orgetting himself; then, dropping Tennesseean, he
completed in Spanish his cordial assurances that the horses were at
Felipe's command.

"Jos! He's got ter take me!" cried Aunt Ri. "I allow I ain't never gwine
ter set still hyar, 'n' thet girl inter sech trouble; 'n' if so be
ez she is reely dead, thar's the baby. He hadn't orter go alone by
hisself."

Felipe was thankful, indeed, for Aunt Ri's companionship, and expressed
himself in phrases so warm, that she was embarrassed.

"Yeow tell him, Jos," she said, "I can't never git used ter bein' called
Senory. Yeow tell him his' sister allers called me Aunt Ri, 'n' I jest
wish he would. I allow me 'n' him'll git along all right. 'Pears like
I'd known him all my days, jest ez 't did with her, arter the fust.
I'm free to confess I take more ter these Mexicans than I do ter these
low-down, driven Yankees, ennyhow,--a heap more; but I can't stand
bein' Senory'd! Yeow tell him, Jos. I s'pose thar's a word for 'aunt' in
Mexican, ain't there? 'Pears like thar couldn't be no langwedge 'thout
sech a word! He'll know what it means! I'd go off with him a heap easier
ef he'd call me jest plain Aunt Ri, ez I'm used ter, or Mis Hyer, either
un on 'em; but Aunt Ri's the nateralest."

Jos had some anxiety about his mother's memory of the way to San
Jacinto. She laughed.

"Don't yeow be a mite oneasy," she said. "I bet yeow I'd go clean back
ter the States ther way we cum. I allow I've got every mile on 't 'n
my hed plain's a turnpike. Yeow nor yer dad, neiry one on yer, couldn't
begin to do 't. But what we air gwine ter do, fur gettin' up the
mounting, thet's another thing. Thet's more 'n I dew know. But thar'll
be a way pervided, Jos, sure's yeow're bawn. The Lawd ain't gwine to get
hisself hindered er holpin' Ramony this time; I ain't a mite afeerd."

Felipe could not have found a better ally. The comparative silence
enforced between them by reason of lack of a common vehicle for their
thoughts was on the whole less of a disadvantage than would have at
first appeared. They understood each other well enough for practical
purposes, and their unity in aim, and in affection for Ramona, made a
bond so strong, it could not have been enhanced by words.

It was past sundown when they left San Bernardino, but a full moon made
the night as good as day for their journey. When it first shone out,
Aunt Ri, pointing to it, said curtly, "Thet's lucky."

"Yes," replied Felipe, who did not know