That was the end of the traitor.... Hike had seen him, cold and stiff, lying by the south gate, as they charged back into the ranch-yard. He felt that Pedro’s death had been necessary, but it gave him a feeling of cold horror, just the same.... Pedro had been such a cheerful handsome Mexican, so much alive, waving his hands, laughing with dark, beautiful eyes, twisting his neat mustache, just a few hours earlier. He laid up that death not to Pedro but to Welch, and Welch’s men, who had tempted Pedro; and he wanted to see this band of robbers ended, now and here. “Lieutenant,” he said, “let me fly over to Torreas in the _Hustle_ and get another machine-gun. We can surprise the greasers with it, and end this.” “I wish you could, old Hike,” mourned the Lieutenant, “but there’s less than a quart of gasoline on the place. Barry is bringing some more, on a pack mule, and if he gets through the line of the insurrectos— Anyway, let’s wait till to-morrow, and see what we can do.” Hike feared that Jack Adeler meant Barry was not very likely to get through; but he said nothing. All that night, the ranch-yard was in a state of real siege. No one slept. They waited and watched, sheltered by the ranch-buildings. The moon was nearly down, and the light growing dimmer. At last it went down, and they had to patrol the fence. Several times, little parties of the insurrectos rode up, fired through the barb-wire of the stockade, and tried to set buildings on fire. Jack Adeler’s men, loving him and hating the robbers out there beyond the fence, were only too brave, rushing out to return the fire exposing themselves. One was killed, two were wounded. One of the worst of the bunch was Hike, till the Lieutenant threatened to imprison him if he didn’t stay behind cover, firing from there. “I didn’t bring you down here to play melodrama hero,” he snorted. “Anybody could _tell_ that you’re only a kid from the fool way you expose yourself. I brought you down here to help me run the _Hustle_, not to make grandstand-plays, and if you don’t stay behind that wall—well, you see what you get. I won’t even let you _see_ the fun!” Hike had to grin at Jack Adeler’s pretending to be severe; but also he was afraid that the Lieutenant might keep his word, and imprison him in the house. After that, he stayed more under cover. For two hours, there was a terrible time of waiting—waiting—every moment; peering out into the dark, wondering what the insurrectos were planning; holding themselves ready to drive back an attack. It was the hardest two hours of Hike’s life, so far; to keep himself from sneaking out to the fence and joining the sentries patroling it. Then came a yell at the fence, and he, with the others, dashed out a little and fired at the riders they could just make out in the before-dawn grayness. Then the ranch-yard was silent as the desert beyond. With dawn, the insurrectos could be seen making off. This was Hike’s chance to go for gasoline.