“Wal, I reckon you know enough?” inquired Stillwell, slowly.
“I reckon,” replied Stewart.
“Wal, out with it, then,” said Stillwell, gruffly. “Miss Hammond can’t be kept in the dark much longer. Make your report to her.”
The cowboy shifted his dark gaze to Madeline. He was cool and slow.
“We’re losing a few cattle on the open range. Night-drives by the vaqueros. Some of these cattle are driven across the valley, others up to the foothills. So far as I can find out no cattle are being driven south. So this raiding is a blind to fool the cowboys. Don Carlos is a Mexican rebel. He located his rancho here a few years ago and pretended to raise cattle. All that time he has been smuggling arms and ammunition across the border. He was for Madero against Diaz. Now he is against Madero because he and all the rebels think Madero failed to keep his promises. There will be another revolution. And all the arms go from the States across the border. Those burros I told about were packed with contraband goods.”
“That’s a matter for the United States cavalry. They are patrolling the border,” said Alfred.
“They can’t stop the smuggling of arms, not down in that wild corner,” replied Stewart.
“What is my—my duty? What has it to do with me?” inquired Madeline, somewhat perturbed.
“Wal, Miss Majesty, I reckon it hasn’t nothing to do with you,” put in Stillwell. “Thet’s my bizness an’ Stewart’s. But I jest wanted you to know. There might be some trouble follerin’ my orders.”
“Your orders?”