Polly looked. "It does, doesn't it?" she said. "But it's too far to be sure. Who do you suppose those men are on horseback?" "I don't know," said Scott, shortly, as he took the glasses and looked again. "But I don't like the looks of it. Let's whip up and get to that arroyo that runs back of the camp. We'll ride the rest of the way in it." They descended into the arroyo which was a deep one with sheltering sides that rose above them fully ten feet. "It doesn't go all the way," objected the girl, who was beginning to know the geography of the place already. "I don't want it to," replied Scott. "It turns off and runs at an angle--just above the dining-room. I'm going to leave you and the horses there out of sight." "Leave us!" "You didn't think I was going to turn tail and run when the boys were being held up, did you?" Polly's eyes shone with a mixture of fear and excitement. "Do you mean it's a real hold-up?" she gasped. "Haven't the least idea, but it sure does look like one, especially if that's Pachuca, himself, on that sorrel. Then, again, it may be the Federal Government quartering men on us. In either case ladies and horse-flesh are better out of the way." "But I'm not afraid," cried the girl, her teeth chattering with excitement. "At least, I don't think I am--much. Anyhow, I'll be lots more scared down here in this hole alone." "You won't be alone; you've got two good horses to take care of. Thank the Lord, Hard is out of it--that's three horses we can save." Hard had ridden to Conejo the day before and had not returned. "I'm going to leave you this." Scott took his revolver from the holster and handed it to the girl, who took it reluctantly. "I'm more afraid of it than I am of Juan Pachuca," she pleaded. "You've no call to be," was the reply. "Don't be a baby--brace up and stay here with these horses. They're not looking for you and they'll never come down here. These are the two best horses we've got and I'm cussed if I'm going to hand 'em over to a bunch of greasers." "Oh!" Polly gasped again. No one had ever spoken to her quite like this before. "You can't go unarmed, can you?" "Never mind me. You stay here till I come for you. If anybody bothers you, you shoot. Understand?" "Yes, I do." Scott proceeded to climb cautiously out of the arroyo and in a moment was out of Polly's sight. He looked back once and saw the girl standing where he had left her, holding the reins of the two horses, her eyes big with excitement, watching his every movement. He waved his hand, then turned his back upon her. "That's a good youngster," he said to himself. "Plenty of spunk but knows when to mind. I'm afraid that if I was ten years younger I might make a fool of myself--for she'd never look at me."