, I know eet, an' ve get dare before de
day come; sure ve do eet, _bueno_." She grasped the arm of the other,
now fully aroused, her slight form quivering from intense excitement.
"Come, I show you. See! he vas my pony--ah! eet makes me to laugh to
know de Senor Farnham give him me; now I make him to upset de Senor
Farnham. _Sapristi_! eet vas vat you call de vay of de vorld, de
verligig; vas eet not so? You ride de pony, senorita; I valk an' lead
him--si, si, you more tired as Mercedes; I danseuse, no tire ever in de
legs. Den I find de vay more easy on foot in de dark, see? You ride
good, hey? He jump little, maybe, but he de ver' nice pony, an' I no
let him run. No, no, de odder vay, senorita, like de man ride. Poof!
it no harm in de dark. _Bueno_, now ve go to surprise de Senor
Farnham."

She led promptly forth as she spoke, moving with perfect confidence
down the irregular trail skirting the bank of the creek, her left hand
grasping the pony's bit firmly, the other shading her eyes as though to
aid in the selection of a path through the gloom. It was a rough,
uneven, winding road they followed, apparently but little used,
littered with loose stones and projecting roots; yet, after a moment of
fierce but useless rebellion, the lively mustang sobered down into a
cautious picking of his passage amid the debris, obedient as a dog to
the soft voice of his mistress. The problems of advance were far too
complicated to permit of much conversation, and little effort at speech
was made by either, the principal thought in each mind being the
necessity for haste.

Swaying on the saddleless back of the pony, her anxious gaze on the
dimly revealed, slender figure trudging sturdily in front, Beth Norvell
began to dread the necessity of again having to meet Winston under such
conditions. What would he naturally think? He could scarcely fail to
construe such action on his behalf as one inspired by deep personal
interest, and she instinctively shrank from such revealment, fearing
his glance, his word of welcome, his expressions of surprised
gratitude. The awkwardness, the probable embarrassment involved,
became more and more apparent as she looked forward to that meeting.
If possible, she would gladly drop out, and so permit the other to bear
on the message of warning alone. But, even with Mercedes' undoubted
interest in Brown, and her increasing dislike of Farnham, Beth could
not as yet entirely trust her unaccomp