rious source--and it was with
these agents that The Spider had had his dealings. His bank account in
El Paso was rolling up fast. Thus far he had been able to supply beef
to the hungry liberators of Mexico; but beef on the hoof was becoming
scarce on both sides of the border. Even before Pete had come to
Showdown, The Spider had perfected a plan to raid the herds of the
northern ranches. Occasional cowboys drifting to Showdown had given
him considerable information regarding the physical characteristics of
the country roundabout these ranches, the water-holes, trails, and
grazing.

The Spider knew that he could make only one such raid, with any chance
of success. If he made a drive at all, it would be on a big scale.
The cattlemen would eventually trail the first stolen herd to his
ranch. True, they would not find it there. He would see to it that
the cattle were pushed across the border without delay. But a second
attempt would be out of the question. The chief factor in the success
of the scheme would be the prompt handling of the herd upon its
arrival. He had cowboys in his employ who would steal the cattle.
What he needed was a man whom he could rely upon to check the tally and
turn the herd over to the agents of the Mexican soldiery and collect
the money on the spot, while his cowboys guarded the herd from a
possible raid by the Mexicans themselves. He knew that should the
northern ranchmen happen to organize quickly and in force, they would
not hesitate to promptly lynch the raiders, burn his buildings, take
all his horses worth taking, and generally put the ranch out of
business.

Thus far the ranch had paid well as a sort of isolated clearing-house
for The Spider's vicarious accounts. The cowboys who worked there were
picked men, each of whom received a straight salary, asked no
questions, and rode with a high-power rifle under his knee and a keen
eye toward the southern ranches.

Pete, riding south, bore an unsigned letter from The Spider, with
instructions to hand it to the foreman of "The Olla" and receive
further instructions from that gentleman. Pete knew nothing of the
contemplated raid, The Spider shrewdly surmising that Pete would balk
at the prospect of stealing cattle from his own countrymen. And it was
because of this very fact that The Spider had intrusted Pete--by letter
to the foreman--with the even greater responsibility of receiving the
money for the cattle and depositing it in