Good blood ran in the veins of Nina Micheltorena.  It is not in the province of this story to tell how it was that a favourite in the best circles of Monterey came to be living in a Mexican camp in the Sierras.  Suffice it to say that her fall from grace had been rapid, though her dissolute career had in no way diminished her beauty.  Indeed, her features were well-nigh perfect, her skin transparently clear, if dark, and her form was suppleness itself as she danced.  And that she was the undisputed belle of the evening was made apparent by the number of men who watched her with eyes that marvelled at her grace when dancing, and surrounded her whenever she stopped, each pleading with her to accept him as a partner.

Almost every colour of the rainbow had a place in her costume for the occasion:  The bodice was of light blue silk; the skirt orange; encircling her small waist was a green sash; while her jet-black hair was fastened with a crimson ribbon.  Diamonds flashed from the earrings in her ears as well as from the rings on her fingers.  All in all, it was scarcely to be wondered at that her charms stirred to the very depths the fierce passion of the desperate characters about her.

That Ramerrez dreaded the interview which he had determined to have with his confederate can easily be understood by anyone who has ever tried to sever his relations with an enamoured woman.  In fact the outlaw dreaded it so much that he decided to postpone it as long as he could.  And so, after sauntering aimlessly about the room, and coming, unexpectedly, across a woman of his acquaintance, he began to converse with her, supposing, all the time, that Nina Micheltorena was too occupied with the worshippers at her shrine to perceive that he was in the dance-hall.  But it was decidedly a case of the wish being father to the thought:  Not a movement had he made since he entered that she was not cognisant of it and, although she hated to acknowledge it to herself, deep down in her heart she was conscious that he was not as thoroughly under the sway of her dark eyes as she would have wished.  Something had happened in the last few weeks that had brought about a change in him, but just what it was she was unable to determine.  There were moments when she saw plainly that he was much more occupied with his daring plans than he was with thoughts of her.  So far, it was true, there had been no evidences on his part of any hesitation in confiding his schemes to her.  Of that she was positive.  But, on the other hand, she had undoubtedly lost some of her influence over him.  It did not lessen her nervousness to realise that he had been in the hall for some time without making any effort to see her.  Besides, the appointment had been of his own making, inasmuch as he had sent word by one of his band that she should meet him to-night in this place.  Furthermore, she knew that he had in mind one of the boldest projects he had yet attempted and needed, to insure success, every scrap of knowledge