Simon stepped up to him and, with drawn features, shouted:
"This is no time to listen to your nonsense!"
"What do you mean?" stammered the old fellow, utterly bewildered.
"Mean? Why, shut up!"
And the young man leapt into the saddle:
"Are you coming, Antonio?"
"Yes. My mates will follow our trail. I shall leave a mark from spot to spot; and I hope we shall all be united again to-morrow."
As they were starting, Dolores, on horseback, brought up her mount alongside theirs.
"No!" said Antonio. "You come on with the others. The professor can't walk all the time."
She made no reply.