horse? _Jose y Maria, Capitan!_ He cannot be broken. Besides, it
will take ten men to tie him."

"Then let ten men tie him!" he had replied, flinging a handful of golden
eagles among them.

Many attempts had been made to steal the Arab since he had come into the
Captain's possession. It was a dangerous undertaking, for the horse had
the naive habit of relegating man to his proper place, either by
ignoring his presence, or by quietly kicking him into eternity with the
same indifference that he would switch a fly with his tail. Jose might
feed and groom and saddle him, but not mount him. To one only would he
submit; to him to whom a common destiny had linked him--his master.

"_Sangre de Dios, Capitan!_" began Jose again, breaking in upon the
latter's musings. "Is it not better that we rest yonder by the spring
than sit here in this infernal sun, gazing at nothing? 'Tis hot as the
breath of hell where the Padres tell us all heretics will go after
death!" The grim expression of the Captain's face relaxed for a moment
and he turned toward him with a laugh.

"Aye, who knows," he replied, "we too, may go there some day," and
dismounting, he began to loosen his saddle girths.

"The gods forbid!" answered Jose, making the sign of the cross, as if to
ward off the influence of some evil spell. "I do not understand you
_Americanos_," he continued, also dismounting and untying a small pack
at the back of his saddle. "You are strange--you are ever gay when you
should be sober. You laugh at the gods and the saints and frown at the
_corridos_, and yet toss alms to the most worthless beggar."

The foregoing conversation was carried on in Spanish. Although Jose had
acquired a liberal smattering of English during his service with the
Captain, he nevertheless detested it; obstinately adhering to Spanish
which, though only his mother-tongue by adoption, was in his estimation
at least a language for _Caballeros_.

The two men were superb specimens of their respective races. Their
rugged appearance, height and breadth of shoulder would have attracted
attention anywhere. The Captain wore a gray felt hat and a rough gray
suit of tweed--his trousers tucked in his long riding boots. Jose was
clad in the typical _vaquero's_ costume--buff leggins and jacket of
goat-skin, slashed and ornamented with silver threads and buttons, and a
red worsted sash about his middle in which he carried a knife and
pistol. From beneath the broad brim of his _