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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Heart of the Sunset, by Rex Beach
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Heart of the Sunset
+
+Author: Rex Beach
+
+Posting Date: December 14, 2009 [EBook #5099]
+Release Date: February, 2004
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HEART OF THE SUNSET ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+HEART OF THE SUNSET
+
+By Rex Beach
+
+Author of "THE SILVER HORDE" "THE SPOILERS" "THE IRON TRAIL" Etc.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+     I.   THE WATER-HOLE
+
+    II.   THE AMBUSH
+
+   III.   WHAT HAPPENED AT THE WATER-HOLE
+
+    IV.   AN EVENING AT LAS PALMAS
+
+     V.   SOMETHING ABOUT HEREDITY
+
+    VI.   A JOURNEY, AND A DARK MAN
+
+   VII.   LUIS LONGORIO
+
+  VIII.   BLAZE JONES'S NEMESIS
+
+    IX.   A SCOUTING TRIP
+
+     X.   A RANGER'S HORSE
+
+    XI.   JUDGE ELLSWORTH EXACTS A PROMISE
+
+   XII.   LONGORIO MAKES BOLD
+
+  XIII.   DAVE LAW BECOMES JEALOUS
+
+   XIV.   JOSE SANCHEZ SWEARS AN OATH
+
+    XV.   THE TRUTH ABOUT PANFILO
+
+   XVI.   THE RODEO
+
+  XVII.   THE GUZMAN INCIDENT
+
+ XVIII.   ED AUSTIN TURNS AT BAY
+
+   XIX.   RANGERS
+
+    XX.   SUPERSTITIONS AND CERTAINTIES
+
+   XXI.   AN AWAKENING
+
+  XXII.   WHAT ELLSWORTH HAD TO SAY
+
+ XXIII.   THE CRASH
+
+  XXIV.   DAVE LAW COMES HOME
+
+   XXV.   A WARNING AND A SURPRISE
+
+  XXVI.   THE WATER-CURE
+
+ XXVII.   LA FERIA
+
+XXVIII.   THE DOORS OF PARADISE
+
+  XXIX.   THE PRIEST FROM MONCLOVA
+
+   XXX.   THE MAN OF DESTINY
+
+  XXXI.   A SPANISH WILL
+
+ XXXII.   THE DAWN
+
+
+
+
+
+
+HEART OF THE SUNSET
+
+
+I
+
+THE WATER-HOLE
+
+
+A fitful breeze played among the mesquite bushes. The naked earth,
+where it showed between the clumps of grass, was baked plaster hard. It
+burned like hot slag, and except for a panting lizard here and there,
+or a dust-gray jack-rabbit, startled from its covert, nothing animate
+stirred upon its face. High and motionless in the blinding sky a
+buzzard poised; long-tailed Mexican crows among the thorny branches
+creaked and whistled, choked and rattled, snored and grunted; a dove
+mourned inconsolably, and out of the air issued metallic insect
+cries--the direction whence they came as unascertainable as their
+source was hidden.
+
+Although the sun was half-way down the west, its glare remained
+untempered, and the tantalizing shade of the sparse mesquite was more
+of a trial than a comfort to the lone woman who, refusing its deceitful
+invitation, plodded steadily over the waste. Stop, indeed, she dared
+not. In spite of her fatigue, regardless of the torture from feet and
+limbs unused to walking, she must, as she constantly assured herself,
+keep going until strength failed. So far, fortunately, she had kept her
+head, and she retained sufficient reason to deny the fanciful
+apprehensions which clamored for audience. If she once allowed herself
+to become panicky, she knew, she would fare worse--far worse--and now,
+if ever, she needed all her faculties. Somewhere to the northward,
+perhaps a mile, perhaps a league distant, lay the water-hole.
+
+But the country was of a deadly and a deceitful sameness, devoid of
+landmarks and lacking well-defined water-courses. The unending mesquite
+with its first spring foliage resembled a limitless peach-orchard sown
+by some careless and unbelievably prodigal hand. Out of these false
+acres occasional knolls and low stony hills lifted themselves so that
+one came, now and then, to vantage-points where the eye leaped for
+great distances across imperceptible valleys to horizons so far away
+that the scattered tree-clumps were blended into an unbroken carpet of
+green. To the woman these outlooks were unutterably depressing, merely
+serving to reveal the vastness of the desolation about her.
