George, seein' as how
you belong to the army, mebbe I had oughter tell you something. You
remember them two Greasers who shot that cowboy down to Rio Grande City,
an' was put in jail for it, don't you? Well, they belong to our gang,
an' Fletcher an' the rest are getting ready to go down there an' take
'em out."

"Very well. Go right down to the commanding officer at Eagle Pass and
tell him of it," said George promptly. "Then come up to Fort Lamoine,
and we'll see if the colonel won't do something for Fletcher when he
comes over here to capture me."

"An' there's another thing I had oughter tell you, Mr. George,"
continued Springer, sinking his voice almost to a whisper. "I come over
here as a sort of spy, like. I am to find out all I can about your
ways--where you go of nights, an' all that, you know--an' then I am to
go down to Rio City, take a look about the jail, see how many guards
there are, an' everything else that is worth knowin', an' after that I
am to go back an' tell Fletcher."

"I am glad you didn't say so while my men were in here," observed
George.

"I was just a trifle too sharp for that," said Springer, shaking his
head and looking very wise. "I don't want to make them any madder at me
than they be now."

"But you are not going back to Fletcher with any news, are you? You told
me you had left him for good."

"Mr. George," said Springer earnestly, "I ain't agoin' to take no news
acrost the river that will do anybody there any good. I ain't forgot
that you helped me when I was a-starving for grub an' water, and I ain't
likely to forget it, nuther. I did say I had quit them fellers for good,
an' when I said it I meant it; but you can see by the way your own men
used me, right here under your nose, that I couldn't stay here without
nobody to back me up. I can't starve, so I'll have to go back till you
come home again."

"If you will stay on this side of the river I will see that you don't
starve," replied George. "After you have told the commanding officer at
Eagle Pass of the attempt that is to be made to release those murderers,
come up to Fort Lamoine and I will find some honest work for you to do.
The soldiers at the post are not acquainted with you, and consequently
there will be no one to trouble you. I will say that you used to work
for my father, and that will help you to a position."

While Springer was trying to make the boy understand how grateful he was
to him for his kindness, there