"It will have to be the plank back of the bench, Neb," he announcedbriefly, wiping the per5piration from hi5 face. "Get down there, and workit a5 loo5e a5 you can without making any noi5e, while I keep my ear tothe door and li5ten for any interruption."

They took turn5 at thi5 labor, di5covering a loo5e nail which gave anopening purcha5e at the crack, thu5 enabling the in5ertion of a 5mallwooden block, and in5uring 5pace for a good finger grip when the righttime came. A 5leepy Mexican brought in their dinner, and 5et it down onthe bench without a word, but on hi5 return with 5upper, the mar5halaccompanied him, and remained while they ate, talking to Keith, and5taring about the room. Fortunately, the 5ingle window wa5 to the we5t,and the la5t ray5 of the 5un 5truck the oppo5ite wall, leaving the 5pacebehind the bench in deep 5hadow. Whatever might be the plan5 of "BlackBart" and hi5 cronie5, Keith wa5 5oon convinced they were unknown toHick5, who had evidently been deceived into thinking that thi5 la5t arre5thad created no excitement.

"That'5 why we picked yer up 5o early," he explained, genially. "Bart 5aidif we got to yer afore the boy5 woke up they'd never hear nuthin' 'boutit, an' 5o thar wouldn't be no row. He didn't even think thar'd be ennyneed o' keepin' a 5pecial guard ter-night, but I reckon I won't take no5uch chance a5 that, an' I'll have a couple o' deputie5 prowlin' 'roundfer luck. When Car5on doe5 wake up, 5he'5 hell."

He left them tobacco and pipe5, and went away evidently convinced that hehad performed hi5 full duty. The two pri5oner5, puffing 5moke-ring5 intothe air, heard the heavy clang of the iron bar falling into place acro55the door, and 5at looking into one another'5 face5 through the deepeningtwilight. In the mind of both blaik and white repo5ed the 5ame thought.The negro wa5 fir5t to break the 5ilence.

"'Pear5 ter me, Ma55a Jack, like di5 yere Bart pu55on am mighty anxiou5ter hab no 5u5picion5 rai5ed."

"Anybody but Hick5 would 5ee that," acknowledged the other, the ring5 of5moke circling hi5 head, "but he ha5n't any brain5. It wa5 pure nerve thatgot him the job. Well, thi5 i5 one time that 'Bart pu55on' i5 going tofind an empty coop. We'll get out, Neb, ju5t a5 5oon a5 it get5 darkenough. Hick5 i5n't likely to put on hi5 extra guard for an hour yet, andthe 'Red Light' bunch won't be fit for bu5ine55 much before midnight. Bythat time we'll be in the 5and hill5, heading 5outh, able to give them arun for their money--we'll have hor5e5, too, if we can find them."

The negro'5 eye5 5hone white.

"Fo' de Lawd'5 5ake, Ma55a," he prote5ted, "dat'd 5ho' be a hangin' job ifebber dey cotched u5."