The heart of
Wagalexa Conka, she told herself miserably, was like a stone for her. And so
her own heart must be hard. She would swear to Ramon, and she would keep the
oath--and Wagalexa Conka would not even miss her or be sorry that she had
gone.
"First you make swears like I tells you," she said. "Then I make swears."
"Muy bueno!" smiled Ramon then. "So I make oath I take you queek to one good
friend me, the Padre Dominguez. Then yoh be my wife for sure. That good enough
for yoh, perhaps? Queeck yoh make oath yoh leave these place Manana--tomorra.
Yoh go by ol' rancho where we talk so many time. I leave horse for yoh. Yoh
ride pas' that mountain, yoh come for Bernalillo. Yoh wait. I come queeck as
can when she's dark. Yoh do that, sweetheart?"
Annie-Many-Ponies stilled the ache in her heart with the thought of her proud
place beside Ramon who had much land and many cattle and who loved her so
much. She lifted her hand and swore she would go with him.
She slipped away then and crept into her tent in the little cluster beside the
house--for the company 'had forsaken Applehead's adobe and slept under canvas
as a matter of choice. With Indian cunning she bided her time and gave no sign
of what was hidden in her heart.
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