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"You will need it," she said. "There is Brazos--take him. God bless and guard you,

Billy!" and she was gone.

Billy swallowed bard. He wanted to run after her and take her in his arms; but he

recalled Bridge, and with a sigh turned toward the patient Brazos. Languidly he

gathered up the reins and mounted, and then unconcernedly as though he were

an honored guest departing by daylight he rode out of the ranchyard and turned

Brazos' head north up the river road.

And as Billy disappeared in the darkness toward the north Barbara Harding

walked slowly toward the ranchhouse, while from a little group of men and horses

a hundred yards away three men detached themselves and crept toward her, for

they had seen her in the moonlight as she left Billy outside the office and strolled

slowly in the direction of the house.

They hid in the shadow at the side of the house until the girl had turned the

corner and was approaching the veranda, then they ran quickly forward and as

she mounted the steps she was seized from behind and dragged backward. A

hand was clapped over her mouth and a whispered threat warned her to silence.

Half dragging and half carrying her the three men bore her back to where their

confederates awaited them. A huge fellow mounted his pony and Barbara was

lifted to the horn of the saddle before him. Then the others mounted and as

silently as they had come they rode away, following the same path.

Barbara Harding had not cried out nor attempted to, for she had seen very

shortly after her capture that she was in the hands of Indians and she judged

from what she had heard of the little band of Pimans who held forth in the

mountains to the east that they would as gladly knife her as not.

Jose was a Piman, and she immediately connected Jose with the perpetration, or

at least the planning of her abduction. Thus she felt assured that no harm would

come to her, since Jose had been famous in his time for the number and size of

the ransoms he had collected.

Her father would pay what was demanded, she would be returned and, aside

from a few days of discomfort and hardship, she would be none the worse off for

her experience. Reasoning thus it was not difficult to maintain her composure

and presence of mind.

As Barbara was borne toward the east, Billy Byrne rode steadily northward. It

was his intention to stop at Jose's hut and deliver the message which Pesita had

given him for the old Indian. Then he would disappear into the mountains to the

269

The Mucker