nor. Mejia, I hope."

"I also. But hope is not certainty, and until we can make sure we had
better hedge away toward the north, so as to be nearer the hills in case
we have to run for it."

"You think we had better make for the hills in that case?" I asked.

"Decidedly. Mejia is sure to return thither, and Morale's men are much
less likely to follow us far in that direction than south or east."

So, still riding leisurely, we diverged a little to the right, keeping the
cloud-veiled horsemen to our left. By this measure we should (if they
proved to be enemies) prevent them from getting between us and the hills,
and thereby cutting off our best line of retreat.

Meanwhile the cloud grew bigger. Before long we could distinguish those
whom it had hidden, without, however, being able to decide whether they
were friends or foes.

Carmen thought they numbered at least two hundred, and there might be more
behind. But who they were he could, as yet, form no idea.

The nearer we approached them the greater became our excitement and
surprise. A few minutes and we should either be riding for our lives or
surrounded by friends. We looked to the priming of our pistols, tightened
our belts and our horses' girths, wiped the sweat and dust from our faces,
and, while hoping for the best, prepared for the worst.

"They see us!" exclaimed Carmen. "I cannot quite make them out, though. I
fear.... But let us ride quietly on. The secret will soon be revealed."

A dozen horsemen had detached themselves from the main body with the
intention, as might appear, of intercepting our retreat in every
direction. Four went south, four north, and four moved slowly round to our
rear.

"Had we not better push on?" I asked. "This looks very like a hostile
demonstration."

"So it does. But we must find out--And there is no hurry. We shall only
have the four who are coming this way to deal with, the others are out of
the running. All the same, we may as well draw a little farther to the
right, so as to give them a longer gallop and get them as far from the
main body as may be."

The four were presently near enough to be distinctly seen.

"Enemies! _Vamonos!_" cried Carmen, after he had scanned their faces. "But
not too fast. If they think we are afraid and our horses tired they will
follow us without waiting for the others, and perhaps give us an
opportunity of teaching them better manners. Your horse is the fleetest,
senor Fortescue. You had