carried to the ranchhouse, and with the help of the others

barricaded the doors and windows of the first floor.

"We'll have to make our fight from the upper windows," he

explained to the ranch owner. "If Pesita doesn't bring too

large a force we may be able to stand them off until you can

get help from Cuivaca. Call up there now and see if you can

get Villa to send help--he ought to protect you from Pesita. I

understand that there is no love lost between the two."

Anthony Harding went at once to the telephone and rang

for the central at Cuivaca.

"Tell it to the operator," shouted Bridge who stood peering

through an opening in the barricade before a front window;

"they are coming now, and the chances are that the first thing

they'll do is cut the telephone wires."

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

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