The Mucker

e to do so. In his pocket was a safe conduct from one of Villa's generals farther south-a safe conduct taken by Pesita from the body of one of his recent victim

soldiers upon the streets; but the only regularly detailed guard was stationed in f

" thought Billy.

large denomination which Pesita had given him for the purpose of an excuse to examine the lay of the bank from the inside. Billy took a long time to count the change. All the tim

d deposits and cashed checks. Back of him, against the wall, stood a large safe of American manufacture. Billy had had business before with similar safes. A doorway in the rear wall led into the yard behind the building.

a week passed without seeing a bank robbery in the town. Possibly th

Some soldiers and citizens were drinking at little tables in front of the bar. A couple of card games w

oon was merely an excuse to place himself upon the opposite side of the street from

ly never been below eighty since it left the bottling department of the Texas brewery

second story being at the left side of the first floor, opening directly onto th

spiration. There was a sign above the entrance to the second floor; but Billy's knowledge of the language had not progressed suff

e bartender some of his recently acquired Spanish and learned, though not without considerable

ding scrimmage with the language of Ferdinand and Isabella he succeeded in making several purchases-two heavy sacks, a brace, two bits, an

ar of the building, overlooking the yard. The layout was eminently satisfactory to Captain Byrn

tlaw might later ride in with his entire force and loot the bank; but Billy Byrne, out of his past

nd the bank closed and unlighted showed that all had left i

iously and quietly, until he had a rough circle of holes enclosing a space about two feet in diameter. Then he laid aside the brace and bit, and took the keyhole saw, with which he patiently sawed through the wood betwee

ew bookkeeper of El Orobo Rancho. The Mexicans, after eating, repaired at once to the joys

spect his surroundings. For years he had not ridden as many miles as he had during the past two days, so that long unused muscles cried out for rest and relaxation. As a result

the bank paid no attention to him, and Billy passed along, unhindered, to the corral where he had left

at night, and the American thought that he detected something more than

d close to the other's ear, and with a broad grin and a wink whispered: "Senori

ibs. Then he watched him mount and ride out of the corral toward the south-which was also in the

le he removed the lariat from the pommel of the saddle, and, stuffing it inside his shirt, walked b

e floor, dropped his two sacks through into the bank, and tying th

perture into the room beneath. He made no more noise in his descent than he had made upon other similar occasions i

nd under one arm. Billy, acting as a professional, was a careful and methodical man. He always saw that every little detail was properly attended to before he went on to the next phase of his endeavors

was attended to before he went further with his labors. It were well to have one's retreat assured at the earliest possible moment. A single bo

e combination knob of the safe with the metal bit which he

lubricate it with a piece of soap which Billy had brought along in his pocket for the pu

onscious that the bank he was guarding was being looted almost beneath his eyes. Once a corporal came with anothe

he hole. Then, working the wire with accustomed fingers, he turned the combination knob

ss liable to attract attention than any other meth

d with success-the tumblers clicked into position, the h

heavy burden across a shoulder he heard a challenge from without, and then a parley. Immediately after the sound of footsteps ascending the s

urbed, did that inexplicable thing which every one of us has done a hundred times in our lives.

n of a saddle. He saw the man mount, and he saw him wheel his horse around about and ride away toward the north. There seemed to Bridge nothing unusual about the man's act, nor had there been any indication eit

Their money was gone; but they had acquired something else which ap

membered that very distinctly. He had impressed it upon his mind before leaving the room ea

e of a door, and stabbed va

the room. It was the second door fr

ot into consideration that he had reversed the direction of his erratic wobbling. He lunged across the hall-not because he wished to but because the spirit

grown man and therefore entirely capable of distinguishing between his left hand and his right? Yes! Tony was all of that, and more, s

not tell you so? See! This is our

had long since grown unaccountably heavy, rushed his feet rapidly forwar

Tony reached that spot, with Benito meandering after him, the latter, much to his astonishment, saw in the diffused moonlight which pervaded t

for the guard, and turned toward the bank door. But this was locked and he could but peer in through the windo

g of a bullet pass his head, and the impact as it sploshed into the adobe wall behind

the screams and the shot. Behind him came Bridge, buckling his revolver belt about his hips as he ran. Not having been f

Benito, fearing for the life of Tony, which if anyone took should be taken by him, rushed upon the sergeant of t

ed Tony to come out with his hands above his head. Then followed an investigation which disclo

nt and the landlord were in Billy's room

. "This is his room. He has cut a hole in my fl

and that the wealth which he had been detailed to guard had been taken while h

street all the male population of Cui

ident, "to the man who stops the thief and

in the saddle and passing t

asked the captain. "Did

occurred to him that a thousand dollars-even a thousand dollars Mex-was a great deal of money

, thin man with the

came and took it out saying that he was riding to visit a senorita. He fooled me, the

would ride, and he has not had sufficient start of us that he can reach safety before we overhaul him. Forward! Ma

ust be rested by now, and a few miles to the north the gringo whose

robber, he's an American; but I need the money and in all probabil

t no pursuit would develop until after the opening hour of the bank in the mor

the devil should I take all this swag back to that yellow-faced yegg? Who pulled this thing off anyway? Why me, of course, and does

ridgie'll be along there most any time. We can hit it up some in lil' ol' Rio on thi

-except to the guy that owned the coin. If I was just plain crackin' a safe on my own hook why then I'm a crook again an' I can't be that-no, not with that face of yours standin' out there so plain right in front of me, just

enelope somewhere that

blundering sea, and

pering lips that fly be

breakers on the san

his hat and scr

out in back of Kelly's 'ud say if they seen what was goin' on in my bean just now. They'd call me Lizzy, eh? Well,

hat the bank had been robbed, or at least so Billy argued. He might, however, have thought differently upon the subject of haste could he have had a glimpse of the horseman in

ll view and his mind had been playing rapidly with seductive visions of the one-thousand dollars reward-one-thousand dollars Mex, perhaps, but still quite enough to excite pleasant thoughts. At the first glimpse of the horseman ahead Bridge had reined his mount down to a trot that the no

up!" Billy, lightning-like in his quickness, drew and fired. Th

idge. The latter fired scarce a second after Billy's shot had pinged

. Billy, realizing that his mount had been hit, tried to throw himself from the saddle; but until the very moment that the beast topp

himself a little to one side. One leg, however, was pinned beneath the animal's body and

nd the animal was lying upon it. Instantly Bridge

der the painful necessity of terminating y

o' Mike!" cried the

e instant that the familiar

"Why-Billy-was it you

busy easing the weight of th

asked as the bandit st

you my next shot. Gee! it makes me sweat to think of it. But about this bank robbin' business. You can't exactly say that I robbed a bank. That money was the enemy's resources, an

for Pesita?"

a jitney of it. I wouldn't take none of i

e caught you might find it difficult to convince the auth

heart. They ain't a one of 'em that gives two whoops in hell for poor, bleedin' Mexico-unless they can do the bleedin' themselves. It's dog eat dog here. If th

out of here in a hurry. The whole post is searching for you. I thought

f I take your hor

me only a short distance when my horse threw me and ran away. They'll believe it fo

"I hate to do it,

Billy," urg

e can't fight off a whole troop of cavalry out here in the open. If you take my horse we can both get out of it, and l

forced to accept the plan. A moment later he transferred the bags of loot to Bridge's pony, swung into the saddl

e, bo," and wheeling to the north he clapped his spur