noon
Everything was ready for their move ; it would take many days to carry even their few possessions up the steep mountain trail to their new home ; the pony which had replaced Benito and Baba could not carry a heavy load . While this was being done , Ramona would dry the beef which would be their supply of meat for many months . Then they would go . At noon he came down with the first load of the meat , and Ramona began cutting it into long strips , as is the Mexican fashion of drying . Alessandro returned for the remainder . Early in the afternoon , as Ramona went to and fro about her work , she saw a group of horsemen riding from house to house , in the upper part of the village ; women came running out excitedly from each house as the horsemen left it ; finally one of them darted swiftly up the hill to Ramona . `` Hide it !