d happy as the bandit himself. This man, whom he never thought
to see again in his whole life was standing here, in his own adobe.

"Now you know me!" Pancho went on. "Ah! my frand! 'Ow glad I am for to see
you some more! Pedro! Venustiano! Ees my friend! Sabbe! Orders like my own!
Serve 'im as you would me!" He went to Gilbert and frankly embraced him in
the Latin fashion. "Eet's 'ell of a good thing I reckernize you!" he
laughed, hugging his old friend close. He could never forget his kindness
that night so many years ago; and to think he had run across his deliverer
now!

Everyone was relieved. Their troubles would now be ended.

"And you ain't going to rob him, after all?" Uncle Henry piped up.

"Rob 'im? Rob my frand?" Lopez repeated.

"Ain't you?" Uncle Henry cried.

The bandit looked at him, wonder in his eyes. "No! _Ciertamente_ no!"

"Hooray!" the old man yelled, and would have risen in his chair could he
have done so.

"Say, who the 'ell is that?" said Lopez, addressing himself to Gilbert.

"He's my uncle," young Jones answered.

"Uncle?" the bandit said, unbelieving.

"Uncle Henry," old man Smith wanted it to be straight.

"He shall go free," Lopez announced.

Hardy thought this a good omen. They would all be set free, no doubt. He
faced Lopez bravely. "Ah, then it's all right," he said, a sickly smile on
his face.

"All right?" said Lopez.

"Yes," Hardy said.

Lopez considered for a moment, hand on chin, his eyes again two narrow
slits. "Not so fast," he cautioned. "It ees all right for 'im," nodding at
Uncle Henry, "an' all right for 'im," indicating Gilbert; "but for you--"
He let one hand fly out, and a resounding slap on Hardy's eager face was
the result. Then he turned to Pedro. "Take them all out--_pronto_! 'Ees all
right!' Like 'ell ees all right!"

Hardy flushed scarlet. His first impulse was to strike back; but how could
he? Those guns pointed at him from every direction. He was as powerless as
a baby. But his hour would come. This dastardly Mexican bandit should
suffer for that blow.

Yet like one of a line of sheep he was obliged to follow Pedro out of the
door. It was a humiliating moment. Gilbert and Lopez were left alone.

"Now we shall visit," the bandit said, and put his arm through Gilbert's.
"Ah! it ees so good to see you, my frand!"

Gilbert was still mystified. "Yes," he said, "but I don't understand how
you, a peon, became the Pancho Lopez so soon."

"Ah! it ees