JIM OBEYS AN IMPULSE.

Outside was much shouting and shrilling and Pizzo was heard giving sharp commands; there was the stamping of horses and mules and burros. Pizzo had no fear that the troops would penetrate into his fastness for days and he knew that Lopez expected his messenger to return accompanied by the young woman, so he need expect no overt action from the war minister until the messenger became overdue.

If Pizzo regretted that he had permitted his affections to jeopardize the existence of his band it was too late, now, to change things. The frontier of Nicaragua was forty miles away over high mountains, two days distant for an outfit which was loading most of the animals with its possessions and would have to proceed on foot.

He wanted to be on the march as soon as possible lest Lopez send airplanes on his trail when twenty-four hours had passed without the return of the unfortunate officer. Pizzo thought he could conceal his forces from the eye of an observer in a plane, but it would be safer to be across the frontier before the aircraft were sent out.

Ellen and Jim had half an hour together before the busy leader returned to their headquarters, and it was their first wholly amicable interview. The treachery of Lopez had shocked Ellen inexpressibly, even though it was displayed against Jim and not herself. She could not help contrasting favorably the big, blond, honest, humorous youth who sat opposite her with the slender, suave, handsome, but crafty Central American.

She was petrified with terror of Pizzo, and though she had turned to Jim and let her head rest on his breast just because he was her only hope, she had liked the feel of it there. She liked his protestations of love because now she believed he meant them, and she remembered that she had begun to like his kisses back home in the patio. Perhaps, after all, he was her man.

Jim was silent during most of their _tête-à-tête_ because his mind was furiously working. It was up to him. Ellen depended on him. He was alone against a hundred armed and savage men, yet somehow he had to save her.

He shuddered at the thought of the girl in Pizzo's power for a second night. The man's passion must be tremendous if he had chosen to hold her against the whole force of the republic of Santa Rosa, and it was not to be trusted. The thought of Ellen in the arms of the half-breed caused his brain to reel. Ellen watched him as she nibbled at the dry bread and knew pretty well what was passing through his head. She wasn't afraid now, for somehow this ridiculous youth, whom she had mocked in Rosa Blanca, inspired confidence.

"Have--have you a plan?" she hazarded finally.

"No," he said dolefully. "We'll just have to watch our chance. It's bad enough now, but if he gets us away up in the interior, even if we escaped we'd perish before we ever reached a settlement. Hush, he's coming."

Pizzo entered. He had strapped a sword around his waist, had two revolvers in his belt now, and wore a flapping felt hat with a red feather in it. His black eyes gleamed as he looked at Ellen. Morrison he ignored.

"You feel better, _señorita_?" he demanded in Spanish. "My heart is sick that you saw an execution. You must understand I am a soldier and I killed an enemy."

"I don't care to talk to you, murderer," she said coldly.

His smirk vanished and he drew himself up. "_Señorita_," he said. "I love you. Because I love you I have refused a demand that I send you back to Rosa Blanca and now the whole army is marching against me. That is love, is it not?"

For answer she rose from the table and moved toward the inner room.

"You cannot take refuge there," he said, following her. "For your sake I abandon this camp where I have lived for three years and cross the frontier with my soldiers. This house and all the others I am about to burn."

Jim had risen and was listening with anxiety to the tirade, for the bandit's voice was rising. Pizzo whirled on him.

"I attend to you," he snarled. He darted to the door and shouted and, in a moment, two soldiers, a negro and an Indian, entered, closing the door behind them.

"Take this man outside and guard him," he commanded.

* * * * *

Pizzo turned his back to Jim and followed Ellen into the bedroom. This was too much for the hot-tempered American. The riflemen had stepped up to him and separated, one of them indicating that he was to step between them. With every ounce of strength he possessed, Jim brought his right fist up and crashed it against the point of the Indian's jaw. As the fellow dropped, Jim grasped the rifle and drove the butt of it squarely against the forehead of the negro who was trying to lift his gun to his shoulder. The second man collapsed and fell upon the body of the first, and Morrison swung about with the rifle and covered Pizzo who had turned and was standing in the doorway of the bedroom in the act of drawing his revolver from its holster.

"Drop that gun," Jim commanded harshly.

The revolver fell from the fingers of the bandit.

"For this I will kill," Pizzo snarled, his upper lip drawing back and showing yellow fangs and cavities.

"I'm doing the killing," declared Morrison. "Ellen, pick up that revolver and take the other one away from him.

