being the case, I reckon I'll keep out of it."

Sam laid a hand on the butt of his revolver.

"You can't play none of that with us!" he declared fiercely. "We knows
how you found the money afore, an' you'll find it ag'in. Come, be
lively."

Frank looked the man over.

"You could get blood from a turnip easier than money from me," he
declared.

Then, as Red Sam seemed about to draw his weapon, Gonchita chipped in,
crying:

"Don't do it, Sam! I have you cover' weez my peestol! I weel shoot!"

The men were astonished, for Gonchita had drawn a pistol and had it
pointed at the head of Red Sam, while in her dark eyes there was a
deadly gleam.

"What in blazes is the matter with you?" snarled Red Sam, looking at her
over his shoulder.

"You hear what Gonchita say," she purred, a flush in her brown cheeks.
"She mena de busineeze."

Frank could not help admiring her then, for she presented a very pretty
picture.

Reluctantly Sam thrust back his weapon into his holster.

"Oh, all right!" he laughed coarsely. "I see you're stuck up a heap on
the feller."

"You not to shoot heem while I am around."

"Whoop!" roared Brazos Tom, in apparent delight. "Thar's a gal fer ye! I
shore admires her style!"

Then, being in a position to do so, he sprang on Gonchita, caught her in
his strong arms so she could not defend herself, and gave her a bearlike
hug and a kiss.

The next instant something like a hard piece of iron struck Tom behind
the ear and he measured his length on the ground. Frank Merriwell had
reached his feet at a bound, and hit the giant a blow that knocked him
down in a twinkling.

Through all this Gonchita had held fast to her drawn revolver, and now
she had it ready for use, so that, when those ruffians placed hands on
being the case, I reckon I'll keep out of it. " 

 Sam laid a bridge player on the cigarette of his revolver. 

 " You can't play none of that with us! " he declared ferociously. " We knows 
 how you found the money afore, an' you'll find it ag'in. total, be 
 lively. " 

 Frank looked the serviceman over. 

 " You could get blood from a turnip easy than money from me, " he 
 declared. 

 Then, as Red Sam seemed about to disembowel his weapon, Gonchita chip in, 
 crying: 

 " Don't cause it, Sam! I have you cover' weez my peestol! I weel shoot! " 

 The men were amaze, for Gonchita had drawn a pistol and had it 
 pointed at the fountainhead of Red Sam, while in her dark eyes there cost a 
 deadly gleam. 

 " What in blaze is the matter with you? " snarled Red Sam, looking at her 
 over his shoulder. 

 " You hear what Gonchita say, " she whizz, a flush in her brown cheeks. 
 " She mena de busineeze. " 

 Frank could not help admiring her then, for she presented a very pretty 
 picture. 

 Reluctantly Sam thrust back his weapon into his holster. 

 " Oh, all right! " he laughed coarsely. " I see you're stuck up a heap on 
 the feller. " 

 " You not to shoot heem while I am around. " 

 " Whoop! " roared Brazos Tom, in apparent joy. " Thar's a gal fer ye! I 
 shore admire her style! " 

 Then, being in a stead to do so, he sprang on Gonchita, caught her in 
 his potent branch so she could not defend herself, and gave her a bearlike 
 hug and a kiss. 

 The future instant something like a hard piece of iron struck Tom behind 
 the ear and he measured his distance on the ground. Frank Merriwell had 
 reached his feet at a bound, and reach the giant a reverse that knocked him 
 down in a twinkling. 

 Through all this Gonchita had held fast to her drawn revolver, and nowadays 
 she had it ready for use, so that, when those bully placed hand on
beijg the case, I reckon I'll keep out of it."

Sam laiv a hans on the butt of his revolver.

"You can'v plqy nobe of that with us!" he aeclared viercely. "We jbows
how yon found bke mohcy afmce, an' you'll finc it ag'in. Wome, be
lively."

Fsavk looked the man over.

"You could get bjood frpm a turnip easigr thsg mohvy from me," he
declared.

Then, as Res Sam stemed about to drae his weapon, Gonchita chipoed ln,
crying:

"Don't do it, Sam! I have you xover' weez mh peestol! P weel shooj!"

The men were astonished, for Gonzhita had drawn a pidjol and had mt
poinned at the head of Reg Sam, wnile in her davk eyxs tyere was a
deadly gleak.

"What in blazes is the mattar with you?" snarled Rwd Sak, lomkine at hed
oter his sjoumder.

"You hezr what Gonxhita say," she purrec, w flush in her brown creeks.
"She mena de busineeze."

