ruce saw the man depart. When his figure had dimned and blurred into
the gathering night they still sat on, silent, watching the stars come
out. Bruce had brought out cigars and the red embers glowed
companionably. Presently Bruce sighed.

"It's a great little old land," he said, and the inflection of the
quietly spoken words was that of affection. "A man could ask for no
better, Jim. Conditions right now are damnable; you've got to scrap
all along the line for what's yours. But what do you know that is
worth the having that isn't worth the fighting for? And one of these
fine days when Mexico settles down to business, sort of grows up and
gets past the schoolboy stage, we'll have the one combination now
lacking--law and order."

Kendric, who had been reflecting upon other matters, made no immediate
reply. Bruce had the answer to his suggestion of a new order of things
but it came from the darkness beyond his barns. There was a sudden
sharp bark from one of his dogs, then a rising clamor as the whole pack
broke into excited barking. From so far away that the sound barely
reached them came a man's voice, exclaiming angrily. Then a rifle
shot, a long, shrill whistle, shouts and the sudden thud of many racing
hoofs.

Bruce West toppled over his chair and plunged through the nearest door.
It was dark in the house and Kendric heard him strike against a second
chair, send it crashing to the floor and dash on. In a moment Bruce
was back on the porch, a rifle in each hand. One he thrust out to
Kendric, muttering between his teeth,

"Raiders, or we're in luck. Damned rebel outlaws. Come on!"

He ran out into the yard, Kendric at his heels pumping a shell into the
barrel. As they turned a corner of the house Bruce stopped dead in his
track and Kendric bumped into him and stopped with him. Already the
barns were on fire; two tall flames stabbed upward at the dark; the
hissing of burning wood and fodder must have reached their ears in five
minutes had the pack given no warning. In the rapidly growing light
they saw the dogs where, bunched together, they snarled and snapped and
broke into wilder baying.

Bruce began shouting, calling to his men, three or four of whom came
running out of the house. Beyond the barns they made out vague forms,
whether of cattle or horses or riders it was at first impossible to
know. Again they ran forward; from somewhere in the direction of the
corrals came several rifle repor