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"Shootin's too damned good fer a horse thief," replied Grayson.

Barbara turned impulsively toward her father. "You won't let Mr. Grayson do

that?" she asked.

"Mr. Grayson knows best how to handle such an affair as this, Barbara," replied

her father. "He is my superintendent, and I have made it a point never to interfere

with him."

"You will let Mr. Bridge be shot without making an effort to save him?" she

demanded.

"We do not know that he will be shot," replied the ranch owner. "If he is innocent

there is no reason why he should be punished. If he is guilty of implication in the

Cuivaca bank robbery he deserves, according to the rules of war, to die, for

General Villa, I am told, considers that a treasonable act. Some of the funds upon

which his government depends for munitions of war were there--they were stolen

and turned over to the enemies of Mexico."

"And if we interfere we'll turn Villa against us," interposed Grayson. "He ain't any

too keen for Americans as it is. Why, if this fellow was my brother I'd hev to turn

him over to the authorities."

"Well, I thank God," exclaimed Bridge fervently, "that in addition to being shot by

Villa I don't have to endure the added disgrace of being related to you, and I'm

not so sure that I shall be hanged by Villa," and with that he wiped the oil lamp

from the table against which he had been leaning, and leaped across the room for

the doorway.

Barbara and her father had been standing nearest the exit, and as the girl

realized the bold break for liberty the man was making, she pushed her father to

one side and threw open the door.

Bridge was through it in an instant, with a parting, "God bless you, little girl!" as

he passed her. Then the door was closed with a bang. Barbara turned the key,

withdrew it from the lock and threw it across the darkened room.

Grayson and the unwounded Mexicans leaped after the fugitive only to find their

way barred by the locked door. Outside Bridge ran to the horses standing

patiently with lowered heads awaiting the return of their masters. In an instant

he was astride one of them, and lashing the others ahead of him with a quirt he

spurred away into the night.

By the time Grayson and the Mexicans had wormed their way through one of the

small windows of the office the new bookkeeper was beyond sight and earshot.

241

The Mucker