explanations? Haven't I seen her terror of Rios? Haven't I looked
into her eyes?"

"You were burned out tonight. Have you forgotten that? Your herds
were raided. Even old Twisty Barlow, once a square man, followed
Zoraida Castelmar into that! And Zoraida, herself, was one of the
raiders!"

"How do you _know_?" demanded Bruce. And always he laid significant
stress on the word of certainty.

"I saw the horse she rode. I heard the whistle which she wears on a
chain about her throat. I even saw the white plume in her hat."

"Is there only one white horse in Mexico? And only one whistle? And
only one white plume? These things, if it had been Zoraida, she would
have left behind. In the dark you guessed. I am afraid you have
guessed all along the line."

"Then tell me how the devil it came about that Zoraida showed up at
your place? A pretty tall coincidence."

"Nothing of the kind. The whole thing was engineered by Rios. She
overheard a little, guessed it all. Dangerous though the effort was,
she tried to be in time to warn me. She came just too late."

Kendric stared at his friend incredulously. First Barlow, then young
Bruce West drawn from his side and to Zoraida's. She required men, men
of his stamp. And she seemed to have the way of drawing them to her.
He felt utterly baffled; he could at the moment think of no argument
which Bruce's infatuation would not thrust aside. Where he would
depict a heartless, ambitious adventuress Bruce would see a glorified
and heroic superwoman.

Rios came to the door.

"Senor West," he said as they turned expectantly toward him, "Senorita
Zoraida implores so eloquently for word with you that I have consented.
If you will step this way she will come to you."

Bruce required no second invitation. With Rios's words he forgot
Kendric's arguments and Kendric's very presence. He went out, his step
eager. Before Rios followed him Kendric called:

"Where is Miss Gordon?"

"Gone to her room, senor. If you will look at your watch you will note
that it is time."

It was well after midnight and Kendric thought that for all the good he
could do, he, too, might as well go to bed. But he was too stubborn a
man to give up his friend so easily and he hoped that since Bruce was
not a fool he would come in time to see the real Zoraida under the mask
she had donned for his benefit. So he w