Mrs.Tucker would have liked to part more affectionately from her four-footed compatriot, and felt a sudden sense of loneliness at the loss of her new friend, but a recollection of certain cautions of Captain Poindexter's kept her mute.

Nevertheless, the hostler's ostentatious adjuration of "Now then, aren't you going to bring out that mustang for the Senora ?" puzzled her.

It was not until the fresh horse was put to, and she had flung a piece of gold into the attendant's hand, that the "_Gracias_" of his unmistakable Saxon speech revealed to her the reason of the lawyer's caution.

Poindexter had evidently represented her to these people as a native Californian who did not speak English.

In her inconsistency her blood took fire at this first suggestion of deceit, and burned in her face.