se spirits would permit them to
come were the twins, Antonio and Antonia, scantily clad or not clad at
all, usually engaged in some small evil, or else basking like two
little brown lizards in the sun. Some day an artist will come to
Monterey who will paint Catalina at her work with all her picturesque
surroundings; and if he paints the picture well, he will thereafter
awake to find himself famous.

Pancha, joining this group, and perfecting it by standing erect
beside the bubbling boiler, was further cheered by Catalina's
confident talk concerning the certainty of Pepe's success. Manuel had
stopped at the _jacal_ on his way homeward--coming sleepily back from
his vigilant duties on the city watch--to leave the good news that a
detachment of the _contraresguardo_ really had been sent away early
that morning toward Garcia--quite in the opposite direction from that
whence Pepe would come. There could be no doubt about this assuring
fact, for one of his fellow _serenos_, being on duty near the
barracks, actually had seen the force depart. So it was clear that the
most important part of the promise made to Pepe by his employers had
been fulfilled. The other part, the massing of the _rurales_ in the
wrong place at the critical moment, might now confidently be counted
upon--and this made sure that Pepe would accomplish safely his
unostentatious yet triumphal entry into Monterey. As became the
prospective mother-in-law of the hero of this noble adventure,
Catalina greatly rejoiced; and Pancha, listening to such heartening
news, was still more firmly convinced that the good Saint Francis had
heard her prayer.

* * * * *

But even while these comforting thoughts upheld the hopes of the
watchers in Monterey, Chona's treachery was doing its work. In the
early morning of the third day after Pepe's departure there had been
a tough fight south of Lampazos--and the end of it was the capture
by the _contraresguardo_ of one of Pepe's three trains. Broken by a
sudden charge, the guard of smugglers was overcome; one or two were
killed, half a dozen were captured, and the rest saved themselves by
the speed of their horses and their knowledge of the mountain paths.
The men of the _contraresguardo_ were jubilant. But there was no joy
in the heart of their captain. He had but the cold satisfaction of
knowing that he had done his duty--and bitter he had found that duty
to do.

When the scattered _burros_ ha