the walls described the "asesino"
as possessing them. This could be no other than his sister. Besides,
there were those who had seen her at the fiesta, where her beauty had
not failed to attract both admiration and envy.

She looked beautiful as ever, though the red was not so bright on her
cheek, and a singular, wild expression appeared in her eyes. To the
questions put to her she either answered not or returned vague replies.
She sat in silence; but several times broke forth into strange,
unintelligible, exclamatory phrases, in which the words "Indios" and
"barbaros" repeatedly occurred.

"_Esta loco_!" ("She is mad!") muttered one to another; "she fancies
she is still with the savages!"

Perhaps it was so. Certainly she was not among friends.

The alcalde inquired if there was any one present--relative or friend--
to whom he could deliver her up.

A young girl, a poblana, who had just arrived on the spot, came forward.
She knew the "pobrecita." She would take charge of her, and conduct
her to her home.

A half-Indian woman was in company with the poblana. It might have been
her mother. Between the two the restored captive was led away; and the
crowd soon dispersed and returned to their various avocations.

The girl and her conductors turned into a narrow street that led through
the suburb where the poorest people lived. Passing this, they emerged
into the open country; and then, following an unfrequented path through
the chapparal, a few hundred yards brought them to a small mud rancho,
which they entered. In a few minutes after a carreta, in which sat a
peon, was driven up to the door, and stopped there.

The poblana, leading the girl by the hand, came out of the house, and
both mounted into the carreta. As soon as the two were seated upon the
bunches of dry "zacato" thrown into the carreta for this purpose, the
driver goaded his oxen and moved off. The vehicle, after passing out of
the chapparal path, took the main road leading to the lower settlements
of the valley.

As they moved on the poblana regarded her companion with kind looks, and
assisted her in arranging her seat, so as to defend her as much as
possible against the joltings of the carreta. She added numerous
expressions of a sympathising and consolatory character, but none that
bespoke recognition or old acquaintance. It was evident that the girl
had never seen Rosita before.

When they had got about a mile from the town, and w