d still no Jose.

"Something must have happened to him," said Adrian.

"That's the charitable way to look at it," laughed the corporal.
"It's more likely, however, that he's making arrangements to have
something happen to us."

"I hardly think so," was Billie's comment, "but, if he is, we'll
fool him."

"How?"

"We'll move."

"But he may come back."

"We'll leave one man here on guard. The rest of us will go around
to the other side of town."

"Good!" from the corporal. "You are a strategist."

The plan was at once carried into effect.

"Now then," said Billie, "I'm going in to town myself."

"Not much," declared Adrian. "I'm going."

"I'd offer to go myself," laughed the corporal, "but I don't know
the place."

"We'll toss for it," said Billie.

"All right," and Adrian produced a coin. "Heads I win. Tails you
lose."

"No funny business," said Billie. "Choose heads if you want."

Adrian flipped the coin. It came down heads up.

"All right," agreed Billie. "Now for some set of signals."

"Our old Broncho Rider whistle if I need help," said Adrian. "If
everything is O. K., I'll give the whip-poor-will."

Adrian slid from his horse.

"What are you doing?" asked Billie.

"I'm going afoot. I didn't spend my boyhood among the Indians for
nothing. Good-bye!" and a moment later he disappeared in the
fading moonlight.

"Whatever the conditions," said Billie, "we'll soon know," as he
settled back in his saddle.

Running swiftly along, Adrian made straight for the barracks in
which he knew would be found whatever soldiers might be in the
city.

"If I find everything quiet at the barracks," was his thought, "I
can go straight to where Mr. Black is stopping without fear. If I
find there is any disturbance, I'll be more careful."

Ten minutes of running brought him to the barracks. All was as
quiet as the hour demanded. He stood under the shadow of the back
wall long enough to hear the sentry's call and then he turned in
the direction of the house where the two Americans were stopping.

It was only a few blocks away and he reached it without incident.

"Kind o' funny," he mused, "that I haven't seen or heard a soul
on the street. I wonder what's become of Jose?"

He stopped a minute to ponder.

"Things are going almost too smooth. I'll just stop a bit."

He stole past the house and a moment later threw himself into the
gutter, where he lay as one dead.

The wisdom of his action soon became