holy Caruso of
yourself? Nobody ain't ever pined to hear you tune up, anyhow."

"All right. Mum's the word, old hoss. I'll be as solemn as if I was
going to my own funeral."

"I ain't persuaded yet you're not."

"I'm right fully persuaded. Hallo! Stranger visiting at Corbett's. Guess
I'll unlimber the artillery."

They dismounted, and, before turning over his horse to Yeager, Dick
unstrapped from the saddle his rifle. Nowadays he never for a moment was
separated from some weapon of defense. For he knew that an attack upon
his life was almost a certainty in the near future. Though his manner
was debonair, he saw to it that nobody got a chance to tamper with his
guns.

"Make you acquainted with Mr. Ramon Ainsa, gentlemen. Mr. Gordon--Mr.
Davis," said Corbett, standing in the doorway in his shirt-sleeves.

Mr. Ainsa, a very young man with the hint of a black mustache over his
boyish mouth, clicked his heels together and bowed deeply. He expressed
himself as delighted, but did not offer to shake hands. He was so stiff
that Dick wanted to ask him whether the poker he had swallowed was
indigestible.

"I am the bearer of a message to Mr. Richard Muir Gordon," he said with
another bow.

"My name," acknowledged its owner. "You ain't missed a letter of it.
Must have been at the christening, I expect."

"A message from Don Manuel Pesquiera."

"Good enough. That's right friendly of him. How's the _don_?"

And Dick, the sparkle of malicious humor gleaming in his eye, shook Mr.
Ainsa warmly by the hand, in spite of that gentleman's effort to escape.

The messenger sidestepped as soon as he could, and began again, very
red:

"Don Manuel considers himself deeply insulted, and desires through me,
his friend, to present this note."

Dick looked at the envelope, and back at the youth who had handed it to
him, after which he crowded in and pump-handled the other's arm again.

"That's awfully good of him, Mr. 'Tain't-so."

"My name is Ainsa, at your service," corrected the New Mexican.

"Beg pardon--Ainsa. I expect I hadn't ought to have irrigated the _don_
so thorough, but it's real good of him to overlook it and write me a
friendly note. It's uncommon handsome of him after I disarranged his
laundry so abrupt."

"If the _senor_ will read the letter--" interrupted the envoy
desperately.

"Certainly. But let me offer you something to drink first, Mr.
Ain't-so."

"Ainsa."

"Ainsa, I should say. A plain American ha