nce Ramona was quiet; and now she
had stretched out her hand and rested it on Alessandro's shoulder.
Did that mean halt for a moment? Baba thought it might, and acted
accordingly; turning his head round to the right, and looking back to
see what came of it.

Alessandro's arms around Ramona, her head bent down to his, their lips
together,--what could Baba think? As mischievously as if he had been
a human being or an elf, Baba bounded to one side and tore the lovers
apart. They both laughed, and cantered on,--Alessandro running; the poor
Indian pony feeling the contagion, and loping as it had not done for
many a day.

"Majel is my name, then," said Ramona, "is it? It is a sweet sound, but
I would like it better Majella. Call me Majella."

"That will be good," replied Alessandro, "for the reason that never
before had any one the same name. It will not be hard for me to say
Majella. I know not why your name of Ramona has always been hard to my
tongue."

"Because it was to be that you should call me Majella," said Ramona.
"Remember, I am Ramona no longer. That also was the name the Senora
called me by--and dear Felipe too," she added thoughtfully. "He would
not know me by my new name. I would like to have him always call
me Ramona. But for all the rest of the world I am Majella,
now,--Alessandro's Majel!"

XVI

AFTER they reached the highway, and had trotted briskly on for a mile,
Alessandro suddenly put out his hand, and taking Baba by the rein, began
turning him round and round in the road.

"We will not go any farther in the road," he said, "but I must conceal
our tracks here. We will go backwards for a few paces." The obedient
Baba backed slowly, half dancing, as if he understood the trick; the
Indian pony, too, curvetted awkwardly, then by a sudden bound under
Alessandro's skilful guidance, leaped over a rock to the right, and
stood waiting further orders. Baba followed, and Capitan; and there was
no trail to show where they had left the road.

After trotting the pony round and round again in ever-widening circles,
cantering off in one direction after another, then backing over the
tracks for a few moments, Ramona docilely following, though much
bewildered as to what it all meant, Alessandro said: "I think now they
will never discover where we left the road. They will ride along, seeing
our tracks plain, and then they will be so sure that we would have kept
straight on, that they will not notice for a t