+
+At the crest of such a rise she paused and studied the country
+carefully, but without avail. She felt dizzily for the desert bag swung
+from her shoulder, only to find it flat and dry; the galvanized
+mouthpiece burned her fingers. With a little shock she remembered that
+she had done this very thing several times before, and her repeated
+forgetting frightened her, since it seemed to show that her mind had
+been slightly unbalanced by the heat. That perhaps explained why the
+distant horizon swam and wavered so.
+
+In all probability a man situated as she was would have spoken aloud,
+in an endeavor to steady himself; but this woman did nothing of the
+sort. Seating herself in the densest shade she could find--it was
+really no shade at all--she closed her eyes and relaxed--no easy thing
+to do in such a stifling temperature and when her throat was aching
+with drought.
+
+At length she opened her eyes again, only to find that she could make
+out nothing familiar. Undoubtedly she was lost; the water-hole might be
+anywhere. She listened tensely, and the very air seemed to listen with
+her; the leaves hushed their faint whisperings; a near-by cactus held
+its forty fleshy ears alert, while others more distant poised in the
+same harkening attitude. It seemed to the woman that a thousand ears
+were straining with hers, yet no sound came save only the monotonous
+crescendo and diminuendo of those locust-cries coming out of nowhere
+and retreating into the voids. At last, as if satisfied, the leaves
+began to whisper softly again.
+
+Away to her left lay the yellow flood of the Rio Grande, but the woman,
+though tempted to swing in that direction, knew better than to yield.
+At least twenty miles of barrens lay between, and she told herself that
+she could never cover such a distance. No, the water-hole was nearer;
+it must be close at hand. If she could only think a little more
+clearly, she could locate it. Once more she tried, as she had tried
+many times before, to recall the exact point where she had shot her
+horse, and to map in her mind's eye the foot-weary course she had
+traveled from that point onward.
+
+Desert travel was nothing new to her, thirst and fatigue were old
+acquaintances, yet she could not help wondering if, in spite of her
+training, in spite of that inborn sense of direction which she had
+prided herself upon sharing with the wild creatures, she were fated to
+become a victim of the chaparral. The possibility was remote; death at
+this moment seemed as far off as ever--if anything it was too far off.
+No, she would find the water-hole somehow; or the unexpected would
+happen, as it always did when one was in dire straits. She was too
+young and too strong to die yet. Death was not so easily won as this.
+
+Rising, she readjusted the strap of the empty water-bag over her
+shoulder and the loose cartridge-belt at her hip, then set her dusty
+feet down the slope.
+
+Day died lingeringly. The sun gradually lost its cruelty, but a partial
+relief from the heat merely emphasized the traveler's thirst and
+muscular distress. Onward she plodded, using her eyes as carefully as
+she knew how. She watched the evening flight of the doves, thinking to
+guide herself by their course, but she was not shrewd enough to read
+the signs correctly. The tracks she found were old, for the most part,
+and they led in no particular direction, nowhere uniting into anything
+like a trail. She wondered, if she could bring herself to drink the
+blood of a jack-rabbit, and if it would quench her thirst. But the
+thought was repellent, and, besides, she was not a good shot with a
+revolver. Nor did the cactus offer any relief, since it was only just
+coming into bloom, and as yet bore no fruit.
+
+The sun had grown red and huge when at last in the hard-baked dirt she
+discovered fresh hoof-prints. These seemed to lead along the line in
+which she was traveling, and she followed them gladly, encouraged when
+they were joined by others, for, although they meandered aimlessly,
+they formed something more like a trail than anything she had as yet
+seen. Guessing at their general direction, she hurried on, coming
+finally into a region where the soil was shallow and scarcely served to
+cover the rocky substratum. A low bluff rose on her left, and along its
+crest scattered Spanish daggers were raggedly silhouetted against the
+sky.
+
+She was in a well-defined path now; she tried to run, but her legs were
+heavy; she stumbled a great deal, and her breath made strange,
+distressing sounds as it issued from her open lips. Hounding the steep
+shoulder of the ridge, she hastened down a declivity into a knot of
+scrub-oaks and ebony-trees, then halted, staring ahead of her.
