ole, shaped like a funnel. Nobody knew exactly when or how it was made, but down at the wee

k-hole were four horses, an

es it pan out?" asked

o hours since it was done. The critter rolled down here. Joaquin, you and Key

nel," shouted on

" responded

the road to the City of Mexico. He may or may not have been a full-blooded Tlascalan, but there was a fierce, tigerish expression on his face as he glanced at the dead pony. His white teeth showed, also, in a way to indicat

ay, and Colonel Evans climb

uddenly exclaimed th

it must

l," said the colonel

a harsh, rasping voice that matched exactly w

m a stern, and, just now, a threatening expression. More than that, Colonel Abe Evans, old Indian trader and ranch owner, stood six feet and seven inches, although he was so well proportioned that at a little distance he did not seem unusually large. As to his st

ome difficulty in keeping cool just n

s Sam reined in and stared down

hat 'Pache went to. Hit the pony, did I? '

Colonel Evans, and the cowboy continued: "No manner of use blinking it, colonel. The lower drove's gone. Took me b

ey foll

f 'em, but Cal and

and a shiver, but Sam went steadily on in

our horse. I can read the whole thing like a book. Of course they

forehead were swelling. He sprang to the saddle of the broad-chested, strong limbed thoroughb

they rode away, "wh

too, if they worked long enough over their beef. If we get there fi

after that. Sam knew no more than the rest d

een going on, and with q

y of the stockade before the two in the veran

a, "do you think there

," said Mrs. Evans, with

you send Cal a

the whole valley is in danger until the army officer

hey were here

at grew very pale, "he went to look at the lower

uld have said so. Mother, you

look in the resolute

. We must work, though, for they'll be here pretty soon. We must bar the gate, first,

trength and steadiness than might have been expected of her. But for the reddish tint of her hair she would

udied the gat

must help. I think we can ho

ituation to a group of five startled and frightened women. Seven in all, they were the only garrison of