loser to her sister and clung
to her for courage and support. Paquita, however, became Amazonian at
once.

"Is there nothing I can do, Ned? I can't bear to lie here listening
and taking no part. Surely I could shoot a pistol well enough."

"You can help us best and most by lying flat and showing not so much
as a finger at the door. We can tend to them, Fan. It won't be long
before father and the troop come galloping back. Don't show a light
now unless we call." Then he darted to the bar-room.

"Are they coming?" hailed the clerk, in a hoarse whisper.

"Somebody signalled out on the plain. It's probably they. Look out for
Moreno now; don't let him or anybody through that door."

Far out on the desert again, louder, shriller, clearer, the whistle
was repeated.

"Ah, blow and be damned to ye!" muttered Feeny. "There's no answer
from here ye'll get this night. Watch out now. Some of 'em will try to
crawl up after a little."

But nearly five minutes passed without other sign or sound. Then,
closer in, a horse stamped and snorted; a coarse Mexican voice
muttered a savage oath. Feeny, crouching low, darted into the darkness
in the direction of the sound. Plummer and Harvey would have
restrained him, but it was too late; he was gone before either could
speak. Then a latch creaked and snapped behind them and, slowly and
cautiously, the wooden shutter began to open outward. In an instant
Harvey had raised his rifle and struck the resounding board a fierce
blow with the butt. The door flew back, crashing in violent contact
against the grizzled pate of Moreno himself, who, with a howl of
mingled rage and anguish, fell back from the aperture.

"Open that again and I'll blow your head off, you scoundrel!" growled
Harvey. "Don't you dare show hair nor hide outside your room. Every
man has orders to shoot you on sight, if that's any comfort to you."

Only for a second had the old Mexican's head appeared; only an instant
had he for plea or protestation, but that instant had served to show a
narrow streak of light from the room within, and this mere crack
revealed to the watchful eyes out upon the plain the position of the
ranch, possibly told them something more, for in less than half a
minute two horsemen came looming up out of the darkness and cantering
fearlessly towards them. Phlegmatic as he was, old Plummer's nerves
gave a twitch as, sharp and stern, young Harvey challenged.

"Halt there! Who are you? _Halt_! or we fir