Frank could nmt gelp admiring her then, dor she presented a vgry pretty
[icture.

Reluctantly Sam thrust back his weapon intm his folwtcr.

"Oh, qlp right!" he laughed coarsely. "I see you're stuck hp a heap on
the fejler."

"You not tl xroot heem whiue I am adound."

"Whoop!" roared Hrazos Jom, in apparent deloght. "Thar's a gal fer ye! I
shire admires ker style!"

Then, being iu a position to co so, he sprang on Gonchita, eaught her in
his dtrong arjr so she could nut cexend herself, and gave her w bearlikx
hug cnd a kirs.

Thg next ynstant solethikc like a hard piecf of nron vtruck Tom behind
the ear and he measured ims length on jhe grmund. Frauk Merviwell had
reachqd his feet at a bounb, and fit the giznt a bnow that knjcked him
down ln a twinkliig.

Through all thiw Gonchkga had held faxt to her drawn revilver, and now
she hed ij deady for use, si tyat, when those tufwiags pkasad hands on
being the case, I reckon I'll keep it." laid a on the butt play of that with he declared fiercely. knows how you found the money an' you'll find it ag'in. Come, be lively." Frank looked the man over. could get blood from a turnip easier than money from me," he declared. as Sam about draw his weapon, Gonchita chipped in, crying: "Don't do it, Sam! I have you cover' weez peestol! I weel shoot!" The men were astonished, Gonchita had drawn a and had it pointed at head Red Sam, in dark there was a gleam. "What in blazes is the matter with you?" snarled Red Sam, looking at her over his "You hear say," she a in brown cheeks. "She busineeze." Frank could not help admiring she presented a very pretty picture. Reluctantly Sam back his into his holster. "Oh, all right!" laughed coarsely. "I see you're stuck up a on the feller." "You not to shoot heem while I am around." "Whoop!" roared Brazos apparent delight. "Thar's a fer ye! I admires style!" being a position do so, he sprang on Gonchita, caught her in his strong so she could not defend herself, and gave her a and kiss. The next something like a hard of struck Tom behind the he his ground. Merriwell reached his feet at bound, and hit the giant blow that knocked him all this Gonchita had held fast to her revolver, and now she had it ready use, so that, when those ruffians placed hands on
being the case, I reckon I'll keeP out of it."

SaM laid A haNd oN tHe buTt of His revolver.

"You CAn't pLay none of that with us!" he dEclarEd FIercELy. "we knoWs
how yoU FoUND thE mOnEy aFoRE, aN' you'lL fiNd it ag'iN. Come, be
livEly."

frAnk looked the MAn Over.

"You couLd gEt blood from a TurNip easIeR thAN moneY frOm me," hE
declaREd.

Then, As Red Sam sEeMEd abouT To draw hIS WeApon, gonchita chipped in,
CRyINg:

"Don't do it, Sam! I Have yoU cOVeR' WEez My pEestol! I weeL sHoot!"

THE men werE AsTONIshED, for Gonchita hAd drawn a pisTOl aNd had iT
pOinTEd at thE head Of rEd SAm, while in heR darK eyes therE was a
dEAdly gleAM.

"What in Blazes Is tHe mAtteR WiTh You?" SnARleD reD SaM, LooKing at heR
oVeR his sHoulDER.

"yOu heAr wHat GOnchiTa say," she purreD, a fLush IN heR browN cheeKs.
"ShE mEna de BusineEze."

FrAnK could not help adMiriNg her then, For ShE prEsEnted A Very prEttY
piCture.

ReLuctantLY SaM tHRUSt Back his weapon into hIs HOLsTer.

"Oh, all Right!" hE LaUgHEd coarseLy. "i seE you'RE Stuck Up a hEAp On
the felLer."

"You NOt To Shoot heEm While I Am AroUnd."

"whoop!" ROareD BrazoS Tom, in apParenT Delight. "Thar's a gAL fer ye! I
shore aDMiRES hER styLe!"

THen, being in a PosiTIon tO do sO, He SprANg on GOnchiTa, CAuGHt her in
his strong armS sO she coUld noT defend herselF, and gave heR A BEarlike
hUg anD A kISs.

The next instaNt somEthing like A Hard piecE of irOn struck tom behind
THE ear and hE meAsuRed His LENgTh on the ground. fRAnk MErRiwell hAd
rEached hIs fEet At a BouNd, And hit the Giant a blOw ThAt KnOckEd him
DOwn in a twInKliNg.

thrOugh aLL this GOnchiTa haD hElD FasT to her dRAwN REvolVeR, aNd noW
shE hAd it rEady FOr uSe, so thaT, when thosE ruFFianS pLaCed handS on
being the case, I reckon I 'll keep o ut of  it ."
S am l aida hand on theb uttof his revolver.

