t yours no more."

"Come, come! None o' yer foolishness with me," blustered the old man.
"Git ther gal off before she's pulled off."

"You or any other man put your finger on thet young lady if yer dare,"
said Bud. "Jest try it once if yer think I'm bluffin', men."

"Hello, Pap," said the man on the Spanish mule. "Up ter yer ole tricks,
I see."

The old man looked up at the man on the mule, then turned pale and
slunk away without another word.

"Men," said the man on the mule, addressing the crowd, "you've been
stung. This old bag o' bones is Chiquita, the best race horse ever
produced in Mexico, an' I brought him over here, where I traded him for
a plain cayuse an' gave something ter boot. If any o' you men know
anything about hosses ye'll recognize ther great Chiquita, what made an'
lost more money fer ther people o' Mexico than any one other thing. Pap
didn't know it until he see me, then he suddenly remembered a little
deal me an' him was in. I know this Magpie hoss well, an' it couldn't
stand no more show of winnin' a race from Chiquita than a snail would.
Take it from me that ye've been caught at yer own game, an' have been
done."

At the name of Chiquita a groan went up from the gamblers.

"And who are you?" asked Bud.

"Come nearer, an' I'll tell you in your ear," was the reply.

Bud went close to him, and the man stooped in his saddle and whispered a
word in his ear, at which the old cow-puncher looked startled, then
burst into a fit of laughter.

CHAPTER XXVIII

TED'S GREAT VICTORY.

"I tell you I'll never stand for it."

The voice of big Ben Tremont could be heard roaring above the noise made
by the crowd around the judges' stand.

"It's a go. The race goes to Magpie on a foul."

The big man in the stand made this announcement in a voice of thunder.

"Bully for you, Shan Rhue!" yelled the gamblers, crowding to the stand
in a body.

At the same moment Bud caught Hatrack by the bridle and led him out of
the crowd, for he knew what was impending.

"I say it don't go," shouted Ben. "This man, who is in league with that
old crook, Norris, declares a foul. I say there was no foul."

"How does the other judge go?" called a voice.

"He declines to give a voice in the matter," answered Ben.

"Throw the coyote down here, and we'll help him make up his mind,"
called the foreman of the Running Water. "If he's too much of a coward
to decide for the right, we'll help him. Throw him over."