tfit was
instructed to arm up with a pick or a shovel apiece, and to get set for
Texas Pete's. We got there a little after noon, turned the old boy
out--without firearms--and then began to dig at a place Tim told us to,
near that grave of Texas Pete's. In three hours we had the finest
water-hole developed you ever want to see. Then the boss stuck up a
sign that said:

PUBLIC WATER-HOLE. WATER, FREE.

"Now you old skin," says he to Texas Pete, "charge all you want to on
your own property. But if I ever hear of your layin' claim to this
other hole, I'll shore make you hard to catch."

Then we rode off home. You see, when Gentleman Tim inspected that
grave, he noted indications of water; and it struck him that runnin'
the old renegade out of business was a neater way of gettin' even than
merely killin' him.

Somebody threw a fresh mesquite on the fire. The flames leaped up
again, showing a thin trickle of water running down the other side of
the cave. The steady downpour again made itself prominent through the
re-established silence.

"What did Texas Pete do after that?" asked the Cattleman.

"Texas Pete?" chuckled Windy Bill. "Well, he put in a heap of his
spare time lettin' Tim alone."

CHAPTER THREE

THE REMITTANCE MAN

After Windy Bill had finished his story we began to think it time to
turn in. Uncle Jim and Charley slid and slipped down the chute-like
passage leading from the cave and disappeared in the direction of the
overhang beneath which they had spread their bed. After a moment we
tore off long bundles of the nigger-head blades, lit the resinous ends
at our fire, and with these torches started to make our way along the
base of the cliff to the other cave.

Once without the influence of the fire our impromptu links cast an
adequate light. The sheets of rain became suddenly visible as they
entered the circle of illumination. By careful scrutiny of the footing
I gained the entrance to our cave without mishap. I looked back. Here
and there irregularly gleamed and spluttered my companions' torches.
Across each slanted the rain. All else was of inky blackness except
where, between them and me, a faint red reflection shone on the wet
rocks. Then I turned inside.

Now, to judge from the crumbling powder of the footing, that cave had
been dry since Noah. In fact, its roof was nearly a thousand feet
thick. But since we had spread our blankets, the persistent water