lderness kingdom and the pale-faced conquerors of the
coat of mail and the dominant soul. The sense of danger lessened with
distance and no knight of old Spain ever rode more proudly in the days
of chivalry than Beverly Clarenden and I rode that morning, fearing
nothing, sure of our power to protect the golden-haired girl, thrilled
by this strange flight through a land of strange scenes fraught with the
charm of daring and danger. Beverly rode forward now with Little Blue
Flower. I did not wonder at her spell over him, for she was in her own
land now, and she matched its picturesque phases with her own
picturesque racial charm.

I rode beside Eloise, forgetting, in the sweet air and glorious June
sunlight, that we were following an uncertain trail away from certain
trouble.

The white-faced nun in her somber dress, rode between, with serious
countenance and downcast eyes.

"What happened to you, Little Lees, after I left you?" I asked, as we
trotted forward toward the San Christobal valley.

"Everything, Gail," she replied, looking up at me with shy, sad eyes.
"First Ferdinand Ramero came to me with the command that I should
consent to be married this morning. By this time I would have been
Marcos' wife." She shivered as she spoke. "I can't tell you the way of
it, it was so final, so cruel, so impossible to oppose. Ferdinand's eyes
cut like steel when they look at you, and you know he will do more than
he threatens. He said the Church demanded one-half of my little fortune
and that he could give it the other half if he chose. He is as imperious
as a tyrant in his pleasanter moods; in his anger he is a maniac. I
believe he would murder Marcos if the boy got in his way, and his
threats of disgracing me were terrible."

"But what else happened?" I wanted to turn her away from her wretched
memory.

"I have not seen anybody else except Little Blue Flower. She has an
Indian admirer who is Ferdinand's tool and spy. He let her come in to
see me late last night or I should not have been here now. I had almost
given up when she brought me word that you and Beverly would meet me at
the church at daylight. I have not slept since. What will be the end of
this day's work? Isn't there safety for me somewhere?" The sight of the
fair, sad face with the hunted look in the dark eyes cut me to the soul.

"Jondo said last night that the battle was on and he would fight it out
in Santa Fe to-day. It is our work to go where the Hopi b