+
+The nakedness of the stony arroyo, the gnarled and stunted thickets,
+were softened by the magic of twilight; the air had suddenly cooled;
+overhead the empty, flawless sky was deepening swiftly from blue to
+purple; the chaparral had awakened and echoed now to the sounds of
+life. Nestling in a shallow, flinty bowl was a pool of water, and on
+its brink a little fire was burning.
+
+It was a tiny fire, overhung with a blackened pot; the odor of
+greasewood and mesquite smoke was sharp. A man, rising swiftly to his
+feet at the first sound, was staring at the new-comer; he was as alert
+as any wild thing. But the woman scarcely heeded him. She staggered
+directly toward the pond, seeing nothing after the first glance except
+the water. She would have flung herself full length upon the edge, but
+the man stepped forward and stayed her, then placed a tin cup in her
+hand. She mumbled something in answer to his greeting and the hoarse,
+raven-like croak in her voice startled her; then she drank, with
+trembling eagerness, drenching the front of her dress. The water was
+warm, but it was clean and delicious.
+
+"Easy now. Take your time," said the man, as he refilled the cup. "It
+won't give out."
+
+She knelt and wet her face and neck; the sensation was so grateful that
+she was tempted to fling herself bodily into the pool. The man was
+still talking, but she took no heed of what he said. Then at last she
+sank back, her feet curled under her, her body sagging, her head
+drooping. She felt the stranger's hands beneath her arms, felt herself
+lifted to a more comfortable position. Without asking permission, the
+stranger unlaced first one, then the other of her dusty boots, seeming
+not to notice her weak attempt at resistance. Once he had placed her
+bare feet in the water, she forgot her resentment in the intense relief.
+
+The man left her seated in a collapsed, semi-conscious state, and went
+back to his fire. For the time she was too tired to do more than refill
+the drinking-cup occasionally, or to wet her face and arms, but as her
+pores drank greedily her exhaustion lessened and her vitality returned.
+
+It was dark when for the first time she turned her head toward the
+camp-fire and stared curiously at the figure there. The appetizing odor
+of broiling bacon had drawn her attention, and as if no move went
+unnoticed the man said, without lifting his eyes:
+
+"Let 'em soak! Supper'll be ready directly. How'd you like your
+eggs--if we had any?"
+
+Evidently he expected no reply, for after a chuckle he began to whistle
+softly, in a peculiarly clear and liquid tone, almost like some
+bird-call. He had spoken with an unmistakable Texas drawl; the woman
+put him down at once for a cowboy. She settled her back against a
+boulder and rested.
+
+The pool had become black and mysterious, the sky was studded with
+stars when he called her, and she laboriously drew on her stockings and
+boots. Well back from the fire he had arranged a seat for her, using a
+saddle-blanket for a covering, and upon this she lowered herself
+stiffly. As she did so she took fuller notice of the man, and found his
+appearance reassuring.
+
+"I suppose you wonder how I--happen to be here," she said.
+
+"Now don't talk 'til you're rested, miss. This coffee is strong enough
+to walk on its hands, and I reckon about two cups of it'll rastle you
+into shape." As she raised the tin mug to her lips he waved a hand and
+smiled. "Drink hearty!" He set a plate of bread and bacon in her lap,
+then opened a glass jar of jam. "Here's the dulces. I've got a sort of
+sweet tooth in my head. I reckon you'll have to make out with this,
+'cause I rode in too late to rustle any fresh meat, and the
+delivery-wagon won't be 'round before morning." So saying, he withdrew
+to the fire.
+
+The woman ate and drank slowly. She was too tired to be hungry, and
+meanwhile the young man squatted upon his heels and watched her through
+the smoke from a husk cigarette. It was perhaps fortunate for her peace
+of mind that she could not correctly interpret his expression, for had
+she been able to do so she would have realized something of the turmoil
+into which her presence had thrown him. He was accustomed to meeting
+men in unexpected places--even in the desert's isolation--but to have a
+night camp in the chaparral invaded by a young and unescorted woman, to
+have a foot-sore goddess stumble out of the dark and collapse into his
+arms, was a unique experience and one calculated to disturb a person of
+his solitary habits.
+
+"Have you had your supper?" she finally inquired.
