“Then you come from Rosado?” questioned Jose. This after a pause during which he eyed Chot narrowly.
“I have been stopping there,” answered Chot.
“Are you going back there?” asked Miguel.
“I am going to meet Mr. and Mrs. Shelton,” replied Chot, getting somewhat uneasy under the insistent questioning.
“That is what I told you,” remarked Jose to Miguel, as the men started back to the Inn.
“I wonder what it was he told him?” mused Chot. “The best thing I can do is to get away from here as quickly as possible.”
As soon as Chot could get his breakfast he was off on his way, having seen nothing more of the bandits.
From Estrada a good part of the journey was along the course of a stream that came down from the mountains and as the road was good Chot urged his horse on, but in spite of all his efforts the animal lagged; so that when at noon he stopped to rest in a small grove, he was much less than half way to Rosado. The presence of the bandits at the Inn had disquieted him and as soon as the worst of the heat was over he re-saddled his horse to resume his journey.
As he was starting off, as a matter of precaution he glanced back over the road and was disturbed to see two horsemen rapidly approaching.
“The quicker I can get away from here the better,” he thought, and he urged his horse on as fast as he could.