ortentous frown; and perhaps for the first
time in many years his bronzed countenance was washed over by the sickly
pallor of fear.

Victorino, stepping softly, had reached the compound gate. Suddenly the
forelegs of the ranchman's chair hit the floor of the veranda, and he
roared at the Mexican in a voice that made the latter jump and drop the
brown paper cigarette he had just deftly rolled.

"You boy! Come back here!" called Captain Rugley. "I want to know what
this means."

"Me, _Capitan_?" asked Victorino, softly, and hesitated at the
gate. With his employer in this temper he was half-inclined to run in
the opposite direction.

"Come here!" commanded the ranchman again. "Who gave you this?" rapping
the open letter with a hairy forefinger.

"I do not know, _Capitan_. A strange man--_si_."

"Never saw him before?"

"No, _Capitan_. He was ver' strange to me," whined Victorino, too
frightened to tell the truth.

"What did he look like?" shot back the Captain, holding himself in
splendid control now. Only his eyes glittered and his lips under the big
mustache tightened perceptibly.

"He was beeg man, _Capitan_; rode bay pony; much wheeskers on
face," declared Victorino, glibly.

The Captain was silent for half a minute. Then he snapped: "Run find
Silent Sam and tell him I want him _pronto_. _Sabe?_ Tell Joe
to saddle Cherry, and Sam's horse, and you get a saddle on your own,
Vic. I'll want you and about half a dozen of the boys who are hanging
around the bunk-house. Tell 'em it's important and tell them--yes!--tell
them to come armed. In fifteen minutes. Understand?"

"_Si, Capitan_," whispered Victorino, glad to get out from under
the ranchman's eye for the time being.

He was the oldest of the Mexican boys employed at the Bar-T, and he had
been very friendly with Ratty M'Gill while that reckless individual had
belonged to the outfit.

It was Victorino who had let Ratty drive the buckboard to the railroad
station one particular day when the cowpuncher wished to meet his
friend, Pete, at Cottonwood Bottom.

Now, unthinking and unknowing, he had been drawn by Ratty into a serious
trouble. Victorino did not know what it was; but he trembled. He had
never seen "_El Capitan_" look so fierce and strange before.

CHAPTER XXV

A PLOT THAT FAILED

Captain Dan Rugley seemed to forget his rheumatism. Excitement is often
a strong mental corrective; and with his mind upon the dearest
possession of his