ve my country in the way I think best," said Urrea, "and you must
remember that in our view you two are rebels and traitors."

"We don't stab in the back," said the Panther.

Urrea flushed through his swarthy skin.

"We will not argue the point any further," he said, "but come at once to
the business before us. First, I will admit several things. Your rescue
of the prisoners was very clever. Also you beat us off last night, but I
now have a hundred men with me and we have plenty of arms. We are bound
to take you sooner or later."

"Then why talk to us about it?" said the Panther.

"Because I wish to save bloodshed."

"Wa'al, then, what do you have to say?"

"Give us the man, Roylston, and the rest of you can go free."

"Why are you so anxious to have Roylston?"

Ned eagerly awaited the answer. It was obvious that Roylston had rather
minimized his own importance. Urrea flicked the mane of his mustang with
a small whip and replied:

"Our President and General, the illustrious Santa Anna, is extremely
anxious to see him. Secrets of state are not for me. I merely seek to do
my work."

"Then you take this from me," said the Panther, a blunt frontiersman,
"my comrades an' me ain't buyin' our lives at the price of nobody
else's."

"You feel that way about it, do you?"

"That's just the way we feel, and I want to say, too, that I wouldn't
take the word of either you or your Santa Anna. If we was to give up Mr.
Roylston--which we don't dream of doin'--you'd be after us as hot an'
strong as ever."

Urrea's swarthy cheeks flushed again.

"I shall not notice your insults," he said. "They are beneath me. I am a
Mexican officer and gentleman, and you are mere riders of the plains."

"All the same," said the Panther grimly, "if you are goin' to talk you
have to talk with us."

"That is true," said Urrea lightly, having regained complete control of
his temper. "In war one cannot choose his enemies. I make you the
proposition once more. Give us Roylston and go. If you do not accept we
shall nevertheless take him and all of you who do not fall first.
Remember that you are rebels and traitors and that you will surely be
shot or hanged."

"I don't remember any of them things," said the Panther grimly. "What I
do remember is that we are Texans fightin' fur our rights. To hang a man
you've first got to catch him, an' to shoot him you've first got to hit
him. An' since things are to be remembered, remember that what you