A rifle shot rang out from the side of B Street; from the lumber-pile
across the street, Bryce and Ogilvy heard a suppressed grunt of pain,
and a crash as of a breaking board. Instantly out of the shadows
George Sea Otter came padding on velvet feet, rifle in hand--and then
Bryce understood.

"All right, boss," said George simply as he joined Bryce and Ogilvy
under the lee of the locomotive. "Now we get busy again."

"Safe-o, men," Ogilvy called. "Back to the job." And while Bryce,
followed by the careless George Sea Otter, went into the lumber-yard
to succour the enemy, Ogilvy set an example to the men by stepping
into the open and starting briskly to work with a shovel.

At the bottom of the pile of lumber the Black Minorca was discovered
with a severe flesh-wound in his right hip; also he was suffering
from numerous bruises and contusions. George Sea Otter possessed
himself of the fallen cholo's rifle, while Bryce picked the wretch up
and carried him to his automobile.

"Take the swine over to the Laguna Grande Lumber Company's hospital
and tell them to patch him up," he ordered George Sea Otter. "I'll
keep both rifles and the ammunition here for Jules Rondeau and his
woods-gang. They'll probably be dropping in on us about two a.m., if
I know anything about Colonel Pennington's way of doing things."




CHAPTER XXXI