r,
curious, crowding friends. They talked together at top speed and for the
moment forgot all about the mules they had so laboriously re-packed; and
when they looked behind them they found they had their work to do over
again. Again the fortunate muleteer looked up, his hand slowly rising
to repeat his thanks; and became a statue in bronze. He saw the ragged
troops seize his benefactress and leap for the guide. Sanchez was no
coward and he knew what loyalty meant and demanded. He fought like a
wild beast until the crash of a pistol in the hands of the officer sent
him staggering on bending legs, back, back, back. Reaching the edge of
the niche he toppled backward, his quivering arms behind him to break
his fall; and plunged and rolled down the rocky slope until stopped by a
stunted tree, where he hung like a bag of meal.

Patience's strength, multiplied by terror, availed her nothing and soon,
bound, gagged and wrapped up in blankets, she was carried to the trail
and placed in the _carreta_ which, its canvas cover again tightly drawn,
quickly began its jolting way down the trail. As it and its escort
passed the _atejo_, now being re-packed, the officer scowled about him
for a sight of the impudent muleteer, but could not see him.

Salezar stopped his horse: "Where is that Pueblo dog?" he demanded.

"He is so frightened he is running all the way home," answered a
muleteer. "He has left us to do his work for him! Are we slaves that we
must serve him? Wait till we see him, Senor Capitan! Just you wait!" He
looked at his companion, who nodded sourly. "Always he is like that,
Senor Capitan."

Salezar questioned them closely about what they had seen, and found that
they had been so busy with the accursed mules that they had had no time
for anything else.

"See that you speak the truth!" he threatened. "There is a gringo woman
missing from Santa Fe and we are seeking her. Her gringo friends are
enemies of the Governor, and those who help them also are his enemies.
Then you have not seen this woman?"

"The more gringos that are missing the louder we will sing. We have not
seen her, Senor Capitan. We will take care that we do not see her."

"Did you hear any shooting, then?"

"If I did it would be that frightened Pablo, shooting at his shadow. He
is like that, Pablo is."

"Listen well!" warned Salezar, his beady eyes aglint. "There are two
kinds of men who do not speak; the wise ones, and the ones who have no
tongues!