est let your Chola have the eggs plumb in his eye. If
they bust like I figure, we got a chanct to jump 'em--but we got to
move quick. They's a old single-tree layin' right clost to your elbow,
kind of half under the hay. Mebby it'll come handy. I figure to kick
my friend in the face when I jump. Do I find them eggs?"

"Dig for 'em," drawled the Texan.

"If we miss the first jump, then they shoot, and that'll be our finish.
But that's a heap better 'n gittin' stood up against a 'dobe wall. I
jest found them eggs."

And Pete uttered an exclamation as he drew his hand from the straw
behind him, and produced an egg. The Mexicans glanced up. Pete dug in
the straw and fetched up another egg--and another. Brevoort leaned
forward as though deeply interested in some sleight-of-hand trick. Egg
after egg came from the abandoned nest. The Mexicans laughed. The
supply of eggs seemed to be endless.

Finally Pete drew out his hand, empty. "Let's count 'em," he said, and
straightway began, placing the eggs in a pile midway between himself
and his companion. "Twenty-eight. She was a enterprisin' hen."

"I'll match for 'em," said Brevoort, hitching round and facing Pete.

"I'll go you!" And straightway Brevoort and Pete became absorbed in
the game, seemingly oblivious to the Mexicans, who sat watching, with
open mouths, utterly absorbed in their childish interest. Two Gringoes
were gambling for bad eggs.

Pete won for a while. Then he began to lose. "They're ripe all right.
I can tell by the color. Plumb ready to bust. The Cholas sabe that.
Watch 'em grin. They 're waitin' for one of us to bust a egg. That'll
be a big joke, and they'll 'most die a-laughin'--'cause it's a
joke--and 'cause we're Gringoes."

"Then here's where I bust one," said Brevoort. "Get a couple in your
hand. Act like you was chokin' to death. I'll laugh. Then I'll kind
of get the smell of that lame egg and stand up quick. Ready?"

"Shoot," said Pete.

Brevoort tossed an egg on the pile. Several of the eggs broke with a
faint "plop." Pete wrinkled his nose, and his face expressed such
utter astonishment, disgust, even horror, as the full significance of
the age of those eggs ascended to him, that he did not need to act his
part. He got to his feet and backed away from those eggs, even as
Brevoort rose slowly, as though just aware that the eggs were not
altogether innocent. The two Mexicans had risen to their knees and
rocked