I ben suspectin' you right along.I knew derned well that that there Brazos pony never run off by hisself.You an' that other crook from the States framed this whole thing up pretty slick, didn'tcha? Well, we'll--""Wait a moment, wait a moment, Grayson," interrupted the boss."Give Mr.Bridge a chance to explain.You're making a rather serious charge against him without any particularly strong proof to back your accusation.""Oh, that's all right," exclaimed Bridge, with a smile."Ihave known that Mr.Grayson suspected me of implication in the robbery; but who can blame him--a man who can't ride might be guilty of almost anything."Grayson sniffed.Barbara took a step nearer Bridge.She had been ready to doubt him herself only an hour or so ago;but that was before he had been accused.Now that she found others arrayed against him her impulse was to come to his defense.
"You didn't do it, did you, Mr.Bridge?" Her tone was almost pleading.
"If you mean robbing the bank," he replied; "I did not Miss Barbara.I knew no more about it until after it was over than Benito or Tony--in fact they were the ones who discovered it while I was still asleep in my room above the bank.""Well, how did the robber git thet there Brazos pony then?" demanded Grayson savagely."Thet's what I want to know.""You'll have to ask him, Mr.Grayson," replied Bridge.
"Villa'll ask him, when he gits holt of him," snapped Grayson; "but I reckon he'll git all the information out of you thet he wants first.He'll be in Cuivaca tomorrer, an' so will you.""You mean that you are going to turn me over to General Villa?" asked Bridge."You are going to turn an American over to that butcher knowing that he'll be shot inside of twenty-four hours?
"Shootin's too damned good fer a horse thief," replied Grayson.
Barbara turned impulsively toward her father."You won't let Mr.Grayson do that?" she asked.
"Mr.Grayson knows best how to handle such an affair as this, Barbara," replied her father."He is my superintendent, and I have made it a point never to interfere with him.""You will let Mr.Bridge be shot without making an effort to save him?" she demanded.
"We do not know that he will be shot," replied the ranch owner."If he is innocent there is no reason why he should be punished.If he is guilty of implication in the Cuivaca bank robbery he deserves, according to the rules of war, to die, for General Villa, I am told, considers that a treasonable act.
Some of the funds upon which his government depends for munitions of war were there--they were stolen and turned over to the enemies of Mexico.""And if we interfere we'll turn Villa against us," interposed Grayson."He ain't any too keen for Americans as it is.Why, if this fellow was my brother I'd hev to turn him over to the authorities.""Well, I thank God," exclaimed Bridge fervently, "that in addition to being shot by Villa I don't have to endure the added disgrace of being related to you, and I'm not so sure that I shall be hanged by Villa," and with that he wiped the oil lamp from the table against which he had been leaning, and leaped across the room for the doorway.
Barbara and her father had been standing nearest the exit, and as the girl realized the bold break for liberty the man was making, she pushed her father to one side and threw open the door.
Bridge was through it in an instant, with a parting, "God bless you, little girl!" as he passed her.Then the door was closed with a bang.Barbara turned the key, withdrew it from the lock and threw it across the darkened room.
Grayson and the unwounded Mexicans leaped after the fugitive only to find their way barred by the locked door.
