ection. He told himself that as a woman Zoraida Castelmar
displeased him; that there was no place in his fancies for the bold
eyes of an adventuress. But he deemed a man might look upon her as
impersonally as upon the white mare, giving credit where credit was
due. It struck him then that all that was wrong with Zoraida Castelmar
was that she was an anachronism; that had he lived a thousand years ago
and had she then, a barbaric queen, stepped before him, he would have
seen the superb beauty of her and would have gone no further. Before
now he had felt that she was "foreign." That was on the border. Here,
deep in Old Mexico, she still remained foreign. Rightly she belonged
to another age, if not to another star.

For the moment she sat smiling at him, her eyes dancing and yet masking
her ultimate thought. Triumph he had glimpsed and, as always, a
shadowy hint of mockery. Suddenly she turned from him and put out her
gauntleted hand to Barlow, flashing him another sort of smile, one that
made Barlow's eyes brighten and brought a hotter flush to his tanned
cheeks.

"You have kept your promise with me," she said softly. "I shall not
forget and you will not regret!" Even while she spoke her eyes drifted
back to Kendric, laughing at him, taunting him.

He looked sharply at Barlow. But he said nothing and Barlow, intent
upon the girl, did not note his turned head.

Zoraida turned imperiously upon Fernando Escobar. "These men are my
guests," she said sharply, her tone filled with defiant warning.
"Remember that, _Senor el Capitan_. You will escort them to the house
where my cousin will receive them. Until we meet at table, senores
all."

From her neck hung a tiny whistle from a thin gold chain; she lifted it
to her lips, blew a long clear note and with a last sidelong look at
Kendric touched her dainty spurs to her mare's sides and shot away.

"You will follow me," said Escobar stiffly. "This way, _caballeros_."

He pressed by them, dismissing his following with a glance, and rode
through the wide arched gateway. Barlow turned in after him but
hesitated when Kendric called coolly:

"I have small hankering to accept the lady's hospitality, Barlow. Why
should we establish ourselves here instead of going on about our
business? By the lord, her invitation smacks to me too damned much of
outright command!"

"No use startin' anything, Jim," said Barlow. "Come ahead."

At them both Escobar smiled contem