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

"This guy hires a bunch of Piht froht men to pull off the job He wants her it seems," and Billy shot a look at the ranch foreman that would have killed if looks could "She can't have been gone long I seen her after etaway, so they can't have taken her very far This thing here can't help us none neither, for he don't knohere she is any more'n we do He thinks he does; but he don't The siwashes fraot that straight too; but, Gawd! I don't knohere they've taken her or what they're goin' to do with her"

As he spoke he turned his eyes for the first ti's face The latter saw beneath the strong character lines of the other's countenance the agony of fear and doubt that lay heavy upon his heart

In the brief instant that Billy's watchful gaze left the figure of the ranch fore directly in the doorway--a single step would carry hi a wall between it and hi that step

When Billy turned his eyes back the Texan had disappeared, and by the time the former reached the doorway Grayson was halfway to the office building on the veranda of which stood the four soldiers of Villa gru over the absence of their prisoner of the previous evening

Billy Byrne stepped out into the open The ranch foreman called aloud to the four Mexicans that their prisoner was at the ranchhouse and as they looked in that direction they saw hi slowly toward them There was a smile upon his lips which they could not see because of the distance, and which, not knowing Billy Byrne, they would not have interpreted correctly; but the revolver they did understand, and at sight of it one of theer, however, never closed upon the trigger, for there came the sound of a shot froered forward, pitching over the edge of the porch to the ground

Billy turned his head in the direction fro toward hiht hand