is sort when I saw they had left the window open. We
can't figure on getting out that way, you see."

"Id vould be suiciding," Dan'l said, mournfully shaking his head. "If
dese fiends were as goot as dey are clefer, dey vould be angels."

"No argument seems to prevail with them," remarked Beth. "They are
lawless and merciless, and in this far-away country believe they may
do as they please."

"They're as bad as the bandits of Taormina," observed Patsy, smiling
at the recollection of an adventure they had abroad; "but we must find
some way to evade them."

Dan'l had gone over to Myrtle's corner and stood staring at her with
his one shrewd eye. Uncle John looked thoughtfully out of the window
and saw Wampus busy in the road before the house. He had his coat off
and was cutting the bars of barbed wire and rolling them out of the
way, while Mumbles, who had been left with him, ran here and there at
his heels as if desiring to assist him.

From the big hall, or living room, at the right came a dull roar of
voices, subdued shouts and laughter, mingled with the clinking of
glasses. All the remittance men were gathered there deep in the game
of dice which was to determine the order in which they were to dance
with Beth and Patsy. The servants were out of sight. Wampus had the
field to himself.

"Come here," said Uncle John to the girls, and when they stood beside
him pointed to the car. "Wampus is making ready for the escape," he
continued. "He has cleared the road and the way is now open if we can
manage to get to the machine. Has your plan matured yet?"

Patsy shook her head.

"Not yet, Uncle," she replied.

"Couldn't Wampus throw us a rope?" inquired the Major.

"He could," said Uncle John; "but we would be unable to use it. Those
terrible cactus spines are near enough to spear anyone who dared try
to slide down a rope. Think of something else."

They all tried to do that, but no practical idea seemed forthcoming.

"Oh, no," Dan'l was saying to Myrtle; "dey are nod afraid to shoot;
bud dey vill nod shoot ladies, belief me. Always dey carry refolfers
in deir belts--or deir holsterses. Dey eat mit refolfers; dey schleep
mit refolfers; dey hunt, dey quarrel, unt sometimes dey shoot each
odder--de best enactionment vot dey do. Bud dey do nod shoot at
ladies--nefer."

"Will they wear their revolvers at the dance?" asked Beth, overhearing
this speech.

"I belief id," said Dan'l, wagging his ancient head. "Dey lik