The morning rides were sometimes postponed till afternoon,—especially now that there was a beautiful moon, and one day Tara said:
"This evening, you must come to the haunted battlefield, Captain Mallender,—then you will hear something that will surprise you."
"Oh, I often hear things that surprise me; no later than this morning at tennis, Miss Blanche told me, that she was in 'a state of nature!'"
"Poor girl! you must not laugh at her. They have had a scanty education, but are wonderfully adaptable and quick at picking up things. When—when," colouring faintly, "I live in the Hills, I shall ask them on a visit; even a little station will be gay to them."
"Lily will not leave home," declared Tom, "she could not tear herself away from Perez. That will be a match, you will see."
"Never mind Lily, but do look at the sunset," urged Tara; the little party had made their way westward, and were approaching the scene of more than one desperate struggle and conflict. As her companions raised their eyes, they found themselves contemplating a transcendent scene—extraordinary even in that land of sunsets: soft roseate clouds set jewel-wise in an ocean of dazzling gold.
A jealous full moon was stealthily creeping up, and an evening breeze that accompanied her gently swayed the long coarse grass and cotton plants. Presently and almost abruptly, the dying sun turned from a beauteous rose to a vivid and tragic red,—the shade of blood and death!—it filled the plains and pools of water with its sinister and terrible reflection, and the soft evening zephyr, struck suddenly chill.
"Here is the place, stand still, my steed!" quoted the girl. "I know it by the block, that looks like a pillar and is covered with figures. They say it's an 'Asoka' stone, and very old. It is just about here, on this sandy stretch, that you can hear them."
"Hear what? Scorpions or snakes?" asked Mallender in a chaffing way.
Tara ignored his question with an air of affronted dignity. Occasionally she could assume an amazingly proud, exclusive air,—and turning to her brother, said: