Summary

It is siesta hour (around 2:00-3:00 p.m.) and Nefer sneaks out of the house while everyone else is sleeping. She unties the horse and plans to ride to her aunt's house, to tell them that the Mission is coming tomorrow, without anyone noticing. Because it is the middle of the day, Nefer and the horse quickly begin to overheat. Nefer is intercepted by her aunt and uncle in a buggy, just on their way out. Nefer informs them that the Mission is coming, but they already know - the Patrona came to tell them yesterday. This confuses Nefer, because she does not understand why the Patrona would ask her to do something and then do it herself, but Nefer decides to keep riding to the Borges Ranch to inform the family there.

On her way to the ranch, Nefer runs into one of...