do it, sir."

"Well, let him go. I don't think he'll do much harm."

"If you had listened to me, I'd fixed him so he'd never done any further
harm."

"All right, Tracy--all right. I'll see you later."

Tracy left the room.

"Look out for that man, Frank," said Hodge, in an ominous manner. "He is
not to be trusted at all."

"All right," said Merry. "We'll not discuss him--now." Which remark was
made with a meaning look toward the Mexican lad.

Pablo was given a place at the table and a steaming cup of coffee placed
before him. Corn bread and bacon, with some canned stuff, made up the
breakfast, and the boy ate almost ravenously of everything given him.
But he kept his hat pulled low over his eyes all the while.

After breakfast Frank sought to question Pablo further, succeeding in
drawing from the boy that both his father and mother were dead, and
that he had lived in Holbrook with his sister, where she had seen Bill,
who seemed to fascinate her. At least she had run away with the man,
and, arming himself with a knife and pistol, Pablo had followed to
rescue or avenge her. Chance had led him to the valley in which the
Queen Mystery Mine was located.

It was rather a pathetic little story, and Merry was somewhat stirred by
it.

"What could you do if you should find Bill?" he asked.

A grim look came to Pablo's soiled yet attractive face.

"I haf my peestol," he said.

"But Bill is a very bad man, and he would have a pistol, too."

"I do my best. I am not skeert of Beel."

"Well, as I happen to know something of Bill, I tell you now, Pablo,
that it will be better for you if you never meet him."

"But my seestar--my seestar! I mus' find her."

Frank was tempted to tell the boy what he knew about Gonchita, but
decided not to do so, believing it would be to no purpose.

So Pablo remained in the valley for the time, seeming in no hurry to
continue the search for his sister. He wandered about the mine and the
buildings, peering curiously at everything with his big eyes, listening
to the talk of the men, and seeming to ha