"It will be better. Now Don Torribio, good-bye till evening."
"Good-bye; and good luck!"
The two men separated. Don Torribio Quiroga ran hastily down the road leading to the pueblo, to regain his horse from the pulquero; while the verado, whose horse had been hidden somewhere about, jumped into the saddle, and galloped off in a fury still muttering between his teeth:
"Rid themselves of me quietly! Was there ever such an idea? But we shall see. ¡Mil rayos!" (a thousand thunders).
[CHAPTER IX.]
DOÑA HERMOSA.
Stoneheart was not mistaken in declaring that the dust, rising far away in the desert, was caused by the servants of the hacienda; in fact, the hunter had scarcely left the persons he was guiding, when the cloud of sand was blown away by the breeze, disclosing a numerous party of vaqueros and peones, well armed, who were approaching at the top of their speed.
Two horses' length in front galloped Don Estevan Diaz, chiding his companions, and urging them to increase their pace.