forced loan, and refused
to speculate too long upon the purpose to which it might be put. The
whole occurrence was unfortunate. Ed Austin sincerely hoped he had
heard the last of it.

Jose Sanchez made use of the delay at Pueblo to institute further
inquiries regarding his missing cousin, but nowhere could he find the
slightest trace. Panfilo had set out to ride to this point and thence
to La Feria, but the last seen of him had been at the water-hole, one
day's ride from the home ranch. At that point the earth had opened and
swallowed him. If he were alive why had he not written to his
sweetheart, Rosa?

Jose swore an oath that he would learn the truth if it required his
whole lifetime, and, if it should turn out that his sainted relative
had indeed met with foul play--well! Jose told his friends they could
judge, by looking at him, the sort of man he was. He proudly displayed
Longorio's revolver, and called it his cousin's little avenger. The
weapon had slain many; it had a duty still to perform, so he said.

Jose intended to confide his purpose to Mrs. Austin, but when it came
time to start for Las Palmas there was a fourth passenger in the
automobile, and he was obliged to hold his tongue for the moment.

A motor trip along the lower Rio Grande would prove a novel and not
altogether agreeable experience to the average automobilist, for there
are few improved roads and the rest offer many difficulties, not the
least of which are frequent fords, some deep, some shallow. So it was
that Alaire considered it necessary to make an early start.

In spite of the unhealthy fancies that Dave Law had taken to bed with
him, he arose this morning in fine spirits and with a determination to
put in a happy day. Alaire, too, was in good humor and expressed her
relief at escaping from everything Mexican.

"I haven't seen a newspaper for ages, and I don't know what is going on
at Jonesville or anywhere else," she confided.

Dave told her of the latest developments in the Mexican situation, the
slow but certain increase of tension between the two governments, and
then of home happenings. When she asked him about his own doings, he
informed her of the affair which had brought him to Pueblo.

Of course all three of his companions were breathlessly interested in
the story of Pino Garza's death; Dolores and Jose did not allow a word
to escape them.

"So they cut our fence and ran the calves into our pasture to brand!"
Alaire said