ndicated, for
him to win some money. But, against this chance for him to win some
money was the chance also, as conveyed inversely by Franke, of his
losing some money--money he could ill afford to lose.

"You afraid?" suddenly cut in Franke, nastily, upon these reflections.
"I don' see you do soomt'ing!"

Which decided Felipe for all time. "Afraid?" he echoed, disdainfully.
"Sure! But not for myself! You don' have mooch money to lose! But I mek
eet a bet--a good bet! I bet you two dolars thot eet--thot eet don' be!"

It was now the other who hesitated. But he did not hesitate for long.
Evidently the spirit of the gambler was more deeply rooted in him than
it was in Felipe, for, after gazing out in the trail a moment, then
eying Felipe another moment, both speculatively, he extracted from his
pockets two more silver dollars and tossed them down with the others.
Then he fixed Felipe with a malignant stare.

"I bet you t'ree dolars thot eet cooms what I haf say!"

Felipe laughed. "All right," he agreed, readily. "Why not?" He heaped
the money under a stone, sank over upon his back with an affected yawn,
drew his hat over his eyes, and lay still. "We go to sleep now, Franke,"
he proposed. "Eet's long time--I haf t'ink."

Soon both were snoring.

Out in the trail hung the quiet of a sick-room. The long afternoon
waned. Once a wagon appeared from the direction of town, but the driver,
evidently grasping the true situation, turned out and around the mare in
respectful silence. Another time a single horseman, riding from the
mountains, cantered upon the scene; but this man, also with a look of
understanding, turned out and around the mare in careful regard for her
condition. Then came darkness. Shadows crept in from nowhere, stealing
over the desert more and more darkly, while, with their coming, birds of
the air, seeking safe place for night rest, flitted about in nervous
uncertainty. And suddenly in the gathering dusk rose the long-drawn howl
of a coyote, lifting into the stillness a lugubrious note of appeal.
Then, close upon the echo of this, rose another appeal in the trail
close by, the shrill nicker of the mate to the mare.

It awoke Felipe. He sat up quickly, rubbed his eyes dazedly, and peered
out with increasing understanding. Then he sprang to his feet.

"Coom!" he called, kicking the other. "We go now--see who is winnin'
thot bet!" And he started hurriedly forward.

But the other checked him. "Wait!" he s