The officers and Mendoza strode from the room. O'Donnell was already at his horse's side. "On, for Half Moon Bay! You, O'Donnell, lead the way!" shouted Billings. "Faith! Commodore, I'm in for the race, and it's bad luck catch the hindmost!" as O'Donnell swung to the saddle. Tomaso and his peons, signaled by Mendoza, came hurrying with horses. "I too will ride with the Commodore Americano," called Zelaya, forgetful of his fatigue. "Not so, Pedro," from Mendoza. "A bed and a surgeon for thee." The Administrator mounted his prized racer, Mercurio. He waved his hand. Instantly, Tomaso and his fighting peons reined their horses behind him in double file. Captain Hamilton stood with toe in stirrup, looking ruefully enough at the prospect of a jolting ride back to Half Moon Bay. "Fall in, Captain!" called Billings. In a moment the Captain was racing along the road, not second to many in the run. CHAPTER XXIV THE NEXT DAY "It's ingratitude, I say, ingratitude worthy of a--Catalonian," puffed Colonel Barcelo, striding up and down the veranda on the second story of his house. "But, dear husband, Captain Morando is not a Catalonian. He is Castilian, native of Madrid, just the same as we are." The Colonel paused in his walk and glared at his wife. "All the worse for him! All the worse for him!" he roared. "He has birth and training of a lion and the instincts of a--a----" Breath failed him. "O, dear husband!" in expostulation. "Dear husband! Dear husband!" mockingly. "This is no time----" Sufficient breath had not returned to him to complete his thought. "O, Crisostimo! Crisostimo!" "Crisostimo! Crisostimo!" again mocking her. "I've always said, Señora Barcelo, that you have no pride, and that you talk too much." "O, my husband, you don't love me any more. How I wish I had never come to California!" "So do I," growled the husband. "How dare you! How dare you!" bridled the little woman. "I believe, now, those stories about your drinking absinthe and gambling in Paris." "Clarinda, love, I mean I wish _we_ had never come to California, but that _we_ had remained in Europe." "Well, that sounds different." "As for this Morando, why, confound those Catalonian instincts in him!" "But he isn't a Catalonian." "I nearly shot a villainous Catalan major once for less than what Morando has done," he blustered, ignoring his wife's remark. "What has Captain Morando done? I'm sure he is a very good man, and everyone thinks him handsome." "Handsome!" straightening his shoulders and looking down at his ample proportions. "Handsome! Why, once at a court ball where I was present half a dozen princesses----" "Were present also, I presume," snappingly interrupted his wife. "Well, tell me about Morando." "Clarinda, my dear," sententiously, "I've labored for position and power, not for my own sake, but that you should receive what is worthy of you. That has been my great ambition," pompously.