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Billy rode until the few rehts of Cuivaca shone but a short distance ahead and they could hear plainly the strains of a grating graphophone from beyond the open s of a dance hall, and the voices of the sentries as they called the hour

"Stay here," said Billy to a sergeant at his side, "until you hear a hoot owl cry three tiuardhouse, then charge the opposite end of the town, firing off your carbines like hell an' yellin' yer heads off Make all the racket you can, an' keep it up 'til you get 'em comin' in your direction, see? Then turn an' drop back slowly, eggin' 'eet lish and Granavenooish the sergeant gleaned enough of the intent of his commander to permit him to salute and adiven his instructions Billy Byrne rode off to the west, circled Cuivaca and cae Here he dis, while he crept cautiously forward to reconnoiter

He knew that the force within the village had no reason to fear attack Villa knehere the main bodies of his enemies lay, and that no force could approach Cuivaca without word of its coarrison many hours in advance of the foe That Pesita, or another of the several bandit chiefs in the neighborhood would dare descend upon a garrisoned town never for a moment entered the calculations of the rebel leader

For these reasons Billy argued that Cuivaca would be poorly guarded On the night he had spent there he had seen sentries before the bank, the guardhouse, and the barracks in addition to one who paced to and fro in front of the house in which the coarrison uarded

Nor were conditions different tonight Billy cauardhouse before he discovered a sentinel The fellow lolled upon his gun in front of the building--an adobe structure in the rear of the barracks The other three sides of the guardhouse appeared to be unwatched

Billy threw hi often The sentry seemed asleep He did not move Billy reached the shadow at the side of the structure and some fifty feet from the soldier without detection Then he rose to his feet directly beneath a barred