"If I owned this ranch," said Frank, to himself, "that fellow shouldn't
stay here five minutes longer. I'd pay him off, and tell him to leave as
fast as his horse could carry him."

Having satisfied himself that the windows were so well secured that no
one could effect an entrance through them, Frank opened the drawer and
took another good look at the money, as if he were afraid that it might
have been spirited away even while he was in the room; after which he
locked the desk, and hid the key under the edge of the carpet. Then
glancing about the office, to make sure that every thing was safe, he
closed the door, and hurrying into his own room, he threw the key under
his writing-desk, next to the wall. Then he breathed easier. The money
was as safe as it would have been in the bank at San Diego.




CHAPTER IV.

FRANK PROVES HIMSELF A HERO.


"There!" said Frank, with something like a sigh of relief. "If Pierre
gets into that office to-night, he'll have to use an ax; and if he tries
that"--

Frank finished the sentence by shaking his head in a threatening manner,
and taking down his rifle, which he proceeded to load very carefully. He
had made up his mind to fight, if it should become necessary.