r could it be discovered where he was spending
the night. Dave remembered that it had been about seven when he left
Las Palmas, and ascertained, indirectly, that Tad had a telephone. On
his way from Austin's Law had stopped at a rancho for a bite to eat,
but he could forgive himself for the delay if, as he surmised, Urbina
had been warned by wire of his coming.

"That's too bad, ain't it?" Lewis said. "But he'll be around again in
the morning, and I'll get him for you. You leave it to me."

There was plainly nothing to do but accept this offer since it could
avail nothing to wait here for Urbina's return. Unless the fellow gave
himself up, he probably could not be found, now that the alarm was
given, without a considerable search--in view of which Dave finally
remounted his borrowed horse and rode away in the direction of
Jonesville.

It was after daylight when he dismounted stiffly at Blaze's gate. He
was wet to the skin and bespattered with mud; he had been almost
constantly in the saddle for twenty-four hours, and Don Ricardo's
cow-pony was almost exhausted.

Blaze and Paloma, of course, were tremendously interested in his story.

"Say, now, that's quick work," the latter exclaimed, heartily. "You're
some thief-buster, Dave, and if you'll just stay around here little
calves can grow up with some comfort."

When Dave rode to Jonesville, after breakfast, he found that the body
of his victim had been brought in during the night, and that the town
was already buzzing with news of the encounter. During the forenoon Don
Ricardo and his sons arrived, bringing additional information, which
they promptly imparted to the Ranger. The Guzmans were people of
action. All three of them had spent the night on horseback, and Pedro
had made a discovery. On the day previous Garza had been seen riding in
company with a man astride a sorrel pony, and this man had been
recognized as Adolfo Urbina. Pedro's witness would swear to it.

Their distance from Las Palmas at the time when they had been seen
together proved, beyond question, that unless Urbina had flown he could
not have arrived at the place in question by noon, the hour Ed Austin
had fixed.

This significant bit of information, however, Dave advised the Guzmans
not to make public for the time being.

Toward midday Tad Lewis and three of his men arrived with the news that
Urbina had left for Pueblo before they could intercept him.

"He's got a girl up there, and he's go