Wal, after some more pullin' and haulin', we fixed it up this way: Pedro'd grab Carlota and take her away on a hoss whilst Boston and the passel of us was in the Arnaz place. He was t' hike north, and drop her at the Johnson shack on the edge of town--then go on, takin' a dummy in her place, and totin' a brace of guns filled with blanks. We'd foller with plenty of blanks, too--and Boston. How's that fer high! If you want to ast me, I think the hull idear was just _O. K.,_ and no mistake. Beautiful gal kidnapped--bra-a-ave posse of punchers--hard ride--hot fight--rescue of a pilla stuffed with the best alfalfa on the market. _Pro_cession files back, all sand and smiles. "Why," I says to Bergin, "them Eastern printin' fellers'll set 'em up fer Boston so fast that he'll plumb float." And the sheriff agreed. But it couldn't happen straight off. Pedro had t' be tole about it, and give his orders. Carlota, the same. I managed this part of the shindig, the boys gittin' the blanks, the hosses and the hay lady. Wal, I rode down to the section-house and ast fer Pedro. He come out, about ten pounds of railroad ballast--more 'r less--spread on to them features of hisn. (_That_'d 'a' been colour fer Boston, all right.) I tole him what we was goin' t' do, _why_ we was a-doin' it, and laid out _his_ share of the job. Then I tacked on that the gal he'd steal was Carlota. Now, as I think about it, I _re_call that he looked _mighty_ tickled. Grinned all over and said, "Me gusta mucho" more'n a dozen times. But _then_ I didn't pay no 'tention to how he acted. I was so glad he'd fall in with me. (The Ole Nick take the greasers! A' out-and-out, low-down lot of sneakin' coyotes, anyhow! And I might 'a' _knowed_----) "Pedro," I says, "they's no rush about this. We'll kinda work it up slow. T' make the hull thing seem dead real, you come to town ev'ry evenin' fer a while, and hang 'round the rest'rant. Spend a little spondulix with the ole woman so's she won't kick you out, and shine up t' Carlota when Boston's on the premises. Ketch on?" Pedro said he did, and I loped back to town t' meet up with Carlota and have it out with her--and that was a job fer a caution! Carlota was all bronc that day--stubborn, pawin', and takin' the bit. And if I kept up with her, and come out in the lead, it was 'cause I'd had some _ex_perience with Macie, and I'd learned when t' leave a rambunctious young lady have her haid. "Carlota," I says, "us fellers has fixed up a mighty nice scheme t' help out Boston with that book he's goin' to write." "So?" She was all awake--quicker'n scat. "Yas," I goes on. "Y' know, he's been wantin' somethin' _ex_citin' t' put in it. We figger t' give it to him." "Como?" she ast. "With a case of kidnappin'. Man steals gal--we foller with Boston--lots of shootin'--save the gal----" "What gal?" "It's a big honour--and we choosed you." "So-o-o!"