ge that such thoughts should absorb him, a man of the world,
of the fighting type, whose wide experience with men and things had
hitherto convinced him that the world, though not perfect, was
good--that present progress made for good, and the best western
civilization had thus far attained was probably about all men of the
future could look forward to so far as happiness was concerned. These
views, however, were no longer tenable if our arts, philosophies and
scientific attainments fail to civilize and refine us. Clearly, modern
man's conception of ethical progress was as deficient in certain
respects as that of the great historic civilizations. The secret of
right living had not yet been discovered. History proved this, and
unless the trend of modern materialistic tendencies was supplanted by
something higher, the same fate that overtook the Ancients must
inevitably overtake us.

But the date of their wedding had been set, and the time for their
departure for Athens was drawing nearer. Santa Fe lay a day's ride from
the railroad. Instead of performing the journey in a single ride, he
decided to pass the night at the _hacienda_ of a friend, Don Felix de
Tovar, some twelve miles distant from the old Spanish town. Thither he
would ride during the cool of the evening, completing the remainder of
the journey the following day. Between Santa Fe and Don Felix's
_hacienda_ lay the Indian _pueblo_, La Jara, situated some distance off
the main road. By following the trail that led past this village, Jose
explained, they would reduce the distance to Don Felix's _rancho_ by at
least two or three miles.

The country through which they traveled was broken and rugged. Twilight
had descended upon the land, and as the two, following the trail that
skirted the foothills, rode to the crest of the _mesa_ upon which the
village was situated, they came suddenly upon a woman riding at full
gallop. The soft, sandy formation of the soil was such that neither
heard the approach of the other, and all three reined in their horses
with a jerk; the woman throwing hers well back upon its haunches; a
high-strung, black, wiry animal whose foam-flecked mouth and breast told
that she had been riding hard.

How free and wild she looked! She was either a Spaniard or an Indian,
and rode astride. A bunch of red berries adorned her heavy black hair
which fell in masses about her shoulders, accentuating the curve of her
throat and well-formed, clear-cut fe