alencia explained virtuously. "A stick tripped Noches and he fell, and
broke his neck in the fall. The senor knows well the saints had a hand
in that, for hundreds of horses fall every day thus without hurt. Never
before in my life have I seen a horse die thus, Senor! I was compelled
to walk and carry the saddle, yet such haste I made that Manuel met me
by the stone wall as he was leaving. And at least twelve miles I
walked--"

"Oh, all right," Dade waved away further apology. "I reckon you did your
best; it can't be helped now. They're going to fight with riatas, Manuel
says. Is that right?"

"But not the duelo, Senor--no, but in the contest. For sport, that all
may witness, and choose who is champion, after the bull-fighting, and
the--"

"What are you talking about, man?" Dade's hand fell heavily upon the
shoulder of Valencia, swaying his whole body with the impact. "Are you
loco, to talk of bull-fightings?"

"It is the fiesta, Senor! The patron himself has proclaimed the grand
fiesta, such as they have in Monterey, only this will be greater; and
then those two will fight their duelo with riatas, yes; but not to the
death, Senor. The patron himself has declared it. For the medalla oro
and also for a prize will they fight; and the prize--what think you,
Senor?"

Valencia, a-quiver with eagerness, laid a slim hand upon the braided
front of Dade's close-fitting buckskin jacket.

"The prize will be Solano! That beautiful caballo--beautiful even as thy
Surry--which the patron has not permitted rawhide to touch, except for
the branding. Like the sunshine he is, with his hair of gold; and the
tail that waves to his heels is like the ripples on the bay at sunrise.
Who wins the duelo shall have Solano for his own, and shall ride him
before all the people; for such is the patron's word. From his own lips
I heard it! Me, I think that will be the greatest sport of all, for he
is wild as the deer on the mountain slopes--that yellow caballo, and
strong as the bull which the patron will choose to fight the grizzly he
will bring from the mountains.

"Listen, Senor! The mother of Solano was a she-devil under the saddle,
and killed two men by throwing herself upon them; and the sire was
Satanas, of whom stories are told around the camp-fires as far south as
San Luis Obispo.

"Ah, he is wise, the patron! 'Then let them also prove their courage in
other ways. Let the victor pray to the saints and ride Solano, who is
five years