us."

"We don't shoot, I trust, until we know who they are," suggested Hard,
mildly. "It strikes me they're going the wrong way for our men."

"They may be going to turn at the fork. If it's not them, it's someone who
can tell us if the Mexicans have gone this way."

The car, a small one, pulled up the hill and started down toward Chula
Vista. Scott rode into the middle of the road.

"Stop!" he called, authoritatively. The car stopped. It was driven by a
fat man who was its only occupant.

"What's the matter with you fools?" he demanded, angrily. "Don't you know
this here's the sheriff's car?"

Scott lowered his gun. "That so?" he said. "Then I suppose you'll be Ed
Merriam?"

"What business of yours is it?" replied Merriam, disgustedly, though
apparently relieved at the removal of the weapon. Hard rode up quickly.

"Nothing, only we're out after a bunch of Mexicans who have kidnapped a
young lady," he explained. "We thought we had them."

"See anything of a Ford car up the road?" demanded Scott.

"No. Say, who----"

"Or any Mexicans on horseback?"

"No. But----"

Scott turned to Hard. "I told you they'd taken the other road."

"Look here," demanded the fat man, excitedly. "Is this an honest-to-gosh
kidnapping? I say, it ain't Mabel Penhallow?"

"No, it ain't," grunted Scott. "Will you loan us that car for a couple of
hours?"

"You bet--pile in. Say, you boys give me an awful start. I'm going to
marry that girl." Merriam wiped his brow in relief.

"And I'm going to marry the girl those brutes have carried off," replied
Scott, dismounting and turning his horse loose. Hard followed his
example.

"Well, why didn't you say so at first?" demanded Merriam, as they got into
the car. "Man's a gabby animal, ain't he? Which way'd they go?"

"Up in the hills, we think," replied Hard.

"It ain't much of a road," said the driver, doubtfully. "Still, if they
can make it with one car we can with another, I reckon. Goes up Wildcat
Canyon after a bit; nobody living up there since that old Mexican died.
Say, d'you suppose they'd take her up to that old cabin? Gosh, we'd better
hit it up!"

There was silence in the rear of the car. The two men saw in imagination
the helpless girl and the tiny remote cabin. Scott leaned forward,
devouring the road with despairing eyes. Hard sat beside him, quiet except
when he answered Merriam's questions, sparing Scott, whose impatience and
irritation made speech unendurable.