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Barbara and her father had been standing nearest the exit, and as the girl realized the bold break for liberty the , she pushed her father to one side and threw open the door

Bridge was through it in an instant, with a parting, "God bless you, little girl!" as he passed her Then the door was closed with a bang Barbara turned the key, withdrew it from the lock and threw it across the darkened rooitive only to find their way barred by the locked door Outside Bridge ran to the horses standing patiently with lowered heads awaiting the return of theirthe others ahead of hiht

By the tih one of the sht and earshot

As the ranch foreive chase to the fugitive the boss strolled in and touched him on the arm

"Mr Grayson," he said, "I haveto ask you now not to pursue Mr Bridge I shall be glad if he ht--he is a fellow-American We cannot turn him over to Villa, or any other Mexican to be ly Grayson unsaddled "Ef you'd seen what I've seen around here," he said, "I guess you wouldn't be so keen to save this feller's hide"

"What do you mean?" asked the boss

"I hter"

The older hed "Don't be a fool, Grayson," he said, and walked away

An hour later Barbara was strolling up and down before the ranchhouse in the cool and refreshing air of the Chihuahua night Herreflections of the past few hours Her pride was immeasurably hurt by the part impulse had forced her to take in the affair at the office Not that she regretted that she had connived in the escape of Bridge; but it was huirl of her position should have been compelled to play so melodramatic a part before Grayson and his Mexican vaqueros

Then, too, was she disappointed in Bridge She had looked upon hientleman whom misfortune and wanderlust had reduced to the lowest stratued to that substratunizes as a part of itself, and which is composed solely of the criminal class