e went to
a picture-show. But he could not become interested. The flat images on
the screen failed to divert him, and the only faces he saw were those
of Luis Longorio and the lone mistress of Las Palmas.

Had Dave only known the truth, he would have gained a grim comfort from
it, for Alaire Austin was not enjoying herself this evening. Her caller
stayed on interminably and she became restive under the flow of his
conversation. For some reason or other Longorio was not the romantic
figure he had been; in his citizen's clothes he was only a dandified
Mexican gallant like any number of others. The color was gone from the
picture; this quixotic guerrilla hero, this elegant Ruy Blas, was
nothing more than a tall, olive-skinned foreigner whose ardor was
distasteful. Longorio was tiresome.

XIV

JOSE SANCHEZ SWEARS AN OATH

On this same evening a scene of no little significance was taking place
at Las Palmas. Ed Austin was entertaining callers, and these were none
other than Tad Lewis and Adolfo Urbina.

The progress of events during the last few days had shaped this
conference, for, as Dave had forecast during his conversation with
Judge Ellsworth, the local prosecuting attorney saw in the Guzman
cattle case an opportunity to distinguish himself, and was taking
action accordingly. He had gathered considerable evidence against
Urbina, and was exerting himself to the utmost for an indictment. He
had openly declared that the testimony of Ricardo Guzman and his other
witnesses would convict the suspect, and the fact that his politics
were opposed to Ed Austin's complicated matters still further. It was
the unwelcome news of all this which had brought Tad Lewis and his
Mexican helper to Las Palmas under cover of darkness. Having gone over
the circumstances in detail, Lewis concluded:

"We're depending on you, Ed. You got to stand pat."

But Austin was lukewarm. He had experienced a change of heart, and the
cause appeared when he read aloud a letter that day received from Judge
Ellsworth, in which the judge told of his meeting with Dave Law, and
the Ranger's reasons for doubting Ed's word.

"I've got to take water," "Young Ed" told his visitors, "or I'll get
myself into trouble." Then querulously he demanded of Adolfo: "Why in
hell did you come here, anyhow? Why didn't you keep to the chaparral?"

Adolfo shrugged. "I thought you were my friend."

"Sure!" Tad agreed. "Urbina's been a friend to you, now you got t