in this region we shall know whom to blame
and to punish! We shall come back and we shall know," and then "A
dios[23]--a dios--a dios--" and the hoof-beats of horses as they rode
away, then silence again, and the moon sailing away toward the west,
with only the glow of the dying coals to show that any one had been
there at all.

[Illustration]

When they were gone, the children wept together as if their hearts would
break, but soon the birds began to sing, and the sky grew brighter and
brighter in the east, and the coming of the sunshine comforted them.

When it was quite light they let themselves down out of their nest and
warmed themselves over the coals. They had nothing to eat, of course,
and they did not know which way to go. But Tonio had an idea.

"Father and Pedro came from this direction," he said, pointing toward
the south, "and so the hacienda must be somewhere over that way."

V

They started bravely toward the south and had not gone far when they
struck a rough road. Tonio stooped down and found the fresh prints of
Pinto's hoofs in the mud.

"This is the way," he cried joyfully. "I'm sure of it."

They walked on and on, but they were too hungry to go very fast. By and
by they sat down on a stone to rest. They had been there only a short
time when they heard the beat of horses' hoofs, and galloping down a
hill they saw two people on horseback. One was a lady. The other was a
man.

The children watched them eagerly, and in a moment Tita sprang up and
began to run towards them, shouting joyfully, "It's the Senorita
Carmen!"

Then Tonio ran too. When Carmen saw the two wild little figures she
shouted and waved her hand to them, and she and the mozo,[24] or
servant, who was on the other horse, galloped as fast as they could up
the hill to meet them.

When they reached the children, Carmen sprang down from her horse and
threw her bridle-rein to the mozo. Then she quickly opened a little
bundle which he handed her, and gave the children each a drink of milk,
and some food, and all the while she murmured comforting things to them.

"Poor little ones--poor little souls!" she said, patting them. "We have
been looking for you, the mozo and I, since daybreak! Where have you
been, my poor pigeons? Your mother is nearly wild with grief! Tell me,
have you seen anything of your father or Pedro? They have not been home
either. We thought perhaps they might be searching for you too."

[Illustration]

Ton