h your boots on,* if you are superstitious. I only want
you to exchange them for that pair of Hale's in the corner. The fact
is I have taken a fancy to yours. That fashion of wearing the stockings
outside strikes me as one of the neatest things out."

* "To die with one's boots on." A synonym for death by
violence, popular among Southwestern desperadoes, and the
subject of superstitious dread.

Manuel suddenly drew off his boots with their muffled covering, and put
on the ones designated.

"Now open the door."

He did so. Falkner was already waiting at the threshold, "Turn Manuel
loose with the other, Ned, but disarm him first. They might quarrel. The
habit of carrying arms, Manuel," added Lee, as Falkner took a pistol and
bowie-knife from the half-breed, "is of itself provocative of violence,
and inconsistent with a bucolic and pastoral life."

When Falkner returned he said hurriedly to his companion, "Do you think
it wise, George, to let those hell-hounds loose? Good God! I could
scarcely let my grip of his throat go, when I thought of what they were
hunting."

"My dear Ned," said Lee, luxuriously ensconcing himself under the
bedclothes again with a slight shiver of delicious warmth, "I must warn
you against allowing the natural pride of a higher walk to prejudice you
against the general level of our profession. Indeed, I was quite struck
with the justice of Manuel's protest that I was interfering with certain
rude processes of his own towards results aimed at by others."

"George!" interrupted Falkner, almost savagely.

"Well. I admit it's getting rather late in the evening for pure
philosophical inquiry, and you are tired. Practically, then, it WAS wise
to let them get away before they discovered two things. One, our exact
relations here with these women; and the other, HOW MANY of us were
here. At present they think we are three or four in possession and with
the consent of the women."

"The dogs!"

"They are paying us the highest compliment they can conceive of by
supposing us cleverer scoundrels than themselves. You are very unjust,
Ned."

"If they escape and tell their story?"

"We shall have the rare pleasure of knowing we are better than people
believe us. And now put those boots away somewhere where we can produce
them if necessary, as evidence of Manuel's evening call. At present
we'll keep the thing quiet, and in the early morning you can find out
where they got in and remove