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"I can't help what he may do," insisted Barbara. "He's an American, and I for one

would never be a party to his death at the hands of a Mexican, and it will mean

death to him to be taken to Cuivaca."

Well, miss," said Grayson, "you won't hev to be responsible--I'll take all the

responsibility there is and welcome. I just thought you'd like to know we had

him." He was addressing his employer. The latter nodded, and Grayson turned

and left the room. Outside he cast a sneering laugh back over his shoulder and

swung into his saddle.

In front of the men's quarters he drew rein again and shouted Eddie's name.

Shorter came to the door.

Get your six-shooter an' a rifle, an' come on over to the office. I want to see you a

minute."

Eddie did as he was bid, and when he entered the little room he saw four

Mexicans lolling about smoking cigarettes while Grayson stood before a chair in

which sat a man with his arms tied behind his back. Grayson turned to Eddie.

This party here is the slick un that robbed the bank, and got away on thet there

Brazos pony thet miserable bookkeepin' dude giv him. The sergeant here an' his

men are a-goin' to take him to Cuivaca in the mornin'. You stand guard over him

'til midnight, then they'll relieve you. They gotta get a little sleep first, though, an'

I gotta get some supper. Don't stand fer no funny business now, Eddie," Grayson

admonished him, and was on the point of leaving the office when a thought

occurred to him. "Say, Shorter," he said, "they ain't no way of gettin' out of the

little bedroom in back there except through this room. The windows are too small

fer a big man to get through. I'll tell you what, we'll lock him up in there an' then

you won't hev to worry none an' neither will we. You can jest spread out them

Navajos there and go to sleep right plump ag'in the door, an' there won't nobody

hev to relieve you all night."

"Sure," said Eddie, "leave it to me--I'll watch the slicker."

Satisfied that their prisoner was safe for the night the Villistas and Grayson

departed, after seeing him safely locked in the back room.

At the mention by the foreman of his guard's names--Eddie and Shorter--Billy

had studied the face of the young American cowpuncher, for the two names had

aroused within his memory a tantalizing suggestion that they should be very

familiar. Yet he could connect them in no way with anyone he had known in the

past and he was quite sure that he never before had set eyes upon this man.

257

The Mucker