by the contractor. He
forced an opening through the group of workmen by a savage sweep of
his arms and came to the keg, where the Mexican at the moment was
bending down and holding a cup under the spigot. When the man
perceived the engineer, he leaped up. The fellow's short, squat figure
and stony expression had for Bryant a vague familiarity--that face
especially, brown, stolid, brutal, with a fixed, snake-like gaze.

But Lee had no time to speculate on the Mexican's identity. The liquor
was the important thing. The man stood motionless, holding in his left
hand the half-filled cup that gave off a pungent, sickening smell of
whisky; his eyes were intent on the engineer. Behind Lee, Carrigan was
already herding the others from the tent.

"Where did you get that stuff?" Bryant demanded. But as the Mexican
only shook his head, he changed to Spanish. "Trying to start a big
drunk here?"

"To-morrow is a fete day, senor," was the reply. "A friend made me a
present; I share it with the others. Besides, in cold weather it keeps
one warm."

"How long have you worked here?"

"Three days."

"There's a camp order: 'No liquor allowed in camp.' You can't say that
you don't know it, for it's posted everywhere on placards in English
and in Spanish."

He received no response. A faint shrug of the shoulders, perhaps. The
Mexican's glistening, sinister eyes, on the other hand, continued as
rigid as orbs of polished agate, and his face as expressionless.

"Well, we'll lock you up and see if we can learn who your 'friend' is
that sent this barrel in," Lee stated.

There was a slight movement of the man's elbow.

"Watch him--his right hand!" Pat cried, sharply.

The hand had darted swiftly to the fellow's hip, but Bryant's fist was
as quick. It shot up, catching the man's jaw and hoisting him off his
feet. Next instant the engineer had disarmed the prostrate ruffian.

"The Kennard jail for you," said he, in English. "A bad _hombre_, eh!
Up with you, quick."

But what followed neither the engineer nor the contractor anticipated.
With a lightning-like roll of his body the man vanished under the side
of the tent. When the others rushed out in search of him he had made
good his escape; and a search through the dark camp would be useless.
They therefore emptied the keg upon the ground, extinguished the lamp,
and returned to Lee's office. Though the Mexican had got away, they
nevertheless had put a foot on the malicious scheme.