ned the ranger.

"And why not? Isn't the law made for man?"

"For which man--Megales?"

"In order to give the greatest liberty to each individual man. But here
comes young Valdez riding back as if he were in a bit of a hurry."

The filibuster rode forward and talked with the young man for a few
minutes in a low voice. When he rejoined Bucky he nodded his head
toward the young man, who was again headed for the front of the column.
"There's the best lad in the State of Chihuahua. He's a Mexican, all
right, but he has as much sense as a white man. He doesn't mix issues.
Now, the lad's in love with Carmencita Megales, the prettiest black-eyed
lass in Mexico, and, by the same token, so is our friend Chaves, who
just gave us the guns a little while ago. But Valdez is a man from the
heel of him to the head. Miss Carmencita has her nose in the air because
Juan doesn't snuggle up to ould Megales and flatter him the same way
young Chaves does. So the lad is persona non grata at court with the
lady, and that tin soldier who gave up the guns without a blow gets the
lady's smiles. But it's my opinion that, for all her haughty ways,
miss would rather have our honest fighting lad than a roomful of the
imitation toy kind."

A couple of miles from the outskirts of the city the wagons separated,
and each was driven to the assigned place for the hiding of the rifles
till night. At the edge of the town Bucky made arrangements to join his
friend again at the monument in the centre of the plaza within fifteen
minutes. He was to bring his little partner with him, and O'Halloran was
to take them to a place where they might lie in hiding till the time set
for the rising.

"I would go with ye, but I want to take charge of the unloading. Don't
lose any time, lad, for as soon as Megales learns of what has happened
his fellows will scour the town for every mother's son of us. Of course
you have been under surveillance, and it's likely he'll try to bag you
with the rest of us. It was a great piece of foolishness me forgetting
about the line of the Chihuahua Northern and its telegraph. But there's
a chance Chaves has forgot, too. Anyway, get back as soon as you can;
after we're hidden, it will be like looking for a needle in a haystack
to put his fat finger on us."

Bucky went singing up the stairway of the hotel to his room. He was keen
to get back to his little friend after the hazards of the night, eager
to see the brown eyes light up with