"
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.
"Impossible!" and "My God! it can't be true," Bridge heard
the older man ejaculate, and then he saw him hang up 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 Americans," replied Harding,
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 march on Columbus, New Mexico. Three Americans
were hanged 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," admitted Bridge. "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 him that they had no love for Pesita
and would fight for Anthony Harding in preference to going
over to the enemy.
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