way through
life."

"Life should not be a battle," asserted the socialist. "Every man's hand
should be outstretched to help a needy fellow man. This old-fashioned
theory that human life is bound to be a battle is all wrong. We are one
great body of brothers, bound together by a universal tie."

"Choke off roight where ye are," commanded Barney. "Oi'm yer fri'nd,
Greg Carker, but Oi'll hit ye av ye sling any of that socialist talk at
us! Ye've r'iled me now. Oi must have a shmoke to soothe me narves."

"Me, too," grinned Ephraim, as they both rose. "You'll 'scuse us for a
little while, won't ye, girls? We'll jest step into the smokin'
compartment."

"You may have the excuse if you weel leave Senyor Carkaire to entertain
us," murmured Juanita.

"I'll remain here," nodded Greg. "I don't smoke."

"Gol ding him!" growled Ephraim, as he followed Barney into the smoking
compartment. "He's a bigger crank than ever! He's gittin' wuss and
wuss!"

"What he nades is a girrul to marry him and straighten him out,"
declared the Irish youth.

Five minutes after the departure of Eph and Barney a slender, black-eyed
man, with a small dark mustache, came sauntering through the car. As he
reached the spot where Carker was talking to Teresa and Juanita he
stopped short, uttered an exclamation of satisfaction, and lifted his
hat, bowing with a triumphant smile.

"Ah, Senyorita Garcia," he jubilantly said, "you take the flight from me,
but I have found you."

"Jose Murillo!" exclaimed Juanita. And there was dismay and fear in her
voice.

CHAPTER XX.

OLD FRIENDS EN ROUTE.

"_Si, senyorita_," laughed the stranger, "Jose Murillo."

"Where deed you come from?"

"The train on wheech I travel from the West eet join this train back at
the junction."

Teresa's eyes were flashing. She rose and confronted the young Mexican.

"Senyor Murillo," she said, in Spanish, "you have annoyed Juanita enough.
You have no right to follow her. You have threatened her. You have
frightened her. If you are the gentleman you profess to be, you will
leave her alone."

He showed his white teeth in a smile.

"I am a man with a purpose," he retorted, in the same language. "I love
Senyorita Garcia! Her father promised that she should be my wife!"

"Her father is dead," said Teresa, "and that promise no longer binds
her. In Mexico you sought to force her into a marriage. We are not in
Mexico now. We are in the United States. It's differen