"Quick!" he cried as she appeared, hesitating, behind the bandit.

Ellen fumbled at the holster on the left side of Pizzo's belt and drew out the weapon, then picked up the revolver from the floor, holding each timorously by the muzzle instead of the butt.

"Now tell him that if he calls for help I'm going to shoot. He may not understand my English."

"I understan'," said Pizzo. "You are imbecile. No ransom now. I kill you."

"Bring me those guns," Jim commanded; and Ellen glided to his side and handed him the weapons while Jim instantly covered Pizzo with one of them, having dropped the rifle to the floor. Both fallen soldiers were moving, and one sat up and blinked stupidly. "Tell them to be silent, Pizzo," he commanded. "If they yell, I'll shoot you."

Pizzo gave the order.

"Pull out his sword, and then stack these two rifles on the other side of the room," Jim said to Ellen. The girl returned timidly to Pizzo and shuddered at the glare he gave her, but she drew out the long blade from the scabbard. And then came a thump on the door.

"Ask them what they want, and tell them not to enter," snapped the American.

Pizzo lifted his voice and complied.

"What did they say?" he demanded of Ellen.

"They say all is ready for the word to march, and six men remain behind to fire the houses."

"Pizzo," he said softly, "tell them all to march, and not to fire the houses. You will follow with these men and the prisoners."

Pizzo was shaking with indecision.

Jim looked him squarely in the eye. "I'm going to fire," he exclaimed. "Listen, Ellen. If he says anything else, tell me, and I'll empty this gun into him."

There was a tense second. The bandit chief understood what it meant to be abandoned by his men, but he saw that Morrison was desperate enough to shoot. In fact, he had no choice. He snapped out the order to march.

The lieutenant who stood outside the door shrugged his shoulders and shouted: "_Sí, sí, mi géneral!_" To him it was plain what was happening inside. The general was with a beautiful woman and wished to remain with her for awhile. He had two men to guard the male prisoner and saddled horses waiting with which to overtake the band which was moving forward on foot.

"Pizzo, go stand against the opposite wall with the others," instructed Jim, and the little bandit, head drooping but eyes watchful as those of a ferret, obeyed. Jim was perspiring from excitement as though he were in a steam bath. Ellen was almost fainting from nerves. They waited in silence.

Outside was much shouting, tramping, rattling of accouterments, and the buzzing of two ancient Ford cars that were going to be used on the mountain paths as far as they could be driven. Presently it was evident that the movement had commenced. Jim thanked the gods that there were no windows on the front of the hut, just the door.

There was a window at one side, but it was covered with a dirty curtain. Daylight streamed in from a bedroom window at the rear. No eyes outside could witness the drama of the interior.

Presently Pizzo spoke. He addressed Ellen in Spanish.

"He says," she translated, "that, even now, he will spare your life and overlook this incident, and he will release me with you when the ransom is paid."

"Tell him to go to the devil."

Pizzo understood that and tried English.

"My men will return and kill you, _señor_," he threatened.

"They'll find you dead, in that case," Jim said grimly. There was a silence lasting ten minutes. "Look outside, Ellen," Jim commanded. "See if the column is in sight."

The girl opened the door and stepped outside. She returned with a very white face.

"They are out of sight," she said, "but there are two armed men about a hundred feet away guarding six horses."

"Stick your head out, Pizzo," Jim ordered. "Tell those fellows to mount two horses and report you will be along in half an hour. Or how would you like a bullet in your back?"

Shaking with hatred and fury, Pizzo opened the door and yelled to the men. Ellen nodded that he had said what he was told to say.

"Back up, Pizzo--back up!" warned Jim.

The general returned to his post by the wall. A moment later they heard two horses galloping past.

"Now," said Morrison, "this is what is going to happen. Pizzo, you and I and the lady are going to take the other horses and ride to Rosa Blanca. You are going to show us the way. If you try any tricks, you get filled full of lead. If you are a good boy, I won't turn you over to the Santa Rosa troops. Translate that, Ellen darling; he can only understand about six words of English at a time."

Ellen translated, and Pizzo looked sullen, but said nothing.

"Darned if I know what to do with the other two," Jim muttered. "March them ahead of us, I guess, for a few miles, and turn them loose. Ellen dear, can you carry those rifles as far as the horses? I'll have my hands full. Come on, Pizzo, you lead the way and tell the others to follow. I've got a lot of bullets here for you, remember that."