He glanced into the sala, full of shadows in the corners, and kept going to the rear of the house, searching for Petra. In the kitchen two sons of one of the vaqueros, tardy in returning from play, were eating a hardy meal of tortillas, mutton fried with onions, and boiled milk seasoned with nutmeg. The boys stopped devouring the food and looked up when Jacob came into the room. Quietly the youngsters sat holding their spoons and watching the gringo who had married Señorita Petra. They had heard the men say the gringo was a great knife fighter. The boys hoped someday to see him kill many bad Apache. “Have you seen Petra?” Jacob asked. The older boy replied, “She is usually off in that part of the hacienda with las viejas.” He pointed in the direction of the main patio. “Thanks,” said Jacob. “That food smells good. Save some for me.” The boys laughed and again fell to wolfing down their food. The patio had been enlarged by an adobe wall thirty feet in length. Two doorways stood open in the new structure.
