With a laugh and a hearty "adios!" the two horsemen saluted the group in the doorway and galloped off after their companions. Una watched, motionless, long after David was out of sight. She had done her best to prevent his going, but all her efforts had been useless. Nor could she explain, even to herself, why it was that she so dreaded his leaving their party to travel alone with Herran. There was nothing logical in the feeling, of course, and she had to confess that for once she was influenced by an utterly unreasonable fear, a sort of superstition. The journey from Honda to Bogota is a scramble over precipitous trails worn into the living rock by centuries of travel, through wastes of traffic-beaten mire, along glades of dew-soaked herbage that gleam refreshingly under cloudless skies in a wilderness of impenetrable forest. No other city of like size and importance has so rude and picturesque an approach, nor are there many that keep their commerce along ways and by methods so unmodern. The stranger, ignorant of the simplicities of South American life, whether in town or country, is bewildered by the oddities and hardships in a trip of this kind. But David had traveled more than once over the Bogota trail, and for him it had lost its novelty, especially as his sole aim on the present occasion was to reach his destination as quickly as possible. Herran had a similar feeling; hence, as the day was not unpleasantly warm, once they had passed beyond the lowlands of Honda both men urged their horses on to top speed. In a short time they had left the rest of the party far behind them, and broke into a race over the rough mountain trail. Tiring of this, they dropped back to a more sober gait, letting their horses choose their own way for a time. "I telegraphed from Honda that we were coming," said Herran in Spanish. "They are looking for us now in Bogota." "Did you say that I was with you?" asked David. "Surely. As an officer it is my duty to give complete information," was the somewhat pompous reply. "I gave the names of all who are in your party and told why they stayed in Honda." "Why so much detail about us? My friends and I are not connected with the military movements of the country." "That may be true, Senor. But you travel with me and--I am ignorant of your business, you know." "We travel partly for pleasure, partly--I am interested in a Guatavita mining venture." "So! Will they know that when they see your name in the Bogota papers?" "My friend that I am going to visit will know, of course. I wrote to him that I was coming. Why do you ask?" "Ah! Just now, it may be, my countrymen will not like American mining ventures--or Americans." "Then, Americans are in danger?" "How can I say, Senor?" he answered with a shrug. "I have lost Panama, they say. I, too, have enemies. Perhaps I am in danger. But you have a friend in Bogota? He is--?" "An American; Raoul Arthur." "I have heard of him." "He is well liked here."