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"Let's wait here until daylight," suggested Jack "It's a good place for a cae," objected Billy "Of course we are working on faith mostly I'e for a while It's the wildest spot in New Mexico Kut-le will avoid the railroad over by the next range"

So Billy led his little band steadfastly southward At dawn they rassy cañon Jack Newerly answered A visitor orth athe fleecy backs of his charges as the tired A of an Injun running aith a white girl?" asked Billy without preliasped "Not I! Who is she?"

"Listen!" broke in Jack "You be on the watch An educated Indian has stolen a young lady as visiting my wife I own the Newo"

John DeWitt interrupted

"If you can catch that Indian, if you can give us a clue to him, you needn't herd sheep any more Lord, man, speak up! Don't stand there like a chump!"

"But, señors!" stammered the poor felloho as a cloudburst "But I have not seen--"

Billy Porter spoke again

"Hold up, boys! We are scaring the poor devil to death Friend pastor," he said, "we'll have breakfast here with you, if you don't object, and tell you our troubles"

The shepherd gloith hospitality

"Yonder is good water and I have tortillas and frijoles"

Unshaven and dirty, gaunt froladly turned their coffee and bacon over to the herder to whom the mere odor of either orth any amount of service As they ate, Jack and Billy quizzed the Mexican as to the topography of the surrounding country The little herder was a canny chap

"He will not try to cover his trail carefully now," he said, sing huge slabs of bacon "He has a good start You will have to fool hiht, you will see You are working too hard and your horses will be dead You should have slept last night Now you will lose today because you must rest your horses"

Porter looked at his two co fairly well, but the calm that DeWitt had found with Rhoda's scarf had deserted hi and stared i for the start