r various adventures that the evening shadows
were already lengthening when she returned to the corrie where the party
had spent in restful indolence the burden and heat of the day. The
Sergeant had not yet arrived, and La Giralda delayed her story till he
should give her leave to speak. For not even to the gipsies of the
Guadarrama was Jose Maria a greater personage than Sergeant Cardono to
La Giralda of Sevilla.

In the mean time she busied herself, with Concha's help, in preparing
the evening meal, as quick upon her legs as if she had done nothing but
lounge in the shade all day. It was almost sundown when the Sergeant
came in, dropping unannounced over the precipice as if from the clouds.

"We must be in La Granja in two hours if we are to save a soul within
its walls," he said, "but--we have an hour for dinner first! Therefore
let us dine. God knows when we shall taste food again!"

And with this dictum John Mortimer heartily agreed.

CHAPTER XXX

PALACE BURGLARS

The startling announcement of the Sergeant at once set the whole party
in motion. Their suspicions of the morning were cast to the winds, as
the Sergeant and La Giralda in turn related their adventures. Concha,
having formerly vouched so strongly for the old gipsy woman, now nodded
triumphantly across to Rollo, who on his part listened intently. As
Sergeant Cardono proceeded the young man leaned further and further
forward, breathing deeply and regularly. The expression on his face was
that of fierce and keen resolution.

The Sergeant told all the tale as it had happened, reserving only the
identification of himself with the famous Jose Maria of Ronda, which the
gipsies had made on the strength of the red mark about his neck, now
once more concealed under his military stock. Cardono, however, made no
secret that he was of the blood of Egypt, and set down to this fact all
that he had been able to accomplish. In swift well-chosen words he told
of the fierce little girl with the dark hair and blue eyes, who declared
herself to be the daughter of Munoz, sometime paramour and now reputed
husband of the Queen-Regent--making it clear that she had indeed planned
the wholesale slaughter, not only of those in the palace, but also of
the inhabitants of the town of San Ildefonso.

Then in her turn La Giralda told of her visit to the pavilion, of the
little Queen, passionate, joyous, kindly natured, absolutely Spanish,
till the hearts of her hearers m