“Look here, you got to show us that trail,” he said, and there was a menace in his voice. “We ain’t ridin’ for fun.”
The girls stopped. No one was to be seen on the road in either direction. What would Ramona do?
To their surprise she smiled gently at the man. “You do not need to talk in that way,” she said. “I will tell you how to find the trail. But I am the Señorita Ortegna and not a servant, to be commanded.”
With a laugh, the men all swept off their sombreros.
“We ain’t doin’ any commandin’,” said the first who had spoken, “but we’d like to know where that trail leads off, if you don’t mind tellin’.”
Ramona laughed too.
“About two miles back, you passed a group of adobe huts, did you not?”
“Sure. Broken down old things, been deserted.”
“Ride around behind them and to the left. You’ll see two old live-oaks growing close together a little way ahead, and to the right of them the trail leads off to the mountains.”
“That’s the stuff! Much obliged, I’m sure, Señorita—didn’t get all the rest of it. Sorry to leave you, girls,” and he gave them all three a bold smile, as he swung his horse around and galloped away with his two companions.