Alessandro
had discovered. Fiercely he gloated over each one of these features
of safety in their hiding-place. "The first time I saw it, Majella,--I
believe the saints led me there,--I said, it is a hiding-place. And
then I never thought I would be in want of such,--of a place to keep my
Majella safe! safe! Oh, my Majel!" And he clasped her to his breast with
a terrifying passion.

For an Indian to sell a horse and wagon in the San Jacinto valley was
not an easy thing, unless he would give them away. Alessandro had hard
work to give civil answers to the men who wished to buy Benito and the
wagon for quarter of their value. He knew they would not have dared to
so much as name such prices to a white man. Finally Ramona, who had felt
unconquerable misgivings as to the wisdom of thus irrevocably parting
from their most valuable possessions, persuaded him to take both horses
and wagon to San Bernardino, and offer them to the Hyers to use for the
winter.

It would be just the work for Jos, to keep him in the open air, if
he could get teaming to do; she was sure he would be thankful for the
chance. "He is as fond of the horses as we are ourselves, Alessandro,"
she said. "They would be well cared for; and then, if we did not like
living on the mountain, we could have the horses and wagon again when we
came down, or Jos could sell them for us in San Bernardino. Nobody could
see Benito and Baba working together, and not want them."

"Majella is wiser than the dove!" cried Alessandro. "She has seen what
is the best thing to do. I will take them."

When he was ready to set off, he implored Ramona to go with him; but
with a look of horror she refused. "Never," she cried, "one step on that
accursed road! I will never go on that road again unless it is to be
carried, as we brought her, dead."

Neither did Ramona wish to see Aunt Ri. Her sympathy would be
intolerable, spite of all its affectionate kindliness. "Tell her I love
her," she said, "but I do not want to see a human being yet; next year
perhaps we will go down,--if there is any other way besides that road."

Aunt Ri was deeply grieved. She could not understand Ramona's feeling.
It rankled deep. "I allow I'd never hev bleeved it uv her, never," she
said. "I shan't never think she wuz quite right 'n her head, to do 't!
I allow we shan't never set eyes on ter her, Jos. I've got jest thet
feelin' abaout it. 'Pears like she'd gone klar out 'er this yer world
inter anuther.