Three times he let long pack-trains go by without a word, and then at last, overcome by curiosity, he inquired about the _revoltosos_. "What _revoltosos_?" queried the old man to whom he spoke. "Why, the men of Bernardo Bravo," answered Bud; "the men who are marching to take Moctezuma." "When I left Moctezuma," returned the old man politely, "all was quiet--there were no _revoltosos_. Since then, I cannot say." "But the soldiers!" cried Bud. "Surely you saw them! They were marching to fight the rebels." "Perhaps so," shrugged the _arriero_, laying the lash of his _topojo_ across the rump of a mule; "but I know nothing about it." "No," muttered Bud, as he continued on his way; "and I'll bet nobody else does." Inquiry showed that in this, too, he was correct. From those who traveled fast and from those who traveled slow he received the same wondering answer--the country might be filled with _revoltosos_; but as for them, they knew nothing about it. Not until he got back to Fortuna and the busy Federals' telegraph-wire did he hear any more news of rapine and bloodshed, and the light which dawned upon him then was gradually dawning upon the whole town. It was a false alarm, given out for purposes of state and the "higher politics" with which Mexico is cursed, and the most that was ever seen of Bernardo Bravo and his lawless men was twenty miserable creatures, half-starved, but with guns in their hand, who had come down out of the mountains east of Moctezuma and killed a few cows for beef. Thoroughly disgusted, and yet vaguely alarmed at this bit of opera-bouffe warfare, Bud set himself resolutely to work to hunt up men for their mine, and, as many poor people were out of employment because of the general stagnation of business, he soon had ten Mexicans at his call. Then, as Phil had dropped out of sight, he ordered supplies at the store and engaged Cruz Mendez--who had spent his fortune in three days--to pack the goods out on his mules. They were ready to start the next morning if De Lancey could be found to order the powder and tools, and as the afternoon wore on and no Phil appeared, Bud went on a long hunt which finally discovered him in the balcony of their window, making signs in the language of the bear.[2] [Footnote 2: In Mexico a man who flirts with a woman, or courts her surreptitiously through the bars of her window, is called a "bear."] "Say, Phil," he hailed, disregarding his pardner's obvious preoccupation; "break away for a minute and tell me what kind of powder to get to break that schist--the store closes at five o'clock, and--" He thrust his head out the door as he spoke and paused, abashed. Through the half-closed portal of the next balcony but one he beheld the golden hair of Gracia Aragon, and she fixed her brown eyes upon him with a dazzling, mischievous smile.