a cessation of the drumming of
the wheels. Opening his eyes, he saw that the train was no longer in
motion. He also saw--and his consciousness of that fact was much more
acute--the rim of a revolver about six inches from his forehead. Behind
the revolver was a man, a young Spanish gypsy, and he was offering the
officer very good advice.

"Don't move, sir. No cause for being uneasy. Just sit quiet and
everything will be serene. No, I wouldn't reach for that revolver, if I
were you."

Chaves cast a hurried eye down the car, and at the end of it beheld
the huge Irishman, O'Halloran, dominating the situation with a pair of
revolvers. Chaves' lambs were ranged on either side of the car, their
hands in the air. Back came the lieutenant's gaze to the impassive
face in front of him. Taken by and large, it did not seem an auspicious
moment for garnering glory. He decided to take the advice bestowed on
him.

"Better put your hands up and vote with your men. Then you won't be
tempted to play with your gun and commit suicide. That's right, sir.
I'll relieve you of it if you don't object."

Since the lieutenant had no objections to offer, the smiling gypsy
possessed himself of the revolver. At the same instant two more men
appeared at the end of the car. One of them was Juan Valdez and another
one of the mule-skinners. Simultaneously with their entrance rang out
a most disconcerting fusillade of small arms in the darkness without.
Megales' military band, as O'Halloran had facetiously dubbed them to
the ranger, arrived at the impression that there were about a thousand
insurgents encompassing the train. Chaves choked with rage, but the rest
of the command yielded to the situation very tranquilly, with no desire
to offer themselves as targets to this crackling explosion of Colts. Muy
bien! After all, Valdez was a better man to serve than the fox Megales.

Swiftly Valdez and the wagon driver passed down the car and gathered the
weapons from the seats of the troopers. Raising a window, they passed
them out to their friends outside. Meanwhile, the sound of an axe could
be heard battering at the door of the next car, and presently the crash
of splintering wood announced that an entrance had been forced.

"Breaking furniture, I reckon," drawled Bucky, in English, for the
moment forgetful of the part he was playing. "I hope they'll be all
right careful of them pianos and not mishandle them so they'll get out
of tune."

"So, senor,