hey do not touch me," replied the
musician, cheerfully.

"Here they come!" cried Scott, impatiently. "Watch your shots!"

The Indians were coming, and coming in a body.

"Gosh, it's going to be all day with us in half a minute!" gasped Scott.
"Let 'em have it as hard as you can, boys. We may be able to hold 'em long
enough to give the women a chance to get the horses."

Hard clenched his teeth and bent his eye on his rifle. In another moment
the invaders would be upon them--when, sharp and decisive came the sound
of shots; shots from among the foothills, followed by yells. There was a
cry from the Indian who led the rush; a wavering of the line; and a stop.
They broke into loud talk. In the meantime, the shots and yells continued.
They seemed to come from two directions.

"There's another crowd back in the hills. They've got another fight on
their hands," muttered Scott, listening. "It's a flank attack and these
fellows don't like it."

"If it is----"

"It is. Hear that!"

There were more yells; the Yaquis outside flung themselves into their
saddles and in another moment the two wounded men lying near the windows
were all that remained of the attack.

"By golly, I've heard of luck before, but this is a case of the pure and
unadulterated article," said Scott, awed.

Hard did not reply. He was taking a deep breath--the first in several
minutes. Herrick whistled cheerfully.

"Unless it's Angel Gonzales," continued Scott, pensively. "In that case
it's a question of 'Go it, old woman; go it, b'ar.'"

"Let's go after the horses and the women," said Hard. "The quicker we hit
the trail for home the better my circulation's going to be. I think the
Hards must have deteriorated considerably since the battle of Lexington.
I'm getting to be a regular old woman."

Scott laughed. "You're a pretty good pal in a fight, old man," he said,
simply. "I think you winged one of those birds outside. Shall we go and
have a look?"

"Not I," replied Hard, decidedly. "It's unpleasant enough to me to kill a
man without pawing him over afterward."

Scott went outside and looked over the victims of the fight.

"Dead, both of them," he said, briefly. "Come on, let's get out of this
before their friends come back." And to the sounds of yells and shots in
the distance they made their way toward the stream.

CHAPTER XII

A NIGHT RIDE

When Li Yow clattered up the trail leading out of the river bed and up the
mesa, he was