As he came up over the slope, she turned in the saddle to watch his approach. He had time to see that two grooms from the stables were in the road below her. There was a momentary flash of surprise and confusion in her eyes, succeeded at once by a warm glow of excitement. She smiled as he drew up beside her, not noticing his unconscious frown. "So those are the fabulous mines of Japat," she said gaily, without other greeting. "Where is the red glow from the rubies?" His horse had come to a standstill beside hers. Scarcely a foot separated his boot from her animal's side. If she detected the serious look in his face, she chose to ignore it. "Who gave you permission to ride so far from the château?" he demanded, almost harshly. She looked at him in amazement. "Am I a trespasser?" she asked coldly. "I beg your pardon," he said quickly. "I did not mean to offend. Don't you know that it is not safe for you to--" "Nonsense!" she exclaimed. "I am not afraid of your shadows. Why should they disturb me?" "Look!" He pointed to the distant assemblage. "Those are not shadows. They are men and they are making ready to transform themselves into beasts. Before long they will strike. Von Blitz and Rasula have sunk my warships. You _must_ understand that it is dangerous to leave the château on such rides as this. Come! We will start back together--at once." "I protest, Mr. Chase, that you have no right to say what I shall do or--" "It isn't a question of right. You are nearly ten miles from the château, in the most unfrequented part of the island. Some day you will not return to your friends. It will be too late to hunt for you then." "How very thrilling!" she said with a laugh. "I beg of you, do not treat it so lightly," he said, so sharply that she flushed. He was looking intently in the direction of the men. She was not slow to see that their position had been discovered by the miners. "They have seen us," he said briefly. "It is quite possible that they do not mean to do anything desperate at this time, but you can readily see that they will resent this proof of spying on our part. They mistake me for one of the men from the château. Will you come with me now?" "It seems so absurd--but I will come, of course. I have no desire to cause you any uneasiness." As they rode swiftly back to the tree-lined road, a faint chorus of yells came to them across the valley. For some distance they rode without speaking a word to each other. They had traversed two miles of the soft dirt road before Chase discovered that Selim was the only man following them. The two men who had come out with the Princess were not in sight. He mentioned the fact to her, with a peculiar smile on his lips. They slackened the pace and Chase called Selim up from behind. The little Arab's face was a study in its display of unwonted emotion.