l's casing, these were
gradually reduced to check the flow without causing a blowout in the pipe
line.

Six hours later a metropolitan newspaper carried the headline:

BIG GUSHER HARNESSED;
AFTER WILD RAMPAGE

Jackpot No. 3 at Malapi Tamed
Long Battle Ended

CHAPTER XXIV

SHORTY

It was a surprise to Dave to discover that the horse Steve had got for
him was his own old favorite Chiquito. The pinto knew him. He tested this
by putting him through some of his old tricks. The horse refused to dance
or play dead, but at the word of command his right foreleg came up to
shake hands. He nuzzled his silky nose against the coat of his master
just as in the days of old.

Crawford rode a bay, larger than a bronco. The oil prospector was
astride a rangy roan. He was no horseman, but as a perpetual-motion
conversationalist the old wildcatter broke records. He was a short barrel
of a man, with small eyes set close together, and he made a figure of fun
perched high up in the saddle. But he permitted no difficulties of travel
to interfere with his monologue.

"The boss hold-up wasn't no glad-hand artist," he explained. "He was a
sure-enough sulky devil, though o'course we couldn't see his face behind
the mask. Blue mask it was, made outa a bandanna handkerchief. Well,
rightaway I knew somethin' was liable to pop, for old Harrigan, scared to
death, kep' a-goin' just the same. Maybe he hadn't sense enough to stop,
as the fellow says. Maybe he didn't want to. Bang-bang! I reckon Tim was
dead before he hit the ground. They lined us up, but they didn't take a
thing except the gold and one Chicago fellow's watch. Then they cut the
harness and p'int for the hills."

"How do you know they made for the hills?" asked Dave.

"Well, they naturally would. Anyhow, they lit out round the Bend. I
hadn't lost 'em none, and I wasn't lookin' to see where they went. Not in
this year of our Lord. I'm right careless at times, but not enough so to
make inquiries of road agents when they're red from killin'. I been told
I got no terminal facilities of speech, but it's a fact I didn't chirp
from start to finish of the hold-up. I was plumb reticent."

Light sifted into the sky. The riders saw the colors change in a desert
dawn. The hilltops below them were veiled in a silver-blue mist. Far away
Malapi rose out of the caldron, its cheapness for once touched to a
moment of beauty and significance. In that glorified sunrise it might
have bee