“What you have ‘said’ doesn’t make the truth, Senor Bernal. And if you have anything to tell me I wish you would tell it now. I ought to be at home with Mr. Sharp, who’s come to make us a visit. My mother is away, and it’s rude to leave guests alone like that. I, who want to be a perfect lady, do hate to be rude. So tell, please, and quick.”
“It was he, then, whom I saw on the road with old Ephraim, yes?” cried Antonio, in a voice which was certainly much stronger than it had been when Lady Jess arrived.
“Yes, it was he. Now begin, please. What first?”
Neither the man on the bed nor the girl who listened to him so intently suspected that other ears were as eager to hear this dying confession. Yet so it was, and Buster’s short whinny of welcome had been a real one. For John, on Moses, and Ninian, on Nimrod, had lost but little time in riding to the mesa; though because of the reporter’s poor horsemanship, the carpenter felt that they would really 197 save time by taking the longer level road around by the north, and not the narrow canyon trail, which was dangerous for the inexperienced. This had consumed some time, but each felt a thrill of relief, when they at last arrived, to see Buster calmly nibbling at the dry herbage near the shepherd’s cabin.
“Where Buster is Jessica is, this time,” said the carpenter, softly. “And I was right. I’d heard of this spook being seen up here, and fool folks layin’ it to poor Old Century. That’s why I came. We didn’t make any mistake, did we?”
Then as they approached nearer to the house and quietly dismounted to hobble their horses, he added:
“Let’s go up sly. Everything seems terrible still, and I’d like to take a peek through that back window ’fore we let on we’ve come.”
Ninian was not so cautious; or, rather, he was more anxious about the little captain, and protested:
“How do we know but that this silence means mischief? If he has sent for her to harm her–––”
“Hark! She’s all right. Thank God for that. I can hear her laughing, and he’s a coward. She isn’t; and, anyway, he’d think twice ’fore he hurt a hair of that child’s head. Why, man, his life wouldn’t be worth a minute’s purchase if he dared! He’d be hunted to his own destruction so quick you couldn’t say ‘scat.’ Humph! He may be after mischief––’cause he hasn’t been after anything else since Cass’us died––but he’ll keep within bounds. Now, this way. Lucky the grass is thick; but even so, don’t tread too heavy. Right behind that rear wall, close against the east, is the place to hear all and not be seen.”