“I’m lookin’ to hear of a woman,” the Doc drawlingly resumed, a wry smile greeting Bim’s gesture of negation. “Yep, son, when any likely lookin’ young fellah along the Border drops outa sight--and this Hickman fellah’s got an eye with him for all his Noo Yawk bridle trimmin’s--they’s a swish of skirts comes to my ears. Or”--he sat up suddenly and threw a bony finger at Bim--“or he knows somethin’ about why he’s come out here an’ went an’ babbled.” “Rot!” Bim’s grey eyes were clouded with anger. “I told you he doesn’t know why we got him out here--and he’s not the babbling kind if he did.” “Well, it sizes up thisaway,” the Doc continued, ignoring the other’s flash of temper. “They’s one man down in Sonora who knows all we know about the Lost Mission and like’s not a dam’ sight more. That’s this proud old don who lives down in the Garden of Solitude with his red-headed daughter--name’s Padraic O’Donoju, if I haven’t told you that before. If he ever got a line on the fact we’ve asked a Noo Yawk engineer to come out here to Arizora he’d put two an’ two together an’ figure we’re after that Four Evangelists church his ancestors built. You know he’s sorta king of all the Papagoes in Altar and--” “How about your Papago who’s going to lead us to the Mission?” Bim interrupted. “If there’s any leak likely as not it’s through him.” Stooder’s great head wagged slowly; a grin tilted the rabbit’s tail tuft under his lip until it stood out a quizzical interrogation point. “No, son; no. I got that Papago brother where he thinks all I got to do is crook my little finger an’ his wife passes away with asthma overnight. We can rely--” A timid knock on the office door giving onto the hall. The Doc bellowed a command to enter. A wizened Mexican peon whose left arm was a stump sidled quickly through the doorway and stood bowing, shaggy head uncovered. He cast a quick glance at Bagley, then to the doctor for reassurance. “Go ahead, Angel--shoot!” commanded Stooder. “Señor, I hear from Jesus Ruiz, ’e’s cousin to me an’ rurale at the _carcel_; Jesus Ruiz ’e says the gringo arrest’ at Palacio goes last night in chain gang for Hermosillo--” Bim leaped to his feet with an oath. The peon’s eyes were on Doc Stooder in an hypnotic stare. “The gringo goes in chain gang for Hermosillo, but my cousin Jesus Ruiz ’e says that gringo mos’ like never arrive.” * * * * *