ion Gentleman Geoff sank
into a stupor from which all Billie's efforts failed to arouse him.
She glanced at the little watch on her wrist. Twenty minutes past
four! One hour for the massive door to hold against those crashing
blows which seemed beating upon her brain. One hour for the young
engineer to ride ten miles on an already jaded horse, provided he had
succeeded in making his perilous start, and bring the Carranzistas to
the rescue!

The din of the volley which had greeted him from the pickets could not
reach her ears above the roar of conflict surrounding her, much less
the receding hoof-beats of his mount. From the moment of his passing
into the darkness of the patio the girl could only wait, but her spirit
was staunch and unflagging. He would win through! He would return in
time!

At her order, two mozos had dragged a couch from an inner room and the
insensible body of Gentleman Geoff was placed upon it. Billie bound
the hideous gaping wound and forced a few drops of brandy between the
set lips, but he only moaned faintly and drifted into a deeper oblivion.

Twenty-five minutes of five! Unless he were lying stark and still in
the plaza, Thode must be well upon his way.

But Billie had no time to nurse her suspense; she could not even linger
by her father's side, for there was grim and urgent work for her hands,
and one by one the women crept out from behind the comparative safety
of the bar and joined her. Barely a man of all those who had thronged
the gambling-rooms remained unscathed, and the cries of the wounded
rang in her ears with piteous insistence.

As she passed from one fallen man to another, heedless of her own
exposure to stray bullets, administering brandy and water, improvising
rude bandages and comforting as best she might, one thought echoed like
a chant through her brain, solemn with its intensity. He would come.
Her head seemed bursting with each reverberating crash of the
battering-ram and her heart pulsed time to the slow march of the
interminable hour, but the thought remained. He would come.

Ten minutes to five. Thode must have reached the barracks at the
refinery by now, unless---- She set her small teeth firmly. Half of
the hour had passed, but already the door was sagging with each renewed
assault and the bolts were snapping beneath the strain. She dared not
look again toward that last failing defense, dared not consult the
little watch lest her self-control, her