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The two men dashed up onto the veranda of the ranchhouse and pounded at the

door until a Chinaman opened it and stuck out his head, inquiringly.

"Is Miss Harding here?" demanded Billy.

Mlissy Hardie Kleep," snapped the servant. "Wally wanee here flo blekfas?", and

would have shut the door in their faces had not Billy intruded a heavy boot. The

next instant he placed a large palm over the celestial's face and pushed the man

back into the house. Once inside he called Mr. Harding's name aloud.

"What is it?" asked the gentleman a moment later as he appeared in a bedroom

doorway off the living-room clad in his pajamas. "What's the matter? Why, gad

man, is that you? Is this really Billy Byrne?"

"Sure," replied Byrne shortly; "but we can't waste any time chinnin'. I heard that

Miss Barbara was goin' to be swiped last night--I heard that she had been. Now

hurry and see if she is here."

Anthony Harding turned and leaped up the narrow stairway to the second floor

four steps at a time. He hadn't gone upstairs in that fashion in forty years.

Without even pausing to rap he burst into his daughter's bedroom. It was empty.

The bed was unruffled. It had not been slept in. With a moan the man turned

back and ran hastily to the other rooms upon the second floor--Barbara was

nowhere to be found. Then he hastened downstairs to the two men awaiting him.

As he entered the room from one end Grayson entered it from the other through

the doorway leading out upon the veranda. Billy Byrne had heard footsteps upon

the boards without and he was ready, so that as Grayson entered he found

himself looking straight at the business end of a sixshooter. The foreman halted,

and stood looking in surprise first at Billy Byrne, and then at Eddie Shorter and

Mr. Harding.

"What does this mean?" he demanded, addressing Eddie. "What you doin' here

with your prisoner? Who told you to let him out, eh?"

"Can the chatter," growled Billy Byrne. "Shorter didn't let me out. I escaped hours

ago, and I've just come back from Jose's to ask you where Miss Harding is, you

low-lived cur, you. Where is she?"

What has Mr. Grayson to do with it?" asked Mr. Harding. "How should he know

anything about it? It's all a mystery to me--you here, of all men in the world, and

Grayson talking about you as the prisoner. I can't make it out. Quick, though,

Byrne, tell me all you know about Barbara."

Billy kept Grayson covered as he replied to the request of Harding.

273

The Mucker