the next one's ears, don't do it too hard, or it may rouse the others
to attack you; heigho! here's another!" exclaimed the Senorita, as one
of the agile creatures bounded from somewhere upon her horse and
whisked out of sight again.

A soft murmur stole through the night, and gradually increased in
depth of volume, until when the party rounded a bend in the trail,
they came upon the cause. To the right and a hundred feet above them,
a sheet of crystalline water poured over the edge of the rocks and
tumbled into the valley below, whence it wound its course to the Rio
Rubio, only a short distance away. The falls were twenty feet in
width, with a descent perhaps twice as great, and in the moonlight
they looked like a motionless sheen of silver, which might have been
believed to be the case but for the churning of the snowy foam below.
From this a fleecy mist was continually ascending, and a little way
above, it displayed a faint rainbow, whose exquisitely delicate beauty
caused an exclamation of delight from the visitor who saw the picture
for the first time in her life.

But to the escort it was a familiar sight, and they gave it only a
glance, as they trudged onward. They were unemotional automata, who
knew nothing except to obey the orders of their terrible chief. He had
commanded them to give safe conduct to the young women to the Castle,
and that was their sole task. So far as the American was aware, not a
word had been spoken by the man at the rear, and the guide opened his
lips only when necessary.

Several times while pressing over the trail, they had caught sight of
the stone structure, and noted the twinkling of the lights from the
upper story. Making another turn, and climbing a slight ascent, they
came to the small plateau on which it stood, only a few rods in
advance.

Proof again appeared that this journey had been pre-arranged. Instead
of two guards, some eight or ten men were patrolling and lounging on
the outside of the grim building. One of these came forward and spoke
for several minutes, in low tones, with the guide. A call was made to
the man at the rear and he advanced and took part in the conversation.

The ponies halted of their own accord. While Miss Starland was waiting
and wondering, her friend dropped lightly from the saddle and came to
her side.

"Give me your hand, Warrenia; we are done riding for tonight."

The next moment the two young women stood beside each other on the
ground.