m
well enough to know that they would only be too glad to take a hand in
any fight against Mexicans if they learned of it in time. At first he
had been content to get Tom Boyd to the Upper Spring or to Cold Spring,
only a few miles farther on, and there turn his responsibility over to
the commander of the troops. If he could get them to slip away from
their friends and be captured out of sight and hearing of the caravan
it would suit him much better; and if he could coax them to take their
goods with them, he and his friends could divide the spoils and slip the
plunder past the customs officers. The caravan was now within fifty
miles of Cold Spring and he must make up his mind and act quickly.

"Eet ees then you weesh to pay thee char-rges?" the Mexican asked,
raising his eyebrows.

"No!" growled Hank. "They air a robbery, plain an' simple."

"No!" said Tom, who was giving but little thought to the customs duties,
but a great deal to his own personal freedom. He did not want to meet
any kind of officers, customs or otherwise. He would have jumped at a
secret trail into the settlements had he not known so much about Pedro.
"At th' same time I ain't hankerin' fer ter leave th' caravan so soon.
We're nigh three hundred miles from Sante Fe, an' thar ain't no way we
kin go that'll cut off ten miles. This wagon road runs nigh as straight
as th' crow flies. What about grass fer th' mules, an' water?"

"Ah," breathed Pedro. "We weel not go to Santa Fe, senor; we go near
Taos, less than two hundred mile away from here. Along thee Ocate
Cr-reek I haf fr-riends who know ver' well thee mountains. They weel tak
us over them. How can thee senores sell their goods onless by ways that
ar-re made? Weeth us we haf men that know that tr-rail. We weel send one
befor-re to thee Ocate, an' follow heem fast."

Tom studied the fire for a few moments and then looked up at his guest.
"We want ter think this over, Pedro," he said. "You figger what per cent
o' th' customs savings you want fer yer share, an' we'll decide
tomorrow night. Hank, here, wants ter go ter Bent's an' reckons we kin
git a good price thar fer our goods. Let you know then. Good night."

After Pedro had painted the picture of the innocent-looking loads of
faggots and sheepskins, hay and produce, towering over the backs of the
nearly hidden pack mules as they toiled through the canyon and over the
rough trail leading from the Valley of Taos into Santa Fe, their loads
pass