re any Annie Laurie gave me
her promise true."

When the train had gone John Wesley wandered disconsolately back
to his hotel and rested his elbows on the bar. The white-aproned
attendant hastened to serve him.

"What will it be, sir?"

"Give me a gin pitfall," said John Wesley.

Chapter II

"Cold feet?"

"Horrible!" said Anastacio.

Matthew Lisner, sheriff of Dona Ana, bent a hard eye on his
subordinate.

"It's got to be done," he urged. "To elect our ticket we must have
all the respectable and responsible people of the valley. If we can
provoke Foy into an outbreak----"

"Not we--you," corrected Anastacio. "Myself, I do not feel provoking."

"Are you going to lay down on me?"

"If you care to put it that way--yes. Kit Foy is just the man to leave
alone."

"Now, listen!" said the sheriff impatiently. "Half the valley is owned
by newcomers, men of substance, who, with the votes they influence
or control, will decide the election. Foy is half a hero with them,
because of these vague old stories. But let him be stirred up to
violence now and you'll see! They won't see any romance in it--just an
open outrage; they will flock to us to the last man. Ours is the party
of law and order--"

"Law _to_ order, some say."

The veins swelled in the sheriff's heavy face and thick neck; he
regarded his deputy darkly.

"That comes well from you, Barela! Don't you see, with the law on our
side all these men of substance will be with us unconditionally?
I tell you, Christopher Foy is the brains of his party. Once he is
discredited--"

"And I tell you that I am the brains of your party and I'll have
nothing to do with your fine plan. 'Tis an old stratagem to call
oppression, law, and resistance to oppression, lawlessness. You tried
just that in ninety-six, didn't you? And I never could hear that our
side had any the best of it or that the good name of Dona Ana was in
any way bettered by our wars. Come, Mr. Lisner--the Kingdom of Lady
Ann has been quiet now for nearly eight years. Let us leave it so. For
myself, the last row brought me reputation and place, made me chief
deputy under two sheriffs--so I need have the less hesitation in
setting forth my passionate preference for peace."

"You have as much to gain as I have," growled the sheriff. "Besides
your own cinch, you have one of your _gente_ for deputy in every
precinct in the county."

"Exactly! And if we have wars again, who but the Barelas would