“We couldn’t do that, since half of them are loose already,” retorted O’Halloran dryly. “And as for the rest—we expect to make a selection, me son, to weed out a few choice ruffians and keep them behind the bars. But if ye know anything about the prisons of this country, you’re informed, sir, that half the poor fellows behind bars don’t belong there so much as the folk that put them there. I’m Irish, as ye are yourself, and it’s me instinct to fight for the under dog. Why shouldn’t the lads rotting behind those walls have another chance at the game? By the mother of Moses! they shall, if Mike O’Halloran has anything to say about it.” “You ce’tainly conduct your lawful elections in a beautifully lawless way,” grinned the ranger. “And why not? Isn’t the law made for man?” “For which man—Megales?” “In order to give the greatest liberty to each individual man. But here comes young Valdez riding back as if he were in a bit of a hurry.” The filibuster rode forward and talked with the young man for a few minutes in a low voice. When he rejoined Bucky he nodded his head toward the young man, who was again headed for the front of the column. “There’s the best lad in the State of Chihuahua. He’s a Mexican, all right, but he has as much sense as a white man. He doesn’t mix issues. Now, the lad’s in love with Carmencita Megales, the prettiest black-eyed lass in Mexico, and, by the same token, so is our friend Chaves, who just gave us the guns a little while ago. But Valdez is a man from the heel of him to the head. Miss Carmencita has her nose in the air because Juan doesn’t snuggle up to ould Megales and flatter him the same way young Chaves does. So the lad is _persona non grata_ at court with the lady, and that tin soldier who gave up the guns without a blow gets the lady’s smiles. But it’s my opinion that, for all her haughty ways, miss would rather have our honest fighting lad than a roomful of the imitation toy kind.” A couple of miles from the outskirts of the city the wagons separated, and each was driven to the assigned place for the hiding of the rifles till night. At the edge of the town Bucky made arrangements to join his friend again at the monument in the centre of the plaza within fifteen minutes. He was to bring his little partner with him, and O’Halloran was to take them to a place where they might lie in hiding till the time set for the rising.