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"You dear old Brazos," she whispered

The horse stood quietly while the girl wriggled herself to his back, and then at a word and a touch from her heelsthis time was one of infinite ease, for Barbara let the rope lie loose and Brazos take his oay

Through the s upon the opposite bank he shouldered his path, across the h a gate which led directly from the meadow into the ranchyard Here she tied him to the outside of the corral, while she went in search of saddle and bridle Whose she took she did not know, nor care, but that the saddle was enored it halfway to where Brazos stood

Three times she essayed to lift it to his back before she succeeded in acco the Herculean task, and had it been any other horse upon the ranch than Brazos the thing could never have been done; but the kindly little pony stood in statuesque resignation while the heavy Mexican tree was banged and thu carried it to his wethers

Saddled and bridled Barbara led hi and thus, by a roundabout way, to the back of the office building Here she could see a light in the roo the bridle reins to the ground shestealthily to the porch she peered in at theEddie was stretched out in cra luxury in an office chair His feet were cocked up on the desk before hiency Another reposed in its holster at his belt

Barbara tiptoed to the door Holding her breath she turned the knob gently The door swung open without a sound, and an instant later she stood within the rooain her eyes were fixed upon Eddie Shorter She saw his nerveless fingers relax their hold upon the grip of his revolver She saw the weapon slip farther down into his lap He did notof profound slumber

Barbara crossed the room to his side

Behind the ranchhouse three figures crept forward in the shadows Behind them a matter of a hundred yards stood a little cluures of more men These waited in silence The other three crept toward the house It was such a ranchhouse as you hout Texas Grayson, evidently, or so Mexican about it, nor anything beautiful It stood two storied, verandaed and hideous, a blot upon the soil of picturesque Mexico