The figure of a man appeared at the window through which the Chinaman and the loyal Mexican had escaped.  Quick eyes took in the scene within the room.

“Hey!” he yelled.  “Cut the rough stuff!” and leaped into the room.

Pesita, surprised by the interruption, turned toward the intruder before he had given the command to fire.  A smile lit his features when he saw who it was.

“Ah!” he exclaimed, “my dear Captain Byrne.  Just in time to see a traitor and a spy pay the penalty for his crimes.”

“Nothin’ doin’,” growled Billy Byrne, and then he threw his carbine to his shoulder and took careful aim at Pesita’s face.

How easy it would have been to have hesitated a moment in the window before he made his presence known—­just long enough for Pesita to speak the single word that would have sent eleven bullets speeding into the body of the man who loved Barbara and whom Billy believed the girl loved.  But did such a thought occur to Billy Byrne of Grand Avenue?  It did not.  He forgot every other consideration beyond his loyalty to a friend.  Bridge and Pesita were looking at him in wide-eyed astonishment.

“Lay down your carbines!” Billy shot his command at the firing squad.  “Lay ’em down or I’ll bore Pesita.  Tell ’em to lay ’em down, Pesita.  I gotta bead on your beezer.”

Pesita did as he was bid, his yellow face pasty with rage.

“Now their cartridge belts!” snapped Billy, and when these had been deposited upon the floor he told Bridge to disarm the bandit chief.

“Is Mr. Harding safe?” he asked of Bridge, and receiving an affirmative he called upstairs for the older man to descend.

As Mr. Harding reached the foot of the stairs Barbara entered the room by the window through which Billy had come—­a window which opened upon the side veranda.

“Now we gotta hike,” announced Billy.  “It won’t never be safe for none of you here after this, not even if you do think Villa’s your friend—­which he ain’t the friend of no American.”

“We know that now,” said Mr. Harding, and repeated to Billy that which the telephone operator had told him earlier in the day.

Marching Pesita and his men ahead of them Billy and the others made their way to the rear of the office building where the horses of the bandits were tethered.  They were each armed now from the discarded weapons of the raiders, and well supplied with ammunition.  The Chinaman and the loyal Mexican also discovered themselves when they learned that the tables had been turned upon Pesita.  They, too, were armed and all were mounted, and when Billy had loaded the remaining weapons upon the balance of the horses the party rode away, driving Pesita’s live stock and arms ahead of them.

“I imagine,” remarked Bridge, “that you’ve rather discouraged pursuit for a while at least,” but pursuit came sooner than they had anticipated.