h. "There's nothing the
matter with him, Pablo," the Doctor said.

"Looks sorter quare ter me," Pablo answered; "'pears dat he doan git
nuff exercise. Might ride 'em little ways now, befo' dark; I done put de
saddle on on puppus." And Osceola in truth was saddled and bridled.

"I don't want to ride now," said the Doctor.

He had a great regard for Pablo, and humored him as all the former
masters and mistresses of Gracias-a-Dios humored the decrepit old family
servants who had been left stranded among them behind the great wave of
emancipation. Pablo, on his side, had as deep a respect for the Doctor
as he could have for any one who was not of the blood of the Dueros.

"Do Sola lots er good ter go," he persisted, bending to alter one of the
straps of the saddle; "he _not_ well, sho. Might ride 'em long todes
Maddum Giron's, cross de Lebbuls en troo de wood by de eastymose
nigh-cut."

The Doctor was listening now with attention. Pablo went on working at
the strap. "De _eastymose_ nigh-cut," he repeated, as if talking to
himself.

"Perhaps you are right," said the Doctor, after a moment, his eyes
sharply scanning the withered black face which was bending over the
strap. "And I suppose if I go at all, I might as well go at once, eh? So
as not to have him out in the dew?"

"Yes, sah," answered Pablo. "De soonah de bettah, sah."

"Very well," said the Doctor.

Pablo led out the horse, and the Doctor mounted. "Mebbe, sah, if you's
_gwine_ as fur as Maddum Giron's, you'd be so good as ter kyar' dish
yer note, as I wuz gwine fer ter kyar it myse'f, on'y my rheumatiz is so
bad," said the old man. He held up an envelope, which he had carefully
wrapped in brown paper, so that it should not become soiled in his
pocket.

The Doctor's face showed no expression of any kind; and Pablo's own
countenance remained stolidly dull. "I hope you'll skuse me, sah, fer
askin'," he said, respectfully; "it's my bad rheumatiz, sah."

"Yes, Pablo, I know; I can as well carry the note as not," said the
Doctor, carelessly.

Pablo made a jerk with his head and hand, which was his usual
salutation, and the Doctor rode off.

When at a distance from the house, and among the trees where no one
could see him, he took out the package and opened it. It contained a
sealed envelope with an address; holding it out at a distance from his
eyes in order to be able to read it without his glasses, he found that
the name was Lucian Spenser; and the han