forgot that he was ill and remembered
only that he was imputing treachery to her parents and to others whom
she loved, and retorted, warmly:

"What you have 'said' doesn't make the truth, Senor Bernal. And if you
have anything to tell me I wish you would tell it now. I ought to be
at home with Mr. Sharp, who's come to make us a visit. My mother is
away, and it's rude to leave guests alone like that. I, who want to be
a perfect lady, do hate to be rude. So tell, please, and quick."

"It was he, then, whom I saw on the road with old Ephraim, yes?" cried
Antonio, in a voice which was certainly much stronger than it had been
when Lady Jess arrived.

"Yes, it was he. Now begin, please. What first?"

Neither the man on the bed nor the girl who listened to him so
intently suspected that other ears were as eager to hear this dying
confession. Yet so it was, and Buster's short whinny of welcome had
been a real one. For John, on Moses, and Ninian, on Nimrod, had lost
but little time in riding to the mesa; though because of the
reporter's poor horsemanship, the carpenter felt that they would
really save time by taking the longer level road around by the north,
and not the narrow canyon trail, which was dangerous for the
inexperienced. This had consumed some time, but each felt a thrill of
relief, when they at last arrived, to see Buster calmly nibbling at
the dry herbage near the shepherd's cabin.

"Where Buster is Jessica is, this time," said the carpenter, softly.
"And I was right. I'd heard of this spook being seen up here, and fool
folks layin' it to poor Old Century. That's why I came. We didn't make
any mistake, did we?"

Then as they approached nearer to the house and quietly dismounted to
hobble their horses, he added:

"Let's go up sly. Everything seems terrible still, and I'd like to
take a peek through that back window 'fore we let on we've come."

Ninian was not so cautious; or, rather, he was more anxious about the
little captain, and protested:

"How do we know but that this silence means mischief? If he has sent
for her to harm her----"

"Hark! She's all right. Thank God for that. I can hear her laughing,
and he's a coward. She isn't; and, anyway, he'd think twice 'fore
he hurt a hair of that child's head. Why, man, his life wouldn't be
worth a minute's purchase if he dared! He'd be hunted to his own
destruction so quick you couldn't say 'scat.' Humph! He may be after
mischief--'cause he hasn't been af