her.

Jack looked to the girl for a rebuke of the man's insult; but
Teresita's head was drooped and tilted sidewise while she made shift
to braid her hair, and if she heard she surely did not seem to heed.

"As for you, it wouldn't be a bad idea for you to mind your own
business," Jack retorted bluntly. "The senorita doesn't need any
interpreter. The senorita is perfectly well-qualified to speak for
herself. She knows--"

"The senorita knows whom she can trust--and it is not a low dog of
a gringo, who would be rotting now with a neck stretched by the
hangman's rope, if he had but received his deserts; murderer of five
men in one day, men of his own race at that! Gambler! loafer--"

At the press of silver rowels against his sides, Surry lunged forward.
But Teresita's horse sidled suddenly between the two men.

"Senor Jack, we will go now, if this wicked caballo of mine will
consent to do his running towards home. Thank you, Jose, for stopping
him for me; truly, I think he was minded to carry me to Santa Clara,
whether I wished to go or not! But doubtless Senor Jack would have
overtaken him soon. Adios, Jose. Gracias, amigo mio!" Having put her
hair into some sort of confinement, she picked up her reins and smiled
at Jose and then at Jack in a way to tie the tongues of them both;
though their brows were black with the hatred which must, if they met
again, bear fruit of violence.

Fifty yards away, Teresita looked back and waved a hand at the gay
horseman who still stood fair across the highway and stared blankly
after them.

"Poor Jose!" she murmured mischievously. "Very puzzled and unhappy he
looks. I wonder if the privilege of tearing you in pieces would not
bring the smile to his lips? Senor Jack, if so be you should ever
desire death, will you let Jose do the killing? To serve you thus
would give him great pleasure, I am sure."

Jack, usually so headlong in his speech and actions, rode a moody
three minutes without replying. He was not a fool, even though he was
rather deeply in love; he felt in her that feline instinct to torment
which wise men believe they can detect in all women; and angry as he
was at Jose's deliberate insults, he knew quite well in his heart that
Teresita had purposely provoked them.

"I've heard," he said at last, looking at her with the hard glint in
his eyes that thrilled her pleasurably, "that all women are either
angels or devils. I believe you're both, Senorita!"

Teresita laug