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And even as his mind dwelt delightedly upon the subject a ragged Indian carrying

a carbine and with heavy silver spurs strapped to his bare feet approached and

saluted him.

"General Pesita wishes Senor Capitan Byrne to report to him at once," said the

man.

"Sure Mike!" replied Billy, and made his way through the pandemonium of the

camp toward the headquarters tent.

As he went he slipped his hand inside his shirt and loosened something which

hung beneath his left arm.

"Li'l ol' ace-in-the-hole," he murmured affectionately.

He found Pesita pacing back and forth before his tent--an energetic bundle of

nerves which no amount of hard riding and fighting could tire or discourage.

As Billy approached Pesita shot a quick glance at his face, that he might read,

perhaps, in his new officer's expression whether anger or suspicion had been

aroused by the killing of his American friend, for Pesita never dreamed but that

Bridge had been dead since mid-forenoon.

Well," said Pesita, smiling, "you left Senor Bridge and Miguel safely at their

destination?"

"I couldn't take 'em all the way," replied Billy, "cause I didn't have no more men to

guard 'em with; but I seen 'em past the danger I guess an' well on their way."

"You had no men?" questioned Pesita. "You had six troopers."

Oh, they was all croaked before we'd been gone two hours. You see it happens

like this: We got as far as that dry arroyo just before the trail drops down into the

valley, when up jumps a bunch of this here Villa's guys and commenced takin'

pot shots at us.

"Seein' as how I was sent to guard Bridge an' Mig, I makes them dismount and

hunt cover, and then me an' my men wades in and cleans up the bunch. They

was only a few of them but they croaked the whole bloomin' six o' mine.

"I tell you it was some scrap while it lasted; but I saved your guests from gettin'

hurted an' I know that that's what you sent me to do. It's too bad about the six

men we lost but, leave it to me, we'll get even with that Villa guy yet. Just lead me

to 'im."

214

The Mucker