Lucia's cheeks grew red, as she asked: "And did you accept his proposal?"
"I neither accepted nor rejected. I just followed him in to see what would happen next."
"But would you accept?" insisted Lucia.
"That depends," replied Billie, with a touch of color in his own face. "But what had we better do now? You and I will discuss the other question later."
"The best thing we can do," interposed Donald, "is to report to Lieutenant Blunt. Isn't there some place, Señorita, where your father can be placed for safe-keeping?"
"He will be perfectly safe here with me, señors, if the servants are allowed to remain."
"They certainly will be," declared Billie. "I will personally vouch for that. We have done Captain Rush a good turn to-day and I know he will be glad to do that much for us. And besides, the Americans will harm no one."
Lucia gave Billie a grateful look as she replied:
"Ah, señor, I shall trust it all to you. I can see that you are a friend of my father and I know you are telling the truth."
"You bet you can trust me," was Billie's emphatic reply. "Come on, fellows, let's go look after my horse."