cerning his missing parent. Here Dick left a
description of his father, and was promised that if anything was
discovered of the man word would be sent to him immediately.

Having ridden around to the depot, hotels and other public places, Dick
tied up his steed and began a hunt through the various streets, looking
into the doors of the stores and saloons as he passed.

His footsteps soon brought him down to the vicinity of the river front.
Here, situated along several blocks, were a number of eating and
drinking houses, patronized principally by river men, gamblers and
similar persons.

Having satisfied himself, with a sigh of relief, that his father was not
in any of the saloons, the youth came to a halt in front of a
restaurant. He had not eaten anything since the evening before, and his
night of adventures had made him decidedly hungry.

"I'll get a cup of coffee and some rolls to brace me up," he thought,
and entered the establishment. His order was soon given, and he took a
seat at a side table, close to a thin board partition.

His order served, he was disposing of the last of it, when the sound of
voices on the other side of the partition attracted his attention.

"Leave me alone, Juan Donomez!" came in the voice of a girl. "You have
no right to touch me."

"You are too pretty to be left alone," came in the slick tones of a
Mexican vaquero. "Come, now, senorita, give me just one kiss."

"I will not, and you must leave me alone," went on the girl, and her
trembling voice showed plainly that she was much frightened. "Where is
the man who sent for me?"

"He is not here yet."

"I do not believe he sent for me at all. It was a trick of yours to get
me here. Let me go."

"Not yet, senorita; you can go after a while. But first you must give me
a kiss. Then I will explain why I had you come."

As the last words were uttered Dick heard a scurry of feet, then came a
faint scream, cut short by the Mexican. The boy waited to hear no more.

"The contemptible greaser!" he muttered and leaped up. Throwing down the
amount of his check on the cashier's desk he hurried from the
restaurant. As he had supposed there was a hallway next door, where the
talking he had overheard was taking place.

"Oh, save me!" cried the girl, and one glance at her told Dick that she
was not over sixteen and as beautiful as any maiden he had ever seen.
She was attired in true western style and wore on her mass of shining
curls a big, s