A look of sadness passed over the expressive features of Obed White.

“You look like a brave and generous man, Senor Juan Carossa,” he said sorrowfully, “and it grieves both my young friend and myself to the very center of our hearts to disappoint you.  We have nothing.  There is not a cent of either gold or silver upon us.  Jewels we admire, but we have them not.  You may search.”

He held wide his arms and Ned did likewise.  Carossa gave an order to one of his men, a tall fellow, swathed in a red serape, to make the search, and he did so in such a rapid and skillful manner that Ned marveled.  He felt hands touching him here and there, as light as the fall of a leaf.  Obed was treated in the same fashion, and then the man in the red serape turned two empty and expressive palms to his chief.

Carossa swore fluently, and bent a look of deep reproach upon Ned and Obed.

“Senors,” he said, “this is an injustice, nay more, it is a crime.  You come upon the territory over which we range.  You put us to the trouble of stopping you, and you have nothing.  All our risk and work are wasted.”

Obed shook his head in apology.

“It is not our fault,” he said.  “We had a little money, but we spent it for food.  We had some arms also, but they went for food too, so you see, good kind Captain Carossa, we had nothing left for you.”

“But you have two good serapes,” said the Captain.  “Had you money we would not take them from you, but it must not be said of Captain Carossa and his men that they went away with nothing.  I trust, senor, that you do not think me unreasonable.”

Obed White considered.  Captain Carossa was a polite man.  So was he.

“We can ill afford to part with these cloaks or serapes,” he said, “but since it must be we cannot prevent it.  Meanwhile, we ask you to offer us your hospitality.  We are on the mountains now, and the nights are cold.  We would be chilled without our cloaks.  Take us with you, and, in the morning, when the warm sunshine comes we will proceed.”

Carossa laughed and pulled his long black mustaches.  “Santiago, but you have a spirit,” he said, “and I like it.  You shall have your request and you may come with us but to-morrow you go forth stripped and shorn.  My men cannot work for nothing.  Spanish or Mexican, English or Gringo you must pay.  Gringo you are, but for that I do not care.  It is in truth the reason why I yield to your little request, because you can never bring the soldiers of Santa Anna down upon us.”

Obed While smiled.  The look upon his face obviously paid tribute to the craft and courage of Juan Carossa, the great, and Carossa therefore was pleased.  The brigand captain did not abate one whit from his resolution to have their serapes and their coats too, but he would show them first that he was a gentleman.  He spoke to his men, and the fellow with the red serape led the way along a narrow path through a forest of myrtle oaks.  They went in single file, the Captain about the middle, and just behind him Obed, with Ned following.  Ned as usual was silent, but Obed talked nearly all the time and Carossa seemed to like it.  Ned saw that the brigand leader was vain, eager to show his power and resource, but he was sure that, at bottom, he was cruel, and that he would turn them forth stripped and helpless in the forest.