ant _you_."

Terror seized poor Pell. "But for God's sake," he wailed, "you wouldn't do
that! You couldn't! Without even a chance for my life. At least fight me
fair!" His voice seemed far away to him--like the voice of another being
from a distant world.

"Fair?" Lopez rolled the word over.

"Give me a gun, too!" the fool prayed.

"Give you a gun! Pedro!" The man had evidently been just outside the door,
and came in at once. "Pedro, you 'ear?" And Pedro grinned.

"Yes! Give me a chance!"

"I shall never understand ze American idea. I give you a gun, you say?"

"Yes! That's the least you can do!" Pell was weeping now.

"But if I should give you a gun, you might shoot me wiz it!" Lopez laughed.

"You won't?"

"I am no damn fool!" the bandit cried. And he deliberately raised his gun
again.

"You're not going to kill me? No! for the love of God, don't!" He plunged
forward, groveling at Lopez's feet. A woman in a melodrama could not have
begged harder for mercy. "Spare me!" were the words that fell from his
pitiful lips. "For God's sake, spare me! I'll do anything! Go anywhere! He
can have her! You can have her! Her, and all the money I've got, if only
you'll spare my life!"

The bandit looked down in utter disgust at the cringing form. Never had he
seen anything in the world that he detested more. Pell's fingers were on
the bandit's boots.

"I did not know zat even a dog could be so yellow," he said. Then he
turned to Pedro. "I do not 'unt rabbits. You kill 'im, Pedro." And he would
not look again on the miserable specimen of a man that wallowed there on
the floor.

"Ah! for the love of God!" came from Pell, who had half risen. At that
instant Pedro shot from his hip at the debased creature. The form stiffened
and collapsed like a bag, falling partially under the table.

"It is a good deed," said Lopez, turning. "He was evil man."

The shot had been heard without. "Red," Gilbert, Hardy, and a few Mexicans
rushed in at the sound.

"Who shot?" cried the former.

"Pedro," said Lopez.

"But what was he shooting at?" "Red" asked.

Lopez smiled. "Only ze 'usband."

"What!" cried "Red." He turned and saw the body of Pell lying sprawled on
the floor, and horror came over him. "You've killed him!" His voice was
husky.

"I 'ave. Most enjoyishly!" said Lopez, lighting a cigarette.

Gilbert went over and stared down at the mute frame. "He's dead," he
announced. "Completely. Pedro never misses," was the ba