too. She
will find out from Rosita how far--"

"Thank you," interrupted Blandford, dryly; "but your wife has already
interfered in this matter, to my cost. It is to her, I believe, I owe
this wretch's following Rosita here. She already knows this man--has met
him twice in San Francisco; he even boasts of YOUR jealousy. You know
best how far he lied."

But Demorest had braced himself against the chill sensation that had
begun to creep over him as Blandford spoke. He nerved himself and said,
proudly, "I forbade her knowing him on account of his reputation solely.
I have no reason to believe she has ever even wished to disobey me."

A smile of scorn that had kindled in Blandford's eyes, darkened with a
swift shadow of compassion as he glanced at Demorest's hard, ashen
face. He held out his hand with a sudden impulse. "Enough, I accept your
offer, and shall put it to the test this very night. I know--if you do
not--that Rosita is to leave here for Los Osos an hour from now in a
private carriage, which your wife has ordered especially for her. The
same information tells me that this villain and another of his gang will
be in wait for the carriage three miles out of the pueblo to attack it
and carry off the young girl."

"Are you mad!" said Demorest, in unfeigned amazement. "Do you believe
them capable of attacking a private carriage and carrying off a
solitary, defenceless woman? Come, Blandford, this is a school-girl
romance--not an act of mercenary highwaymen--least of all Cherokee Bob
and his gang. This is some madness of Rosita's, surely," he continued
with a forced laugh.

"Does this mean that you think better of your promise?" asked Blandford,
dryly.

"I said I was at your service," said Demorest, reproachfully.

"Then hear my plan to prevent it, and yet take that dog in the act,"
said Blandford. "But we must first wait here till the last moment to
ascertain if he makes any signal to show that his plan is altered,
or that he has discovered he is watched." He turned, and in his
preoccupation laid his hand for an instant upon Demorest's shoulder with
the absent familiarity of old days. Unconscious as the action was, it
thrilled them both--from its very unconsciousness--and impelled them to
throw themselves into the new alliance with such feverish and excited
activity in order to preclude any dangerous alien reflection, that when
they rose a few moments later and cautiously left the garden arm-in-arm
through the