ed, irritably: "Yes. Why are you yelling like this:"'

"A man--See I One of those dirty peladors. Look where he tore my dress!
I warned him, but he was like a tiger. Benito will kill me when he
learns--"

"Calm yourself. Speak sensibly. Tell me what happened."

"One of those miserable soldiers who came today--pig!" Dolores was
shaking, her voice was shrill. "He followed me. He has been drinking.
He followed me about like a cat, purring and grinning and saying the
most horrible things. Just now, when I went to your room, he was
waiting in the darkness and he seized me. God! It was dreadful."

"A soldier? One of my men?" Longorio was incredulous.

Alaire turned upon him with a blazing anger in her face. "Is this more
of your protection?" she stormed. "I give you and your men the freedom
of my ranch, and you insult me while they assault my women."

He ignored her accusation, inquiring of the elder woman, "Who was the
fellow?"

"How do I know," Dolores sobbed. "He is a--a thick, black fellow with a
scar on his lip, like a snarl."

"Felipe!"

"Yes, Felipe! I believe they called him that."

Longorio strode to the end of the livingroom, flung open the wooden
shutters of a window and, leaning far out, whistled sharply on his
fingers.

"Oiga! Teniente! Ho, you fellows!" he shouted.

From the darkness a voice answered; a man, evidently on guard, came
running.

"Call old Pancho," the general directed. "Tell him to bring me black
Felipe, the fellow with the torn lip. Quick!"

"Yes, general," came the voice; then the metallic rattle of spurs and
accoutrements as the sentry trotted away.

Dolores had completely broken down now, and Alaire was trying to
comfort her. Their guest remained by the window, frowning. After a time
there sounded a murmur of voices, then a shuffling of feet in the hall;
Alaire's friend, the old lieutenant, appeared in the doorway, saluting.
Behind him were several others.

"Here is Felipe," he announced.

"Bring him in."

A sullen, frowning man in soiled uniform was pushed forward, and
Dolores hid her face against her mistress's shoulder.

"Is this the fellow?" Longorio inquired.

Dolores nodded.

"Well, what have you to say for yourself?" The general transfixed his
trooper with a stare; then, as the latter seemed bereft of his voice,
"Why did you enter this house?"

Felipe moistened his scarred lips. "That woman is--nice and clean.
She's not so old, either, when you come to look