offers, and
told the helpless Ortez that he could settle with the Gringo Brent
according to the understanding between them.

Brevoort, silently eying Arguilla, saw through the scheme. Arguilla
had determined to have both the money and the cattle. This explained
his unwonted presence at the Ortez hacienda.

Arguilla took a stiff drink of whiskey, wiped his mustache and turned
to Brevoort. "You have heard?" he said.

Brevoort knew enough Mexican to understand the question. "We'll tell
Brent that everything is all right," he said easily. "But he's a dam'
liar," he added in an undertone to Pete. Brevoort had made the mistake
of assuming that because he did not understand Mexican, Arguilla did
not understand English. Arguilla did not hear all that Brevoort said,
but he caught the one significant word. His broad face darkened.
These Gringoes knew too much! He would hold them until the cattle had
been delivered--and then they could join his army--or be shot. A mere
detail, in either event.

"Put these men under arrest!" he commanded the sentries. "If they
escape--you are dead men."

"What's the idee--" began Pete, but the noble captain waved his hand,
dismissing all argument, along with the sentries, who marched their
prisoners to the stable and told them plainly that they had much rather
shoot them than be bothered with watching them; a hint that Pete
translated for Brevoort's benefit.

One of the sentries lighted a dusty lantern and, placing it on the
floor of a box stall, relieved his captives of their belts and guns.
The sentries squatted at the open end of the stall and talked together
while Brevoort and Pete sat each in a corner staring at the lantern.

Presently Brevoort raised his head. "Find out if either of 'em sabe
American talk," he whispered.

"You sabe my talk?" queried Pete.

One of the sentries turned to stare at Pete. The Mexican shook his
head.

"You're a liar by the watch--and your father was a pig and the son of a
pig, wasn't he?" asked Pete, smiling pleasantly.

"Si!" said the Mexican, grinning as though Pete had made a friendly
joke.

"And the other fella there, with ears like the barndoor in a wind, he's
jest nacherally a horn-toad that likes whiskey and would jest as soon
knife his mother as he would eat a rattlesnake for supper, eh?" And
Pete smiled engagingly.

"Si. It is to laugh."

"You sabe whiskey?"

The Mexican shook his head.

"You sabe dam' fool?" Pete's m