“Brent was sayin’ he was short of hands,” suggested Pete.

“Which is correct.  But there’s that Jose who knows every foot of the dry-spot clean to the Ortez—­and he knows every hoss-thief in this sun-blasted country.  Does he send Jose?  No.  He sends two white men, tellin’ me that it is too big a deal to trust the Mexican with.”

“And a fine chance of gittin’ bumped off by a lousy bunch of Cholas callin’ themselves soldiers, eh?”

“You said it.”

“Well, we got good hosses, anyway.  And I sabe the Mexican talk.”

“Guess that’s why Brent sent you along.  He knows I talk mighty little Mexican.”  And Brevoort gazed curiously at Pete.

“Seein’ as you feel that way about it, Ed, I got somethin’ I been millin’ over in my head.  Now, when The Spider sent me down here he said he had some important business he wanted me to handle.  Brent was to tell me.  Now I don’t see anything important about ridin’ line or chasin’ into Mexico to wake up a bunch of Greasers and tell ’em to get busy.  Uncle Sammy Brent’s got somethin’ hid up his sleeve, Ed.”

Brevoort, riding slowly beside Pete, turned from gazing across the desert and looked Pete over from spur to sombrero with a new interest.  He thought he knew now why The Spider had sent Pete to the ranch and why Brent, in turn, had sent Pete on this dangerous mission.  “Is The Spider much of a friend of yours?” queried Brevoort suddenly.

“Why, I dunno.  ’Course he acted like he was—­but you can’t tell about him.  He—­he helped me out of a hole onct.”

“Did you ever help him out?”

“Me?  No, I never had the chanct.”

“Uh-huh.  Well, just you pull in your hoss and run your good eye over this a minute.”  And Brevoort drew a folded slip of paper from his shirt-pocket and handed it to Pete.  It was a brief note addressed to Brevoort and signed “J.E.”  It instructed Brevoort to accompany Pete Annersley to El Paso after the sale of the cattle and to see to it that the money which Annersley would have with him was deposited to the credit of James Ewell in the Stockmen’s Security and Savings Bank.

Pete had difficulty in reading the note and took some time to read it, finally handing it back to Brevoort in silence.  And then, “Where did you git it?  Who is ’J.E.’?”

“From Harper.  ‘J.E.’ is Jim Ewell—­The Spider.”

“So Harper rode to Showdown and back?”

“He took word from Brent to The Spider that the boys had started,” said Brevoort.

“And Brent—­” Pete hesitated for fear of committing himself even though he trusted Brevoort.  But Brevoort had no hesitation.  He anticipated Pete’s thought and spoke frankly.

“Brent figured it fine.  I knew why he sent you and me on this ride—­but I was tryin’ to find out if you was wise—­or ridin’ blind.  If we come back, Brent won’t show his hand.  If we don’t come back he’ll collect the dough and vamoose.  Kin you see a hole in the fence?”