He put spurs to his horse, therefore, and galloped up the road to the ranch-house, to stop at the corner of the veranda and sit there on his mount for a moment, listening. He heard the low whimpering of a woman, and the excited voices of men, and finally dismounted and walked around the corner of the house, and so came to the patio. “So! There has been murder done here?” he exclaimed, after surveying the scene. “Are you all struck dumb and thoughtless? Why stand like so many statues and do nothing? By the saints, there seems to be not an ounce of decision amongst you all! You who call yourself Rojerio Rocha would do well, it seems to me, to carry the _señorita_ into the house where she will not have to face this bloody scene when she comes from her faint. One of you troopers assist the _señora_, also. And you, who are named Lopez, why not start in to investigate this matter?” “What can be done?” Lopez asked. “First, who are the victims?” “The overseers.” “They have been beating the Indians, I suppose, and some have taken revenge while the overseers took their siesta. A long siesta they are enjoying now! Get the bodies away, in the saints’ name! Help him, soldiers! And then it will be time to deal with the gentiles.” Lopez called for the house servants, but none answered. There was not an Indian woman near the place; no children played about the huts in the rear; and the men, of course, had gone toward the cañon. Sergeant Cassara stood at the end of the patio and sneered as Lopez began to realise these things. “This man who calls himself Rojerio Rocha and takes such a high hand with affairs evidently was not well informed as to conditions,” the sergeant suggested. “I asked him not to come to the rancho to-day,” Lopez returned, “but he would have it so.” “He insisted, eh?” “_Si, señor._” “But why bring the ladies into danger? Do they not have brains at the mission in these days?” “He insisted, also, that the ladies make the journey.” “Ah! He did? Well, the thing that appeals most to me now is for you to start your carreta back toward the mission as soon as possible, and make as good time as you can getting there. The ladies will have to get over their fright first, of course. I do not like the air hereabouts--it smells rank of conspiracy and murder.” “I agree with you, _señor_,” Lopez admitted. “And while we are waiting for these same ladies to settle their nerves, why not round up some of these gentiles and propound a few leading questions? Perhaps we can beat an answer or two out of the dogs.” “As soon as Señor Rocha returns from the house, sergeant. He is master here now, and must supervise this business. I do not care to make a move without his permission.”