There was no more doubling. Pringle, in front, saw the river close ahead. The end must be near; he turned east into a side street and disappeared. Borrowman kept straight on; Ballinger, hidden in a doorway, close behind, saw him enter an adobe house on the river bank. It was a dark and shuttered house; no light appeared from within, but smoke was rising from the chimney. Ballinger turned back, rounded the block and so foregathered with Aughinbaugh and Pringle. After a long wait Beebe joined them, guided at the last by sundry guarded whistlings; slowly, stealthily, tiptoe, they glided through the rustling shadows to reconnoiter. The old adobe was flat-roofed and one-storied, as usual. They found chinks in the shuttered windows. No fire was to be seen; the smoke came from an underground room; the hunt was over. Billy plucked Pringle by the sleeve and bent over, clasping Leo in a fond embrace. After wordless investigation of this human stairway, by sense of touch, Pringle stepped from Billy’s back to Ballinger’s broad shoulders, and so wriggled to the roof with noiseless caution. After an hour-long infinity he reappeared, bulked black and startling against the starlight; descended, led his little flock to the safety of the open _playa_ by the river bank and made exultant oration: “Jeff’s there! Having the time of his life! Chimney goes straight down; I could hear every word they said. They’re a clever gang of all-round crooks, counterfeiters, smugglers and what-not. Thorpe is the brains. They have a stand-in with some of the police and officials. This cellar was used as a warehouse for storing Chinamen, to be smuggled across in boatload lots. The other man on guard is fat, as we expected, and better looking than Borrowman. He was hopping mad at Borrowman for getting full and leaving him on guard overtime; threatened him with discipline, gave him a tongue-lashing--Jeff egging him on, enjoying himself very much and urging Borrowman not to stand such abuse. He wouldn’t trust Jeff to Borrowman till he was comparatively sober; cussed him again and made him turn in to sleep it off. So of course they’ll both be here all night.” “Why, how can you tell that this other man is better looking than Borrowman?” asked George, puzzled. “You couldn’t possibly see him.” “Suppose I didn’t--I’ve seen Borrowman, haven’t I?” retorted Pringle triumphantly. “What else did you gather?” asked Billy. “Well, not much except that we had it all figured out about right. They kept him there at first to make him join ’em. He wouldn’t, and what they are keeping him for instead of wiping him out I don’t just see. I’d sure hate to have to keep him. And now, boys, us for El Paso, U. S. A. No more to be done here to-night.”