"Is Mr. Harding safe?" he asked of Bridge, and receiving an
affirmative he called upstairs for the older man to descend.
As Mr. Harding reached the foot of the stairs Barbara
entered the room by the window through which Billy had
come--a window which opened upon the side veranda.
"Now we gotta hike," announced Billy. "It won't never be
safe for none of you here after this, not even if you do think
Villa's your friend--which he ain't the friend of no American."
"We know that now," said Mr. Harding, and repeated to
Billy that which the telephone operator had told him earlier in
the day.
Marching Pesita and his men ahead of them Billy and the
others made their way to the rear of the office building where
the horses of the bandits were tethered. They were each armed
now from the discarded weapons of the raiders, and well
supplied with ammunition. The Chinaman and the loyal Mexican
also discovered themselves when they learned that the
tables had been turned upon Pesita. They, too, were armed
and all were mounted, and when Billy had loaded the remaining
weapons upon the balance of the horses the party rode
away, driving Pesita's live stock and arms ahead of them.
"I imagine," remarked Bridge, "that you've rather
discouraged pursuit for a while at least," but pursuit came sooner
than they had anticipated.
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