It is true, is it not ?" "I have sent for him; it was yesterday." "And he could be here now ?" "Not before night; it is a hard ride; why ask all this ?" "I have reasons.

Now another thing; where are your men ?" His eyes wandered to the gleam of daylight.
"There will be one or two in the bunk-house likely; the others are with the cattle up the valley." "But none in your cabin ?" He shook his head.
"And you say Lacy cannot get here before dark?
How late ?" He hesitated over his reply, endeavouring shrewdly to conjecture what could be the object of all this questioning, yet finally concluding that the truth would make very little difference.
"Well, _senorita_, I may as well tell you, I suppose.

It is the rule not to enter this valley until after dark.

I expect the Americanos to arrive about ten o'clock." "The Americanos ?" "_Si_, there will be three in the party, one of them a man from New York, who has business with me." Miss Donovan's decision was rapidly made, her mind instantly grasping the situation.

This man would be Enright, and the business he had with Mendez concerned Cavendish, and possibly herself also.