curtain.

Then he fell back staring, dumb with surprise. For there stood the Black
Pearl alone, a man's coat buttoned across her bare chest, and beneath it
the froth of her rose-colored silk petticoats. She stood nonchalantly
enough, her head thrown back, her hands on her hips, surveying the group
of men with a quick, disdainful smile, and then laughed insolently
across them at Hanson.

"My Lord!" cried the sheriff, recovering himself, "how did you get here?
Why, you just went out of the door."

"Gee! José dressed up in her clothes and made a getaway," called a
shrill voice from the rear.

The sheriff swore audibly and violently as he ran to the door. "Here,
three of you boys," he ordered, "stay here and hold these prisoners. It
ain't ten minutes since the others left and there's no chance on earth
for 'em to escape. We'll have 'em before you know it. Come on, the rest
of you."




CHAPTER XIII


The morning dawned, but the Sheriff and his aids, their numbers
considerably increased by the various masculine inhabitants of Colina
who had joyously proffered their assistance--welcoming anything that