us one. They had traveled the
entire night and day, pausing only long enough to allow their horses
short breathing spells and time to slake their thirst at the springs and
streams they encountered in their flight. Like their horses, all three
were thoroughly tired, and their clothes torn and dust begrimed.

"We'll camp yonder, Jose," said the Captain, pointing to a thick group
of pines that grew on the opposite side of the stream on whose bank they
had halted. They had arrived at the foot of the Sierra Madres from
whose side the stream burst and along whose banks their trail led to
the upper world where it dropped down again on the other side of the
great mountainous divide into Sonora.

"It's like the old days!" cried Chiquita, laughing as they splashed
through the stream to the opposite bank, the water rising to their
saddle-girths. Drawing rein at the outer rim of the pines, they
dismounted and removed their saddles and packs, the latter consisting of
a pair of blankets apiece and a week's rations equally distributed among
them; coffee, sugar, bacon, beans and flour and a few necessary
utensils. These they carried into the center of the grove and deposited
in a circle on the ground.

Jose led away the horses and while he was occupied in picketing them,
the Captain gathered an armful of dry wood for the fire, and then
picking up a canvas bucket, strolled to the river and filled it with
water.

Chiquita had already lit the fire when he returned. She filled the
coffee pot with water, cut some slices of bacon and tossed them into a
pan which she placed on the fire and then began to mix some flour and
water. The Captain leaned against the trunk of one of the trees and
rolling a cigarette, lit it, watching her the while. Chiquita laughed
softly, but said nothing while engaged in the process of bread-making.
This homely touch of camp-life told plainer than words how thoroughly
they had come down to earth and again were facing the wholesome
realities of life. When the dough was of the right consistency, she
molded it into biscuits, placed them in a deep pan, and raking some
coals from the fire, set the pan upon them, also depositing some coals
on the top of the cover. After giving the bacon a final turn in the pan,
she set it to one side close to the fire where it would keep warm.

She then rose to her feet and stood erect. As she did so, one of the
great strands of her hair which had become loosened during their flight