Company. Now he was going back to
spoil his plans for making money by rustling American stock and sending
contraband goods across the line. Not only that; he was going to take
from him the girl he was engaged to marry.

"By God! I'll give him a run for it," the prizefighter announced
savagely and suddenly.

"For what?" asked Culvera maliciously.

"My business," retorted Harrison harshly, reaching for his clothes.

Half an hour later he was galloping toward the north. If he could reach
Los Robles before Yeager did, he would turn a trick that would still
leave the odds in his favor.

CHAPTER XII

INTO THE DESERT

Ruth was baking apple pies in the kitchen. In her eyes there was a smile
and there were little dimples near the corners of her mouth. Evidently
she was thinking of something pleasant. Her nimble fingers ran around
the edge of the upper crust with a fork and scalloped a design. At odd
moments she would burst into a little rhapsody of song that appeared to
bubble out of her heart.

Some one stepped into the doorway and shut out the sunlight. Her
questioning glance lifted, to meet the heavy frown of the man to whom
she was engaged. At sight of him the sunshine was extinguished from her
face, just as it had seemed to be from the room when his broad shoulders
had filled the opening.

"You--Chad!" she cried. "I thought--"

"Well, I ain't. I'm here," he broke in roughly. "And you don't look glad
to death to see me either."

Her gentle eyes reproached him. "You're always welcome. You know that."

His harsh face softened a little as he stepped forward and kissed her.
"Maybe I do, but maybe I like to hear you say so. Girl, I've come to
take you with me."

"With you? Where?" Alarm was in the eyes that flashed to meet his.

"To Noche Buena."

"But--what for?"

"Ain't it reason enough that I want you to go? We can get married at
Arixico to-night."

She broke into protest disjointed and a little incoherent. "You promised
me that--that I could have all the time I wanted. You said--you said--"

"That was when I was here to look after you. But I'll be staying in
Sonora quite a while the way my business affairs look. I need you--and
what's the sense of waiting, anyhow?"

"No--no! I don't want to--not now. Please don't ask it, Chad, I--I don't
want to get married--yet."

Sobs began to choke up her voice. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"I don't see why you don't," he insisted sullenly. "Ain't tryin