Esteban alone was grave. He had heard of Colonel Cobo, and,
remembering that denim-clad figure out yonder in the trampled
garden, he knew that serious consequences would follow. The
Volunteers were revengeful; their colonel was not the sort of man
to forgive a deep humiliation. Doubtless he would put a price upon
the heads of all of them, and certainly he would never allow them
another encounter upon anything like even terms. Then, too, the
narrowness of Rosa's escape caused the boy's heart to dissolve
with terror.
After a conference with Asensio he decided that they must prepare
for flight, and late that afternoon they all set out to seek a
safer refuge, Evangelina in tears at leaving her precious garden
plot. Their led horse, one of those Lorenzo had captured, carried
a pitifully light burden--only some tools, some pans and kettles,
and a roll of charred bedclothes. Johnnie O'Reilly had no
difficulty in locating the Residence of Ignacio Alvarado, but to
communicate with him was quite another matter, inasmuch as his
every step was dogged by that persistent shadow from Neuvitas.
Leslie Branch had told him enough about conditions here in Puerto
Principe to make him extremely cautious, and after their first
talk he had once more concealed his revolver in a safe hiding-
place, taking good care thereafter that nothing in his conduct
should awaken suspicion.
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