I was rather surprised to see by Rube's face
that he rather liked it; but I did not find out till late that
night what it was pleased him--then the truth came out.
"'We had better start early, Seth,' said he; 'say at daybreak.'
"'What for, Rube?' I said; 'the Cap said we were to go in after
dusk. It's only thirty miles; we shan't want to start till three
o'clock.'
"Rube laughed. 'I don't want to get there before dusk, but I want
to start at daybreak, and I'll tell you why. You remember Pepita?'
"'There,' said I, 'if I didn't think it had something to do with a
woman. You are always running after some one, Rube. They will get
you into a scrape some day.'
"Rube laughed. 'I am big enough to get out of it if it does, Seth;
but you know I did feel uncommon soft toward Pepita, and really
thought of marrying and taking her back to Missouri.'
"'Only she wouldn't come, Rube?'
"'Just so, Seth,' said he, laughing. So we agreed we would be the
best friends; and she asked me, if ever I went out to San Miguel,
to go and see her. She said her father was generally out, but would
be glad to see me if he were in. She lives in a small hacienda, a
league this side of the town.
"I saw that it was of no use to argue, but I didn't like it. The
Mexican women hated us worse than the men did, and that warn't easy
to do; and many of our fellows had been murdered after being
enticed by them to out-of-the-way places.
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