The devoted six reached the hut, Texas snatched aside the hide, and each man presented his pistol at full cock.

But no one fired; on the contrary, each man slowly dropped his pistol, and opened his eyes.

There was no newly made corpse visible, nor did any Greasers savagely wave a bloody stiletto.

But on the ground, insensible, lay a Mexican woman, and about her stood seven or eight Greasers, each looking even more dumb, incapable, and solemn than usual.

The city fathers felt themselves in an awkward position, and Mississip finally asked, in the meekest of tones: 

“What’s the matter?”

“She Codago’s wife,” softly replied a Mexican.  “They fight in Chihuahua—­he run away—­she follow.  She come here now—­this minute—­she fall on Codago—­she say something, we know not—­he scream an’ run.”

“He’s a low-lived scoundrel!” said Chagres Charley, between his teeth.  “Ef my wife thort enough of me to follow me to the diggin’s, I wouldn’t do much runnin’ away.  He’s a reg’lar black-hearted, white-livered—­”

“Sh—­h—­h!” whispered Nappy, the Frenchman.  “The lady is recovering, and she may have a heart.”

“Maria, Madre purissima!” low wailed the woman. “Mi nino—­mi nino perdido!”

“What’s she a-sayin’?” asked Lynn Taps, in a whisper.

“She talk about little boy lost,” said the Mexican.

“An’ her husband gone, too, poor woman!” said Chagres Charley, in the most sympathizing tones ever heard at Flatfoot Bar.  “But a doctor’d be more good to her jes’ now than forty sich husbands as her’n.  Where’s the nearest doctor, fellers?” continued Chagres Charley.

“Up to Dutch Hill,” said Texas; “an’ I’ll see he’s fetched inside of two hours.”

Saying which, Texas dropped the raw-hide door, and hurried off.

The remaining five strolled slowly back to Chagres Charley’s hut.

“Them Greasers hain’t never got nothin’,” said Mississip, suddenly; “an’ that woman’ll lay thar on the bare ground all night ’fore they think of makin’ her comfortable.  Who’s got an extra blanket?”

“I!” said each of the four others; and Nappy Boney expressed the feeling of the whole party by exclaiming: 

“The blue sky is enough good to cover man when woman needs blankets.”

Hastily Mississip collected the four extra blankets and both of his own, and, as he sped toward the Mexican hut, he stopped several times by the way to dexterously snatch blankets from sleeping forms.

“Here you be,” said he, suddenly entering the Mexican hut, and startling the inmates into crossing themselves violently.  “Make the poor thing a decent bed, an’ we’ll hev a doctor here pretty soon.”

[Illustration:  SUDDENLY, BY THE GLARE OF A FRESH LIGHT, THE BOYS SAW THE FACE OF A RATHER DIRTY, LARGE-EYED, BROWN SKINNED MEXICAN BABY.]

Mississip had barely vanished, when a light scratching was heard on the door.