stion. They rode on.

A half-hour later, as they pulled up at the edge of the arroyo, Forbes
was startled by Pete's "Hello, neighbor!" to an apparently empty world.

"What's the joke?" queried Forbes.

The joke appeared suddenly around the bend in the arroyo--a big,
weather-bitten joke astride of a powerful horse. Forbes uttered an
exclamation as the joke whipped out a gun and told them to "Put 'em
up!" in a tone which caused Forbes's hands to let go the reins and rise
head-high without his having realized that he had made a movement.
Pete was also picking invisible peaches from the air, which further
confirmed Forbes's hasty conclusion that they were both doing the right
thing.

"_I ain't got a gun on me, Ed._" Pete had spoken slowly and
distinctly, and apparently without the least shadow of trepidation.
Forbes, gazing at the grim, bronzed face of the strange horseman,
nervously echoed Pete's statement. Before the Easterner could realize
what had actually happened, Pete and the strange rider had dismounted
and were shaking hands: a transition so astonishing that Forbes forgot
to lower his hands and sat with them nervously aloft as though
imploring the Rain-God not to forget his duty to mankind.

Pete and the stranger were talking. Forbes could catch an occasional
word, such as "The Spider--El
Paso--White-Eye--Hospital--Sonora--Sanborn--Sam Brent--"

Pete turned and grinned. "I reckon you can let go the--your holt, Doc.
This here is a friend of mine."

Forbes sighed thankfully. He was introduced to the friend, whom Pete
called Ed, but whose name had been suddenly changed to Bill. "We used
to ride together," explained Pete.

Forbes tactfully withdrew, realizing that whatever they had to talk
about was more or less confidential.

Presently Pete approached Forbes and asked him if he had any money with
him. Forbes had five dollars and some small change. "I'm borrowin'
this till to-morrow," said Pete, as he dug into his own pocket, and
without counting the sum total, gave it to the stranger.

Brevoort stuffed the money in his pocket and swung to his horse. "You
better ride in with us a ways," suggested Pete. "The young fella don't
know anything about you--and he won't talk if I pass the word to him.
Then I kin go on ahead and fetch back some grub and some more dineros."

Forbes found the stranger rather interesting as they rode back toward
Tucson; for he spoke of Mexico and affairs below the line--am