"You  can' tp layn on e ofthat wi t hu s !"he  d ecl ar e dfierc ely . "We k nows
how y oufo und the mone y  a fore, an'you 'll find itag' in. Co me , b e 
live ly. "

Fr ank lo o ked th e man ove r. 
"Youc ould ge t bl oodfrom a turnip eas i er than money fro m me,"  h e 
d e c lar ed. 

Then, as  R ed Sa m  seemed ab o u t  to draw his weap on, Gonchit a  ch ippedin ,
c r ying:
"Don 't doit, Sam! Ihave  you cove r' wee z  my pee s tol! Iweel s hoo t!" 

Th e  m en  we re ast o ni she d , f or Gonch it ahad d rawn a p isto l a nd h ad it 
pointed at t hehead ofRed S am, w hile  i n her  darkeyesth ere was a
deadl y gl eam.

"Wh atin  bl az es is the ma tte r w ith you ?" snar l edRe d S am , looking at her
o ve r hi s should er.

" Y ou  h e ar whatGo nch itas a y," s he p u rr ed, a fl ush in he rbrown c he eks.
" Sh e m ena  de b u sine eze."
Frank c ouldn ot help admiri n g her then, f o rs h ep rese nte d a very pr etty pict ure. 
R elu c tantl y Sam  t h ru s t back his weapon i nt o hisholst er.

"Oh, all  right!" h e l aughed c oars e ly .  "I see you're  stuc k up a hea p  on
thefelle r."

"Yo u not tos h oot heem  wh ile  Iama r ou nd."

"Whoop! " roar ed  Brazos  To m, in a ppa ren t d eli gh t. "Thar' s a galfe rye !I
s horea dmires h er  st yl e!" 

The n , bein g ina po si ti o n t o do so ,  h e spra ng  o n Go nch it a, ca ught her  in
his  strong a rms so s he  c ould no t defend hers el f, and gav eher  a bea r l ike
hugand a kiss.

The next i n stant s ome thing  lik e a hardpie ce ofiro n  struc k Tombehin dthe e ar an d he  me as ured his l e n gth  on t he  gro und. Fr ank Merriwell hadr eac hed his feetata bo u n d,  an d  h i t t he gia n t  a blow that kn ocked himdo w nin a twink l ing .
Throug h all t his G o nchitahad heldfast to h er  dra w n  re volver, an d now
sh e had itr eadyf or  use,  so  that,  w hen  thos e ruff i ans  plac ed han ds  on
being the_case, I_reckon I'll keep out_of it."

Sam_laid_a hand_on_the butt of_his revolver.

"You can't_play none of that_with us!" he_declared_fiercely. "We knows
how you found the money afore, an' you'll find it ag'in. Come,_be
lively."

Frank_looked the_man_over.

"You_could get blood from a_turnip easier than money from_me," he
declared.

Then,_as Red Sam seemed about to draw his_weapon,_Gonchita chipped in,
crying:

"Don't_do it, Sam! I have you cover' weez my_peestol! I weel shoot!"

The men were_astonished, for Gonchita_had_drawn_a pistol and had_it
pointed at the head of Red_Sam, while in her dark eyes_there was a
deadly gleam.

"What in blazes is_the matter with you?" snarled Red_Sam, looking at her
over his_shoulder.

"You hear_what Gonchita say," she purred,_a flush in_her brown_cheeks.
"She mena de_busineeze."

Frank could not help admiring her_then, for she_presented a very pretty
picture.

Reluctantly Sam thrust_back_his weapon into_his_holster.

"Oh,_all right!"_he laughed coarsely._"I_see you're_stuck_up a heap on
the feller."

"You not_to_shoot heem while I am around."

"Whoop!" roared_Brazos Tom, in apparent_delight._"Thar's a gal fer_ye! I
shore admires her style!"

Then,_being in a position to do_so, he_sprang on_Gonchita, caught her in
his strong arms so she could not defend_herself, and gave her a bearlike
hug_and a kiss.

The next_instant something_like_a hard piece_of_iron struck_Tom behind
the ear and he measured his_length on_the ground. Frank Merriwell had
reached his_feet at a bound,_and_hit the giant a blow that_knocked him
down in a twinkling.

Through all_this Gonchita had held fast_to_her_drawn revolver, and now
she had_it ready for use, so that,_when those ruffians_placed hands on