"Let them come!" she cried. "We will defend the ranch to the bitter end. With you, Riggs, and the rest of the new recruits, we will meet these nighthawks and clip their wings. But who warned us?"
"Black George."
"That rascal?" cried Merle. "Why, that's the man I caught stealing sheep last summer and had whipped on the scene of his rascality. I don't like him."
"There's no love lost between you, then," smiled Old Broadbrim. "But the bandits will attack us."
"Yes, they will come. We must prepare, and if the worst comes we will spring the mine," said the ranch queen.
As she finished she beckoned to Old Broadbrim and led him into her boudoir.
Opening a little door in the wall, she pointed to what looked like a bit of string hanging from above.
"That is the fuse," said she. "It is to be fired at the last extremity. It means death and destruction to all inside Ranch Robin at the time."
"Where is the mine?"
"Directly under us. There is powder enough to deal death to every living thing within a radius of half a mile; it will be involving friend and foe in a terrible burial. You see what chances we took when we came to this place? It was a desperate throw of the dice, but we wanted a home where we would be safe against the keen men of the trails of two worlds, and but for the robbers of the deserts we would be happy. I have had my revenge. Merle carried out my commands, and the enemy who insulted me felt the hand of the avenger."