“You’ll have company,” said Ike glumly. “I’ve always wanted to go down there and whip me some Mexicans.”
“They’re not all bad, are they?” asked Sleepy.
“Not at all,” replied Big Medicine. “There are some mighty good men in Mexico—lots of ’em. I suppose they average as well as any other race, but the types which frequent the border are the scum of both sides. A bad Mexican is a terror, but a bad white man is worse. We’ve got ’em both down here.”
They swung down into the valley in sight of the lights of Pinnacle and turned to the left, following about the same trail as that taken by the chase two nights before.
There were no lights in the ranch-house. They stabled their horses, after Big Medicine had gone into the house, and were halfway to the house when Big Medicine called to them.
Wanna and her mother were not at the ranch house, which had been ransacked from top to bottom. The rooms were strewn with everything, and boards had been pried up from both living-room and kitchen floors.
“There has been no rustling,” said Big Medicine weakly. “It was a ruse to get us away from the ranch.”
“But where are the women?” asked Ike.
“They are not here,” said Big Medicine hoarsely.
He was holding the lamp in one of his big hands, which trembled nervously.