When Billy turned his eyes back the Texan had disappeared, and by the time the former reached the doorway Grayson was halfway to the office building on the veranda of which stood the four soldiers of Villa grumbling and muttering over the absence of their prisoner of the previous evening.
Billy Byrne stepped out into the open.The ranch foreman called aloud to the four Mexicans that their prisoner was at the ranchhouse and as they looked in that direction they saw him, revolver in hand, coming slowly toward them.There was a smile upon his lips which they could not see because of the distance, and which, not knowing Billy Byrne, they would not have interpreted correctly; but the revolver they did understand, and at sight of it one of them threw his carbine to his shoulder.His finger, however, never closed upon the trigger, for there came the sound of a shot from beyond Billy Byrne and the Mexican staggered forward, pitching over the edge of the porch to the ground.
Billy turned his head in the direction from which the shot had come and saw Eddie Shorter running toward him, a smoking six-shooter in his right hand.
"Go back," commanded Byrne; "this is my funeral.""Not on your life," replied Eddie Shorter."Those greasers don't take no white man off'n El Orobo, while I'm here.Get busy! They're comin'."And sure enough they were coming, and as they came their carbines popped and the bullets whizzed about the heads of the two Americans.Grayson, too, had taken a hand upon the side of the Villistas.From the bunkhouse other men were running rapidly in the direction of the fight, attracted by the first shots.
Billy and Eddie stood their ground, a few paces apart.Two more of Villa's men went down.Grayson ran for cover.Then Billy Byrne dropped the last of the Mexicans just as the men from the bunkhouse came panting upon the scene.There were both Americans and Mexicans among them.All were armed and weapons were ready in their hands.
They paused a short distance from the two men.Eddie's presence upon the side of the stranger saved Billy from instant death, for Eddie was well liked by both his Mexican and American fellow-workers.
"What's the fuss?" asked an American.
Eddie told them, and when they learned that the boss's daughter had been spirited away and that the ranch foreman was at the bottom of it the anger of the Americans rose to a dangerous pitch.
"Where is he?" someone asked.They were gathered in a little cluster now about Billy Byrne and Shorter.
"I saw him duck behind the office building," said Eddie.
"Come on," said another."We'll get him.""Someone get a rope." The men spoke in low, ordinary tones--they appeared unexcited.Determination was the most apparent characteristic of the group.One of them ran back toward the bunkhouse for his rope.The others walked slowly in the direction of the rear of the office building.Grayson was not there.The search proceeded.The Americans were in advance.The Mexicans kept in a group by themselves a little in rear of the others--it was not their trouble.If the gringos wanted to lynch another gringo, well and good--that was the gringos' business.They would keep out of it, and they did.
Down past the bunkhouse and the cookhouse to the stables the searchers made their way.Grayson could not be found.In the stables one of the men made a discovery--the foreman's saddle had vanished.Out in the corrals they went.One of the men laughed--the bars were down and the saddle horses gone.Eddie Shorter presently pointed out across the pasture and the river to the skyline of the low bluffs beyond.The others looked.A horseman was just visible urging his mount upward to the crest, the two stood in silhouette against the morning sky pink with the new sun.
"That's him," said Eddie.
"Let him go," said Billy Byrne."He won't never come back and he ain't worth chasin'.Not while we got Miss Barbara to look after.My horse is down there with yours.I'm goin'
down to get him.Will you come, Shorter? I may need help--Iain't much with a rope yet."
He started off without waiting for a reply, and all the Americans followed.Together they circled the horses and drove them back to the corral.When Billy had saddled and mounted he saw that the others had done likewise.
"We're goin' with you," said one of the men."Miss Barbara b'longs to us."Billy nodded and moved off in the direction of the ranchhouse.Here he dismounted and with Eddie Shorter and Mr.
Harding commenced circling the house in search of some manner of clue to the direction taken by the abductors.It was not long before they came upon the spot where the Indians'
horses had stood the night before.From there the trail led plainly down toward the river.In a moment ten Americans were following it, after Mr.Harding had supplied Billy Byrne with a carbine, another six-shooter, and ammunition.
Through the river and the cut in the barbed-wire fence, then up the face of the bluff and out across the low mesa beyond the trail led.For a mile it was distinct, and then disappeared as though the riders had separated.
"Well," said Billy, as the others drew around him for consultation, "they'd be goin' to the hills there.They was Pimans--Esteban's tribe.They got her up there in the hills somewheres.Let's split up an' search the hills for her.
Whoever comes on 'em first'll have to do some shootin' and the rest of us can close in an' help.We can go in pairs--then if one's killed the other can ride out an' lead the way back to where it happened."The men seemed satisfied with the plan and broke up into parties of two.Eddie Shorter paired off with Billy Byrne.
"Spread out," said the latter to his companions."Eddie an'
I'll ride straight ahead--the rest of you can fan out a few miles on either side of us.S'long an' good luck," and he started off toward the hills, Eddie Shorter at his side.
