he
household, which did not seem to have been disturbed. The trespassers
were far away by this time, and the attempt would hardly be repeated
that night. He made his way quietly back to the corral, let loose his
horse, and regained the casa unobserved. He unlocked the arched door in
the wall, reentered the darkened passage, stopped a moment to open
the door of the boudoir, glance at the closely fastened casement, and
extinguish the still burning candle, and, relocking the door securely,
made his way to his own room.

But he could not sleep. The whole incident, over so quickly, had
nevertheless impressed him deeply, and yet like a dream. The strange
yell of the vacquero still rang in his ears, but with an unearthly and
superstitious significance that was even more dreamlike in its meaning.
He awakened from a fitful slumber to find the light of morning in the
room, and Incarnacion standing by his bedside.

The yellow face of the steward was greenish with terror, and his lips
were dry.

"Get up, Senor Clarencio; get up at once, my master. Strange things have
happened. Mother of God protect us!"

Clarence rolled to his feet, with the events of the past night
struggling back upon his consciousness.

"What mean you, Nascio?" he said, grasping the man's arm, which
was still mechanically making the sign of the cross, as he muttered
incoherently. "Speak, I command you!"

"It is Jose, the little vacquero, who is even now at the padre's house,
raving as a lunatic, stricken as a madman with terror! He has seen
him,--the dead alive! Save us!"

"Are you mad yourself, Nascio?" said Clarence. "Whom has he seen?"

"Whom? God help us! the old padron--Senor Peyton himself! He rushed
towards him here, in the patio, last night--out of the air, the sky, the
ground, he knew not,--his own self, wrapped in his old storm cloak and
hat, and riding his own horse,--erect, terrible, and menacing, with an
awful hand upholding a rope--so! He saw him with these eyes, as I see
you. What HE said to him, God knows! The priest, perhaps, for he has
made confession!"

In a flash of intelligence Clarence comprehended all. He rose grimly and
began to dress himself.

"Not a word of this to the women,--to any one, Nascio, dost thou
understand?" he said curtly. "It may be that Jose has been partaking too
freely of aguardiente,--it is possible. I will see the priest myself.
But what possesses thee? Collect thyself, good Nascio."

But the man was sti