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Esteban, frorow and unwind into long ribbons, reaching deep into the standing crop Soon tongues of flaan to shrivel and to wave as the steady east wind took effect Fro of juicy stalks arose The thin, dry strippings hich the earth was carpeted formed a vast tinder bed, and once the fire was started there was no checking it Smoke billowed upward and was hurried ard before the breeze; in a dozen places the fields burst into fla, then a shot or two, and finally the ringing of a bell

Esteban waited only until he saw that his work of devastation ell under way, then he led his followers back toward the hills At sunset he reined in upon the crest of a ridge and looked behind him into the valley The whole sky was black with s his wide jipi-japa hat, the young ood Pancho Cueto," he cried, "I leave you the compliments of those twins you love so well"

In the shelter of a ravine the party took ti horoes, ere thoroughly tired, were for spending the night here, but Esteban, ly, the ru, for the woods were dark and the trails were blind; the th they crossed the summit and worked doard the Yuht would never come

"A weary ride," Esteban yawned "I shall sleep for a week"

Asensio agreed "That Cueto will be furious," said he "Some day, perhaps, he and I will meet face to face Then I shall kill him"

Esteban reined in his horse "Look!" said he "Yonder is a light"

The other horseh the darkness It was very still in the woods; daas less than half an hour away

"What is Evangelina thinking about?" Asensio hter" There followed awhich there was no sound except the breathing of the horses and the creak of saddle leathers as the riders craned their necks to see over the low tree-tops below them Then Esteban cried: "Coripped hied to say, calmly, "Perhaps there has been an--accident"