Coronado began--only moderately as yet--to fall in love.
But an ugly incident came to disturb his opening dream of affection, happiness, wealth, and success.

Toward the close of his fourth day's march, after he had got well into the unsettled region beyond San Isidore, he discovered, several miles behind the train, a party of five horsemen.
He was on one summit and they on another, with a deep, stony valley intervening.

Without a moment's hesitation, he galloped down a long slope, rejoined the creeping wagons, hurried them forward a mile or so, and turned into a ravine for the night's halt.
Whether the cavaliers were Indians or Thurstane and his four recruits he had been unable to make out.

They had not seen the train; the nature of the ground had prevented that.

It was now past sundown, and darkness coming on rapidly.