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Mr. Harding summoned the two Mexicans while Bridge ran to the cookhouse and

ordered the Chinaman to the ranchhouse. Then the erstwhile bookkeeper

ransacked the bunkhouse for arms and ammunition. What little he found he

carried to the ranchhouse, and with the help of the others barricaded the doors

and windows of the first floor.

"We'll have to make our fight from the upper windows," he explained to the ranch

owner. "If Pesita doesn't bring too large a force we may be able to stand them off

until you can get help from Cuivaca. Call up there now and see if you can get

Villa to send help--he ought to protect you from Pesita. I understand that there is

no love lost between the two."

Anthony Harding went at once to the telephone and rang for the central at

Cuivaca.

"Tell it to the operator," shouted Bridge who stood peering through an opening in

the barricade before a front window; "they are coming now, and the chances are

that the first thing they'll do is cut the telephone wires."

The Easterner poured his story and appeal for help into the ears of the girl at the

other end of the line, and then for a few moments there was silence in the room

as he listened to her reply.

"Impossible!" and "My God! it can't be true," Bridge heard the older man

ejaculate, and then he saw him hang up the receiver and turn from the

instrument, his face drawn and pinched with an expression of utter

hopelessness.

What's wrong?" asked Bridge.

Villa has turned against the Americans," replied Harding, dully. "The operator

evidently feels friendly toward us, for she warned me not to appeal to Villa and

told me why. Even now, this minute, the man has a force of twenty-five hundred

ready to march on Columbus, New Mexico. Three Americans were hanged in

Cuivaca this afternoon. It's horrible, sir! It's horrible! We are as good as dead this

very minute. Even if we stand off Pesita we can never escape to the border

through Villa's forces."

"It looks bad," admitted Bridge. "In fact it couldn't look much worse; but here we

are, and while our ammunition holds out about all we can do is stay here and use

it. Will you men stand by us?" he addressed the Chinaman and the two Mexicans,

who assured him that they had no love for Pesita and would fight for Anthony

Harding in preference to going over to the enemy.

291

The Mucker