“Of course, you little Eve! Still dabbling in that same old apple business, hey?”
Everybody except Carlota laughed, and a brother soldier asked:
“Say, Captain, isn’t that rather deep for a New Mexican baby?”
“Probably, Lieutenant, though the principle’s the same. If she hadn’t proposed this wild-goose-search, her brother wouldn’t have thought of it. But she did; here they are; country full of Apaches; now—what can we do with them?”
Carlos hotly interposed:
“You needn’t do anything. We’re not afraid. We know lots and lots of Indians. None of them would hurt us. If Benoni is rested we will go on, right away.”
“Good enough, lad! There’s the making of a soldier in you, and I hope you’ll go to the old Point some day. As I remarked, if I hadn’t far more serious business on hand I’d send you back to Refugio, under a military escort. As it is—Little girl, are you hungry?”
Two or three of the men had begun to eat their rations at a short distance from their superior officer, and he saw the child watching them. This reminded him that he would, himself, be the better for food.
“Oh! I’m all right, thank you. We had something to eat—once.”
“Is that so? I did, too, but I’m ready to eat again.”