At dusk they reached the Little Coyote well, and had joy to find water for night and morning, and greasewood and dead mesquite wood for a fire. The night had turned chill and Clodomiro spread the _serape_ of Doña Jocasta over a heap of flowering greasewood branches. It was very quiet compared with the other camps on the trail, and had a restful air of comfort, and of that Jocasta spoke.
"Always the fear is here, señor," she said touching her breast. "All the men and guns of Ramon Rotil did not make that fear go quiet. Every cañon we crossed I was holding my breath for fear of hidden men of José Perez! You did not see him in the land where he is strong; but men of power are bound to him there in the south, and--against one woman----"
"Señora, I do not think you have read the papers given to you by Padre Andreas to put with the others given by General Rotil," was Kit's quiet comment. He glanced toward the well where the boy was dipping water into a wicker bottle. "Have you?"
"No, señor, it is my permit to be passed safely by all the men of Ramon Rotil," she said. "That I have not had need of. Also there is the record that the American murder at Granados was the crime of Conrad."
"But, señora, there is one other paper among them.--I would have told you yesterday if I had known your fear. I meant to wait until the trail was ended, but----"
"Señor!" she breathed leaning toward him, her great eyes glowing with dreadful question, "_Señor!_"
"I know the paper, for I signed it," said Kit staring in the leaping blaze. "So did the padre. It is the certificate of the burial of José Perez."
"Death reached him on his own land, señora. We passed the grave the first day of the trail."
Her face went very white as she made the sign of the cross.
"No,--the general did not see Perez on the trail. He tried to escape from Cavayso and the man sent a bullet to stop him. It was the end."
Kit got up and walked away. He looked back from where he tethered the mules for the night, but she had not moved. The little crucifix was in her hand, he thought she was praying. There were no more words to be said, and he did not go near her again that night. He sent Clodomiro with her _serape_ and pillow, and when the fire died down to glowing ash, she arose and went to the couch prepared. She went without glance to right or left--the great fear had taken itself away!