“Senorita, your servant.”
Snort! The mustang was twenty yards away in five seconds, and the lady, unseated, was on the ground, wildly alarmed, but not injured; the timid mustang had thrown her in its sudden fright.
She arose and fled toward her mustang, but the treacherous animal galloped away, and halting a hundred yards distant, tossed her head and regarded the strange man wildly. Seeing she could not recover her steed in her present state of mind, she turned to Pedro, doubting and fearing him. He saw she mistrusted him, and again raising his sombrero, again bowed low.
“Fear not, senorita—fear not; I am a friend.”
“A friend? Who are you?”
“Pedro Felipe, senorita. Do you need assistance?”
“Oh, yes, sir; I am in great trouble. I am lost from my friends. I was chased by Indians last night. I am very hungry and tired; I have not tasted food since yesterday at noon.”
Pedro, eying her admiringly, noticed her sweet face was pale and worn. Ever ready to assist a fellow-creature, he started toward the entrance.
“Enter, senorita, enter. But stay,” he added, in a low tone; “do you see any thing on the other side of the hill?”
“No, sir—nothing. No one is visible.”