onable," interposed Ladd. "Lord
knows that's about the only chance we've got except fightin'."

"But suppose we do stave Rojas off, and you get safely away with
Mercedes. Isn't Rojas going to find it out quick? Then what'll he try
to do to us who're left here?"

"I reckon he'd find out by daylight," replied Jim. "But, Tom, he ain't
agoin' to start a scrap then. He'd want time an' hosses an' men to
chase us out on the trail. You see, I'm figgerin' on the crazy Greaser
wantin' the girl. I reckon he'll try to clean up here to get her. But
he's too smart to fight you for nothin'. Rojas may be nutty about
women, but he's afraid of the U. S. Take my word for it he'd discover
the trail in the mornin' an' light out on it. I reckon with ten hours'
start we could travel comfortable."

Belding paced up and down the room. Jim and Ladd whispered together.
Gale walked to the window and looked out at the distant group of
bandits, and then turned his gaze to rest upon Mercedes. She was
conscious now, and her eyes seemed all the larger and blacker for the
whiteness of her face. Thorne held her hands, and the other women were
trying to still her tremblings.

No one but Gale saw the Yaqui in the background looking down upon the
Spanish girl. All of Yaqui's looks were strange; but this singularly
so. Gale marked it, and felt he would never forget. Mercedes's beauty
had never before struck him as being so exquisite, so alluring as now
when she lay stricken. Gale wondered if the Indian was affected by her
loveliness, her helplessness, or her terror. Yaqui had seen Mercedes
only a few times, and upon each of these he had appeared to be
fascinated. Could the strange Indian, because his hate for Mexicans
was so great, be gloating over her misery? Something about Yaqui--a
noble austerity of countenance--made Gale feel his suspicion unjust.

Presently Belding called his rangers to him, and then Thorne.

"Listen to this," he said, earnestly. "I'll go out and have a talk
with Rojas. I'll try to reason with him; tell him to think a long time
before he sheds blood on Uncle Sam's soil. That he's now after an
American's wife! I'll not commit myself, nor will I refuse outright to
consider his demands, nor will I show the least fear of him. I'll play
for time. If my bluff goes through... well and good.... After dark the
four of you, Laddy, Jim, Dick, and Thorne, will take Mercedes and my
best white horses, and, with Yaqui as g