"Monsieur the Chevalier," she murmured softly, as though trying the sound of the words for the fast time. She would have supposed that none but a Frenchman could have done that. As to Don Anastasio, the Quixotic redemption in specie was beyond him entirely. He gave it up. The counting of discs was more tangible to his philosophy. His rusty black tile, so wondrously become a cornucopia of wealth, had by that same magic upset the old fellow into a kind of hysterical gaiety, which was most elfish and uncanny. He motioned Driscoll to ride faster. "Ai, ai, mi coronel," he cackled, when they were gone out of hearing, "you talk of bandits! Ai, ai, Dios mio, _you_ have robbed _them_!" "What the devil----" "Si senor, robbed _them_! A-di-o-dio-dios! here's more than they took from me!" "N-o?" said Driscoll in dismay. "Gracious, I hadn't any time to count money when I searched 'em!" "You!--searched Don Tiburcio?" "Why not? Isn't he a thief?" "But--he permitted----" "W'y yes, they both let me, I had the drop. But they got indignant and called me a thief--I believe they'd of called a policeman if there'd been one handy, or even---- Now what," he exclaimed, "what ails the old bare-bones now?" The senile mirth had left the trader's face, and his olive skin was ashen. "Next time," he moaned, "next time, Santa Maria, they will be in force and they--they will take the very horse from under me!" "Tough luck," Driscoll observed. Murguia darted at him a look in which there was all the old hate, and more added. But it disturbed the trooper as little as ever. "Come," he said, "own up. You knew we were going to meet those fellows?" Murguia said nothing. "Of course you knew. But why didn't you change your route, seeing you're too high-minded to fight?--What's that?--Oh that voice! Dive for it, man!" "I, I couldn't change on account of my passport." "What's that got to do with it?" "In the passport I declare the route I take." "I see, and you can't change it afterward?" "No." "Now look here, Murgie, have you got any more of these dates on?--Yes? No?--Murgie, if you don't dive, by----" Murguia dove, and denied with eagerness that he had any further toll-paying appointments. But Driscoll reckoned that he was lying. "And," he added, "we are going to change our route, passport or no passport. We'll take--let's see--yes, we'll take the very next crosstrail going in the same general direction."