d one of us over when we fust came up; an' this here is the
consequence," added Springer, nodding his head toward the cabin again.

George knew why it was that the cattle-thieves had stopped to destroy
the squatter's house. He had killed one of their number, and they, in
turn, had killed him after a hard fight, and it was now too late to
recover his body or to save a single thing the cabin contained.

"So this is the fellow who twice befriended you, is it?" said Bob, who
was surprised to hear George call one of the prisoners by name. "Don't
you think it would be a good plan to chuck him into the fire too?"

"_I_ do," said Loring fiercely.

Springer drew a little nearer to George for protection.

"I didn't have any hand in it," said he earnestly--"honor bright, I
didn't. I can explain everything, so that you can see that I am not to
blame for being here."

"Carey," exclaimed Bob, "go back to Mr. Wentworth and give him his
choice between taking care of himself and going to the fort with us.
Hurry up, now.--If I only had a spade or two, I would make these
prisoners bury their dead comrades."

"Springer," said George, "can these friends of yours understand
English?"

The cattle-thief replied that they could not; they were all Mexicans.

"I am glad to hear it, for I want to ask you a few questions before you
explain how you came to be here. Did Fletcher have his whole band with
him to-night?"

"Not half of 'em," was the reply; "he had only about thirty men."

"How many has he in all?"

"Two hundred or so."

"Does he still make his head-quarters at the Don's ranche?"

"Yes; but look here, Mr. George," said Springer earnestly; "if you are
goin' over there after him, be mighty careful. You know what sort of a
looking place that ranche is--all stone, you know--an' them fellows is
all old soldiers, an' they'll fight awful."

George nodded his head as if to say that he knew all about that, and
spent some minutes in questioning the prisoner in regard to the road
that led to the ranche, while Bob sat by on his horse and listened. By
the time George had heard all he wanted to know, and Springer had told
how he had been arrested by the officer at Eagle Pass and rescued by
Fletcher, Carey came back.

"Mr. Wentworth will take care of himself," reported the trooper. "He
says that if he went to the fort he would have to come back to Holmes's
ranche, anyway--he is going to make his home there for a while, for he
and Hol