Miguel had two ponies in his corral. These the brigands
appropriated, placing Billy upon one and Miguel and Bridge
upon the other. Billy's great weight rendered it inadvisable to
double him up with another rider.
As they were mounting Billy leaned toward Bridge and
whispered:
"I'll get these guys, pal--watch me," he said.
"I am with thee, William!--horse, foot, and artillery,"
laughed Bridge.
"Which reminds me," said Billy, "that I have an ace-in-the-hole
--the boobs never frisked me."
"And I am reminded," returned Bridge, as the horses started
off to the yank of hackamore ropes in the hands of the
brigands who were leading them, "of a touching little thing of
Service's:
Just think! Some night the stars will gleam
Upon a cold gray stone,
And trace a name with silver beam,
And lo! 'twill be your own.
"You're a cheerful guy," was Billy's only comment.
CHAPTER VII
IN PESITA'S CAMP
PESITA was a short, stocky man with a large, dark mustache.
He attired himself after his own ideas of what should constitute
the uniform of a general--ideas more or less influenced
and modified by the chance and caprice of fortune.
At the moment that Billy, Bridge, and Miguel were dragged
into his presence his torso was enwrapped in a once resplendent
coat covered with yards of gold braid.
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