“Then you know more about it than I do. But I promise to think it over. You might give me your post office address, because, should I decide to send you a word, now and then, I’ll have it on hand.”
The Ranger caught Julie’s hand in his pleasure, and his eyes beamed thrillingly. The situation was becoming very romantic, thought Julie, when, quite unexpectedly, Mrs. Vernon stepped out upon the balcony.
“Oh, here you are!” said she, glancing quickly from one to the other. “Mr. Gilroy is waiting to dance with you, Julie, and the girls are deeply offended because Sandy has not asked one of them to dance. Shall we go in and join the others?”
They had to follow, but Julie sent one longing glance over her shoulder at the far-off glimmer that might be Panchuelo; while the Ranger leaned over and whispered: “Here’s my post office address—Julie, dear!”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
THE ENCHANTED MESA
The next day Sandy and the two New Yorkers said lingering farewells and rode away. Burt would go with the scouts as far as Gallup. He wished to visit the Zuñi Reservation in the extreme western section of Valencia County, therefore it would be much pleasanter to travel there with such an ideal party as this of Mr. Gilroy’s.
Immediately following the Ranger’s departure the scout-party rode away from Albuquerque and struck the trail leading to Laguna. But the wind blew such a gale of dust that day that riding was anything rather than pleasure. It would have been a simple matter for the tourists to take the train to Laguna, but that was too usual. Perhaps they silently regretted this decision long before they saw the old pueblo town of Laguna. The railroad passes through the lower street—“strata”—but the scouts rode up to the city after having viewed it from afar. Thus its piled-up tiers of streets, like a conical layer cake, seemed more interesting to them than it does to one who merely goes “through” on a train.
After having spent several days at the luxurious hotel in Albuquerque, and then, as a contrast, camping at night and for three meals each day on the dusty trail to Laguna, the scouts were relieved to find a splendid camp-site back of the town, where they would have privacy and comfort. The Denver gentleman who had welcomed them as they rode into Laguna that afternoon nodded in the direction of a tiny stream running through a crevice of the rock, and at a short distance from the site a good pasturage for the animals.
“You say you will ride to Acoma to-morrow, Mr. Gilroy?” said Mr. Balmore, wonderingly.