from Mexico by that trail came the Spanish Conquistadors, they
say," Rhoda went on, quite excited herself now, in telling of her
home and its surroundings.

"And I s'pose there's an electric car line running through those
hills now--on the Spanish Trail, I mean?" laughed Laura.

"Well, no. We're not quite as far advanced as that," the Western
girl said, good-naturedly enough. "But we don't have any Indian
scares nowadays. The Indians used to ride through that gap in the
Blue Buttes years ago. Now it's only Mexican bandits."

"Never!" gasped Bess, sitting up suddenly.

"You don't mean it?" from Grace and Lillie in unison.

"You're just spoofing us, aren't you, Rhoda?" drawled Amelia Boggs.

"No, no. We do have Mexican bandits. There is Lobarto. He is no
myth."

"Fancy!" exclaimed one of the other girls. "A live bandit!"

"Very much so," said Rhoda. "He has made us a lot of trouble, this
Lobarto; although it has been six years since he came into our
neighborhood last. He drove off a band of father's horses at that
time. But our boys got after him so quick and chased him so hard
that they say he took less back to Mexico with him than be brought
over the border."