e
goes by rail one twists round thirty sinuous miles of rough mountainous
country in the descent from the pass to the capital of the State. The
ten men who slipped singly or by twos out of the city in the darkness
that evening and met at the rendezvous of the Santa Dolorosa mission did
not travel by rail to the pass, but followed a horseback trail which was
not more than half the distance.

At the mission O'Halloran and his friend found gathered half a dozen
Mexicans, one or two of them tough old campaigners, the rest young
fellows eager for the excitement of their first active service.

"Is Juan Valdez here yet?" asked O'Halloran, peering around in the
gloom.

"Not yet; nor Manuel Garcia," answered a young fellow.

Bucky was introduced to those present under the name of Alessandro
Perdoza, and presently also to the two missing members of the party who
arrived together a few moments later. Juan Valdez was the son of the
candidate who was opposing the reelection of Megales, and Manuel Garcia
was his bosom friend, and the young man to whom his sister was engaged.
They were both excellent types of the honorable aristocratic young
Mexican. They were lightly built, swarthy your men, possessed of that
perfect grace and courtesy which can be found at its best in the Spanish
races. Gay, handsome young cavaliers as they were, filled with the
pride of family, Bucky thought them almost ideal companions for such a
harebrained adventure as this. The ranger was a social democrat to the
marrow. He had breathed in with the Southwest breezes the conviction
that every man must stand on his own bottom, regardless of adventitious
circumstance, but he was not fool enough to think all men equal. It had
been his experience that some men, by grace of the strength in them,
were born to be masters and others by their weakness to be servants. He
knew that the best any civilization can offer a man is a chance. Given
that, it is up to every man to find his own niche.

But though he had no sense of deference to what is known as good blood,
Bucky had too much horse sense to resent the careless, half-indifferent
greeting which these two young sprouts of aristocracy bestowed on the
rest of the party. He understood that it was the natural product of
their education and of that of the others.

"Are we all here?" asked Garcia.

"All here," returned O'Halloran briskly. "Rodrigo will guide the party.
I ride next with Senor Garcia. Perdoza and Senor