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368 selves; presently they began slowly descending, still halting at intervals, and looking suspiciously at him. He held up the gold again, and beckoned. As soon as they could see his face distinctly, they broke into a run. That was no enemy's face.

Only one of the number could speak Spanish. On hearing this man's reply to Felipe's first question, a woman, who had listened sharply and caught the word Alessandro, came forward, and spoke rapidly in the Indian tongue.

“This woman has seen Alessandro,” said the man.

“Where?” said Felipe, breathlessly.

“In Temecula, two weeks ago,” he said.

“Ask her if he had any one with him,” said Felipe.

“No,” said the woman. “He was alone.”

A convulsion passed over Felipe's face. “Alone!” What did this mean! He reflected. The woman watched him. “Is she sure he was alone; there was no one with him?”

“Yes.”

“Was he riding a big black horse?”

“No, a white horse,” answered the woman, promptly. “A small white horse.”

It was Carmena, every nerve of her loyal nature on the alert to baffle this pursuer of Alessandro and Ramona. Again Felipe reflected. “Ask her if she saw him for any length of time; how long she saw him.”

“All night,” he answered. “He spent the night where she did.”

Felipe despaired. “Does she know where he is now?” he asked.

“He was going to San Luis Obispo, to go in a ship to Monterey.”

“What to do?”

“She does not know.”