ich was a most foolish law. But
he watched them all the time and wanted them to fight--there was no more
shooting or drunkenness in town. Nobody wanted to fight Senor Martin,
for he was a great man. He even went so far as to talk with them about
it and wave his arms, but they were as frightened at him as little
children might be.

So the Mexicans gossiped and exulted, some of the bolder of them even
swaggering out to the Gringo camp; but Martin drove them back again,
saying he would not allow them to bully men who could not retaliate,
which was right and fair. Then, afraid to go away and leave the mad
cow-punchers so close to town, he ordered them to drive their herd
farther east, nearer to Dent's store, and never to return to San Felippe
unless they needed the padre; and they obeyed him after a long talk.
After seeing them settled in their new camp, which was on Monday
morning, Martin returned to San Felippe and told the padre where he
could be found and then rode away again. San Felippe celebrated for
a whole day and two Mexican babies were christened after Senor Dick
Martin, which was honor all around.

Friday, when Manuel went over to spy upon the cow-punchers in their new
camp, he found them so drunk that they could not stand, and before he
crept away at dusk two of them were sleeping like gorged snakes and the
third was firing off his revolver at random, which diversion had not a
little to do with Manuel's departure.

When Manuel crept away he headed straight for a crevice near the wall of
the canyon at the Big Bend and, reaching it, looked all around and then
dropped into it. Not long thereafter another Mexican appeared, this one
from San Felippe, and also disappeared into the crevice. As darkness
fell Manuel reappeared with something under his jacket and a moment
later a light gleamed at the base of a slender sapling which grew on the
edge of the canyon wall and leaned out over the abyss. It was cleverly
placed, for only at one spot on the Mexican side of the distant Rio
Grande could it be seen--the high canyon walls farther down screened it
from any one who might be riding on the north bank of the river. In a
moment there came an answering twinkle and Manuel, covering the lantern
with a blanket, was swallowed up in the darkness of the crevice.

Without a trace of emotion, Dick Martin, from his place of concealment,
caught the answering gleam, and he watched Manuel disappear. "Cassidy
was right in every poin