Part 61 (2/2)
MR ANTHONY HARDING was pacing back and forth the length of the veranda of the ranchhouse at El Orobo waiting for some word of hope frohter, Barbara Each swirling dust devil that eddied across the dry flat on either side of the river roused hopes within his breast that it ht have been spurred into activity by the hoofs of a pony bearing a s; but always his hopes were dashed, for no horseed from the heat haze of the distance where the little dust devils raced playfully areasewood
But at last, in the northwest, a horseht Mr Harding shook his head sorrowfully It had not been from this direction that he had expected word of Barbara, yet he kept his eyes fastened upon the rider until the latter reined in at the ranchyard and loped a tired and sweating pony to the foot of the veranda steps Then Mr Harding saho the newcos you back here? Don't you know that you endanger us as well as yourself by being seen here? General Villa will think that we have been harboring you”
Bridge swung frohtest attention to Anthony Harding's protest
”How ot here that you can depend on?” he asked
”None,” replied the Easterner ”What do you e, incredulity and hopelessness showing upon his countenance ”Isn't there a Chinaman and a couple of faithful Mexicans?”
”Oh, yes, of course,” assented Mr Harding; ”but what are you driving at?”
”Pesita is on his way here to clean up El Orobo He can't be very far behind uns and ammunition on the ranch, and barricade the ranchhouse Weof Miss Barbara?”
Anthony Harding shook his head sadly
”Then we'll have to stay right here and do the best we can,” said Bridge ”I was thinking we ht make a run for it if Miss Barbara was here; but as she's not wesue ran to the cookhouse and ordered the Chinaman to the ranchhouse Then the erstwhile bookkeeper ransacked the bunkhouse for arms and ammunition What little he found he carried to the ranchhouse, and with the help of the others barricaded the doors and s of the first floor
”We'll have to ht from the upper s,” he explained to the ranch owner ”If Pesita doesn't bring too large a force we et help froet Villa to send help--he ought to protect you from Pesita I understand that there is no love lost between the two”
Anthony Harding went at once to the telephone and rang for the central at Cuivaca
”Tell it to the operator,” shouted Bridge who stood peering through an opening in the barricade before a front ; ”they are co they'll do is cut the telephone wires”
The Easterner poured his story and appeal for help into the ears of the girl at the other end of the line, and then for a few moments there was silence in the room as he listened to her reply
”Ie heard the olderup the receiver and turn from the instrument, his face drawn and pinched with an expression of utter hopelessness
”What's wrong?” asked Bridge
”Villa has turned against the A, dully ”The operator evidently feels friendly toward us, for she warned me not to appeal to Villa and told me why Even now, this minute, the man has a force of twenty-five hundred ready to ed in Cuivaca this afternoon It's horrible, sir! It's horrible! We are as good as dead this very minute Even if we stand off Pesita we can never escape to the border through Villa's forces”
”It looks bad,” ade ”In fact it couldn't look much worse; but here we are, and while our ammunition holds out about all we can do is stay here and use it Will you men stand by us?” he addressed the Chinaman and the two Mexicans, who assured hiht for Anthony Harding in preference to going over to the enee, ”and now for upstairs They'll be howling around here in about five et”
He led the way to the second floor, where the five took up positions near the front s A short distance fro of a detach at a brisk trot in their direction
”Pesita's with thee, presently ”He's the little fellow on the sorrel Wait until they are close up, then give theo easy on the a no resistance, rode boldly into the ranchyard At the bunkhouse and the office his little force halted while three or four troopers diss in search of victims