Page 283 (1/1)

Pesita saw from the American's attitude that he had no more ammunition He struck up the carbine of a trooper as about to shoot Bridge down

"Wait!" coone Will you surrender?" he asked of Bridge

"Not until I have beaten from the heads of one or two of your friends," he replied, "that which their egotisine are brains No, if you take me alive, Pesita, you will have to kill ed "Very well," he said, indifferently, "it ood as a wall These brave defenders of the liberty of poor, bleeding Mexico willsquad Attention, my children! Ready! Aihastly light of early dawn the sallow complexions of the Mexicans took on a weird hue The Aht shudder shook his slender frame, and then he squared his shoulders and looked Pesita sure of a h which the Chinaman and the loyal Mexican had escaped Quick eyes took in the scene within the rooh stuff!" and leaped into the room

Pesita, surprised by the interruption, turned toward the intruder before he had given the command to fire A smile lit his features when he saho it was

"Ah!" he exclaimed, "my dear Captain Byrne Just in time to see a traitor and a spy pay the penalty for his crirowled Billy Byrne, and then he threw his carbine to his shoulder and took careful aim at Pesita's face

How easy it would have been to have hesitated a moment in thebefore he h for Pesita to speak the single word that would have sent eleven bullets speeding into the body of the irl loved But did such a thought occur to Billy Byrne of Grand Avenue? It did not He forgot every other consideration beyond his loyalty to a friend Bridge and Pesita were looking at him in wide-eyed astonishment

"Lay down your carbines!" Billy shot his co squad "Lay 'em down or I'll bore Pesita Tell 'eotta bead on your beezer"

Pesita did as he was bid, his yellow face pasty with rage