“I brought you something if you will have it.” “Where is it? I want to see it.” “I have it safe. I will give it to you soon--I hope.” “You might have brought it with you. How did you happen to be on this road?” “I have been to your rancho and they told me where you had gone, so I came out to meet you.” “Thanks, Sir Knight, and if I had really been a lady in distress you would have been on hand to rescue me.” “Still acting that play?” “Well, no, I am coming out of that. You are such a very evident reality that I cannot dream. My, but you are fine. I didn’t notice at first that you had such an elegant outfit, all that silver mounting on your saddle, and those spurs; I suppose you got those all in Mexico. If you had a silver shield and a spear you would be quite like a real knight. You have seen some hard fighting, I have no doubt, but you are back safe in spite of that sabre cut on your forehead. Tell me about the other boys, Reub, and Tom Andrews and the rest.” “We buried poor old Reub down in Mexico,” said Neal gravely. “Oh!” Alison’s bright face saddened. “I am so sorry. So many of the boys came safely through that I believed you all would. Poor old Reub,” she said sorrowfully. She scanned Neal’s face. It bore the marks of the two years’ experience; the eyes were less merry, the lines had become firmer, the don’t care expression had left it. “I am glad that you are here,” she said gently. “I cannot bear to think that you, too, might have been left by your friends, there in Mexico, as you left Reuben. I am so very glad you have come back.” “Are you glad, little girl? Then I am glad, too.” “But you are glad anyway, aren’t you?” “Of course.” “Did you see Christine?” asked Alison suddenly. “Did she tell you all the news?” “She told me some of it. I learned that she still hopes against hope. She is very true.” Alison looked at him as though she would read something in his face. His eyes met hers frankly. “Perhaps some day she may feel differently,” said the girl. “Yes, she is young and one cannot wait forever,” said Neal thoughtfully. “Shall we go on, Alison?” “Oh, yes, I forgot that we were standing here for no reason. I have a hundred questions to ask and you can answer them as we ride along. When did you leave Mexico?” “A few days after we had entered the city. It has been a clean sweep for us straight through. There was some sharp fighting, but we’ve got all we tried for and Santa Anna has lit out.” “Then there will be peace.” “We think so. They are negotiating for it. We should have had it earlier if the Mexicans had known when they were beaten. We took everything in sight on our way down, but they didn’t seem to think that we meant anything by it. Must have thought we were killing ’em off for fun as we made a little pleasure trip through their country.” “I don’t like to think of your killing off anybody.” “Has to be done in war.”