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How easy it would have been to have hesitated a moment in the window before he

made his presence known--just long enough for Pesita to speak the single word

that would have sent eleven bullets speeding into the body of the man who loved

Barbara and whom Billy believed the girl loved. But did such a thought occur to

Billy Byrne of Grand Avenue? It did not. He forgot every other consideration

beyond his loyalty to a friend. Bridge and Pesita were looking at him in wide-eyed

astonishment.

Lay down your carbines!" Billy shot his command at the firing squad. "Lay 'em

down or I'll bore Pesita. Tell 'em to lay 'em down, Pesita. I gotta bead on your

beezer."

Pesita did as he was bid, his yellow face pasty with rage.

"Now their cartridge belts!" snapped Billy, and when these had been deposited

upon the floor he told Bridge to disarm the bandit chief.

"Is Mr. Harding safe?" he asked of Bridge, and receiving an affirmative he called

upstairs for the older man to descend.

As Mr. Harding reached the foot of the stairs Barbara entered the room by the

window through which Billy had come--a window which opened upon the side

veranda.

"Now we gotta hike," announced Billy. "It won't never be safe for none of you here

after this, not even if you do think Villa's your friend--which he ain't the friend of

no American."

We know that now," said Mr. Harding, and repeated to Billy that which the

telephone operator had told him earlier in the day.

Marching Pesita and his men ahead of them Billy and the others made their way

to the rear of the office building where the horses of the bandits were tethered.

They were each armed now from the discarded weapons of the raiders, and well

supplied with ammunition. The Chinaman and the loyal Mexican also discovered

themselves when they learned that the tables had been turned upon Pesita. They,

too, were armed and all were mounted, and when Billy had loaded the remaining

weapons upon the balance of the horses the party rode away, driving Pesita's live

stock and arms ahead of them.

"I imagine," remarked Bridge, "that you've rather discouraged pursuit for a while

at least," but pursuit came sooner than they had anticipated.

They had reached a point on the river not far from Jose's when a band of

horsemen appeared approaching from the west. Billy urged his party to greater

297

The Mucker