“Then I’ll make ye.” “Don’t you dare to do such a thing. I defy you, Pike Smith. You had better let me go, and that quickly. Bud Haley and some others will be coming to meet me in a minute and it will be the worse for you.” For answer Pike growled something unintelligible, swung his horse around, and, still holding Alison’s bridle, went crashing through the bushes forcing Chico along with him, the girl bravely keeping her seat, and avoiding the low branches and thorny twigs as best she could. Once she attempted to make an outcry but Pike turned threateningly on her. “None o’ that or I’ll stop your sassy mouth for good and all,” he said savagely. Full of mortal fear Alison could only keep silence and cling to her horse desperately. A half hour’s ride brought them to a lonely little hut. Here Pike dismounted, curtly ordered the girl to get down, and, keeping an eye upon her, approached the hut. “Brigida,” he called. A shuffling, blear-eyed old woman came out. Pike addressed a few words of Spanish to her, then lifted Alison from her horse, set her within the hut and closed the door. Divided between fear and anger Alison wondered what would happen next. She was not long kept in suspense, for the woman began carefully to search her, examining every article of clothing, even to her shoes and stockings. The twist of hair mingled with the braid of grass around her hat attracted no notice. It meant nothing to Brigida; she was searching for a bit of paper. The search being concluded the old woman made her report and Pike entered the room. “Well, I hope you are satisfied,” said Alison, nothing daunted by these investigations. “Will you please tell me what this is all about? Do you suspect me of being a spy and of carrying despatches for the Mexican government? Or what is it you are looking for?” “What I want is that letter Lou give ye,” said Pike, bluntly. “Ye can’t deny she give ye one. She’s as sly as her old dad, but they can’t neither of them pull the wool over my eyes. I ain’t to be made a fool of by none of that lay-out. The gal’s promised to me and I’ll have her sendin’ no word to other men. You can’t swear she didn’t give you a bit of writin’.” “She did nothing of the kind. You are very far off the track, Mr. Pike Smith, and I’ll thank you to conduct me safely home.” “And a purty hue an’ cry ye’ll raise when ye git thar.” “Naturally.” “Then ye don’t go. I’ve more’n one grudge agin ye. It was you hit old man Sparks, wan’t it?” “How do you know unless you were there?” Alison was quick to draw her conclusions. Pike saw his mistake. “Old Cy tol’ me so hisse’f,” he replied. “Why did he? He was anxious enough to keep the matter quiet and unless you were in cohoots with him he never would have told it. I suppose you were one of the men who got away, and if so what have you done with my brother’s horses? I always suspected you were some kind of rascal.”