agitated. "I'm afraid we were a bit hasty," he tried to explain
things away.

This tickled Uncle Henry's bump of humor. He chuckled, and cried, "Ho, ho!
Serves you both gol darn good and right!" He seemed to go into a spasm of
laughter.

Pell's chief concern now was to get out of the mess--to get away; to have
everything settled. Lopez could probably be dealt with, man to man.

"Look here," he suggested, in a direct attack, "can't we settle things some
way?"

"Yes," the bandit replied. "From my headquarters in Chihuahua I will give
you pen, ink, messenger-boy--everysing!"

"But I--" Pell started to say.

But Lopez broke in: "You will please listen more and speak less. I 'ave
decide. You I shall 'old for ransom. And," turning to Hardy, "you; and
you," pointing to Uncle Henry, "you who 'ave nossing, I shall leave
be'ind."

Pell and Hardy felt that the game was over.

Uncle Henry, on the contrary, was jubilant. "Gee!" he sang out, "and I get
the oil, after all!"

No one heeded him. Things were too serious still.

"You wouldn't do this?" Hardy asked of Lopez.

"No?" the bandit asked.

Hardy took Angela in his arms. "But what about her--my daughter? You
wouldn't take her, would you?"

"Not for a million dollars!" Lopez smiled.

Angela's pride was hurt, "H'm!" she sniffed.

Lopez looked around him. He saw Lucia, and extended his hand to her. "And
as for you--" he began.

Lucia was frightened. What was to be her fate?

"Yes?" she breathed.

"Life 'as been unkind to you. Too long 'ave you been marry wiz ze tired
business man. You shall come wiz me to ze land of purple mountains, where I
will love you myself personal."

This animal! Lucia turned from him in horror. "But I don't want to love!"

"It is not what you want," a new tone came into Lopez's voice. "It is what
_I_ want. I am ze law, 'ere!"

"Please!" Lucia pleaded.

Pell stepped forward. "Look here!" he cried. "There must be some way out of
this!"

"Zere is," said Lopez politely. He pointed to the door. "Zat way."

Angela clung to her father's neck. "Dad!" she cried, seeing that he was
about to be forced to go--perhaps forever. Tears rolled down her pretty
cheeks.

Pell saw the seriousness of things now, and turned to Hardy in a strange
camaraderie. "I guess we're up against it," he said.

"Looks that way," the other replied. In their misfortune they were
curiously united.

Lopez turned to the whole room. "If you are ready?" he said,