ly a greaser--"

"_Medio Sangre_, senor!" said the half-breed proudly.

"But he's got the heart of a white man. He's like a son to me."

"I'm proud," said Jesse, "to make your acquaintance, both of you. You
are men, all right."

"We fought the rich men what had wronged us, them and their breed. We
put up a good fight. Yes, sir! And we wouldn't have missed a mile of
that twelve years' trail. It wasn't our way to insult women, Mr. Smith."

"You had to git that information somehow," said Jesse, "and Mrs. Smith
forgives you."

The old man bowed his head.

"Muchos gracias, caballero!" said the Mexican, gently.

"That's off our minds, Mr. Smith."

"Mostly known as Jesse," said my husband.

"Jesse. We bin consulting, and we agree you're the only man here we'd
care to ask favors of."

"I'm your friend all right."

"Jesse, if we don't escape, we are due to pass in our chips."

"I'm not going to help you escape."

"Wall, you haven't helped our escape to any great extent, so far as I
know."

Jesse chuckled.

"But I'm asking you to look after my wife and my son."

"I'll do that."

"You'll save the boy from his father's trade?"

"I reckon."

"Put her thar."

And they shook hands.

"Them horses we was riding," said the outlaw, "is for my son."

"That's all right."

"And one thing more. This yere Brooke ain't white."

"You don't say!"

The outlaw grinned. "You sized him up all right. He joined us out of a
Wild West show last fall. He's never done nothin' to earn hanging or
jail, being too incompetent. But he's state's evidence enough to hang us
twenty times over. He'll get off.

"Moreover, Jesse, take a dying man's word. That Brooke has an eye on
your good lady. He's your enemy from times far back at Abilene. He'll
live to do you dirt. Thar, I sort of hates to talk so of one of my men,
and I won't say no more.

"Say, my hands being hurt, will you just reach into my off hind pocket?
That's right. There's a gold watch. Take it, my time's up. Give that to
your lady from us as a sort of keepsake. Good-by, partner."

"Good-by, friend."

"_Adios_," said the Mexican. "_Vaya usted con Dios!_" And the English of
that is, "May you ride with God!"

From the other end of the room Captain Taylor and I were watching that
little scene. Without hearing a word we could understand so well. "Young
woman," said the captain, "when I was a younger fool than I am now, I
was a naval attache at St. Petersburg. I'd se