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Mr Anthony Harding was pacing back and forth the length of the veranda of the ranchhouse at El Orobo waiting for some word of hope frohter, Barbara Each swirling dust devil that eddied across the dry flat on either side of the river roused hopes within his breast that it ht have been spurred into activity by the hoofs of a pony bearing a s; but always his hopes were dashed, for no horseed from the heat haze of the distance where the little dust devils raced playfully areasewood

But at last, in the northwest, a horseht Mr Harding shook his head sorrowfully It had not been from this direction that he had expected word of Barbara, yet he kept his eyes fastened upon the rider until the latter reined in at the ranchyard and loped a tired and sweating pony to the foot of the veranda steps Then Mr Harding saho the newcos you back here? Don't you know that you endanger us as well as yourself by being seen here? General Villa will think that we have been harboring you"

Bridge swung frohtest attention to Anthony Harding's protest

"How ot here that you can depend on?" he asked

"None," replied the Easterner "What do you e, incredulity and hopelessness showing upon his countenance "Isn't there a Chinaman and a couple of faithful Mexicans?"

"Oh, yes, of course," assented Mr Harding; "but what are you driving at?"

"Pesita is on his way here to clean up El Orobo He can't be very far behind uns and ammunition on the ranch, and barricade the ranchhouse Weof Miss Barbara?"

Anthony Harding shook his head sadly

"Then we'll have to stay right here and do the best we can," said Bridge "I was thinking we ht make a run for it if Miss Barbara was here; but as she's not wesue 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 s of the first floor