+
+"Who, me? Oh, I'll eat with the help." He smiled, and when his flashing
+teeth showed white against his leathery tan the woman decided he was
+not at all bad-looking. He was very tall and quite lean, with the long
+legs of a horseman--this latter feature accentuated by his high-heeled
+boots and by the short canvas cowboy coat that reached only to his
+cartridge-belt. His features she could not well make out, for the fire
+was little more than a bed of coals, and he fed it, Indian-like, with a
+twig or two at a time.
+
+"I beg your pardon. I'm selfish." She extended her cup and plate as an
+invitation for him to share their contents. "Please eat with me."
+
+But he refused. "I ain't hungry," he affirmed. "Honest!"
+
+Accustomed as she was to the diffidence of ranch-hands, she refrained
+from urging him, and proceeded with her repast. When she had finished
+she lay back and watched him as he ate sparingly.
+
+"My horse fell crossing the Arroyo Grande," she announced, abruptly.
+"He broke a leg, and I had to shoot him."
+
+"Is there any water in the Grande?" asked the man.
+
+"No. They told me there was plenty. I knew of this charco, so I made
+for it."
+
+"Who told you there was water in the arroyo?"
+
+"Those Mexicans at the little-goat ranch."
+
+"Balli. So you walked in from Arroyo Grande. Lord! It's a good ten
+miles straightaway, and I reckon you came crooked. Eh?"
+
+"Yes. And it was very hot. I was never here but once, and--the country
+looks different when you're afoot."
+
+"It certainly does," the man nodded. Then he continued, musingly: "No
+water there, eh? I figured there might be a little." The fact appeared
+to please him, for he nodded again as he went on with his meal. "Not
+much rain down here, I reckon."
+
+"Very little. Where are you from?"
+
+"Me? Hebbronville. My name is Law."
+
+Evidently, thought the woman, this fellow belonged to the East outfit,
+or some of the other big cattle-ranches in the Hebbronville district.
+Probably he was a range boss or a foreman. After a time she said, "I
+suppose the nearest ranch is that Balli place?"
+
+"Yes'm."
+
+"I'd like to borrow your horse."
+
+Mr. Law stared into his plate. "Well, miss, I'm afraid--"
+
+She added, hastily, "I'll send you a fresh one by Balli's boy in the
+morning."
+
+He looked up at her from under the brim of his hat. "D'you reckon you
+could find that goat-ranch by star-light, miss?"
+
+The woman was silent.
+
+"'Ain't you just about caught up on traveling, for one day?" he asked.
+"I reckon you need a good rest about as much as anybody I ever saw. You
+can have my blanket, you know."
+
+The prospect was unwelcome, yet she reluctantly agreed. "Perhaps-- Then
+in the morning--"
+
+Law shook his head. "I can't loan you my horse, miss. I've got to stay
+right here."
+
+"But Balli's boy could bring him back."
+
+"I got to meet a man."
+
+"Here?"
+
+"Yes'm."
+
+"When will he come?"
+
+"He'd ought to be here at early dark to-morrow evening." Heedless of
+her dismay, he continued, "Yes'm, about sundown."
+
+"But--I can't stay here. I'll ride to Balli's and have your horse back
+by afternoon."
+
+"My man might come earlier than I expect," Mr. Law persisted.
+
+"Really, I can't see what difference it would make. It wouldn't
+interfere with your appointment to let me--"
+
+Law smiled slowly, and, setting his plate aside, selected a fresh
+cigarette; then as he reached for a coal he explained:
+
+"I haven't got what you'd exactly call an appointment. This feller I'm
+expectin' is a Mexican, and day before yesterday he killed a man over
+in Jim Wells County. They got me by 'phone at Hebbronville and told me
+he'd left. He's headin' for the border, and he's due here about
+sundown, now that Arroyo Grande's dry. I was aimin' to let you ride his
+horse."
+
+"Then--you're an officer?"
+
+"Yes'm. Ranger. So you see I can't help you to get home till my man
+comes. Do you live around here?" The speaker looked up inquiringly, and
+after an instant's hesitation the woman said, quietly:
+
+"I am Mrs. Austin." She was grateful for the gloom that hid her face.
+"I rode out this way to examine a tract of grazing-land."
+
+It seemed fully a minute before the Ranger answered; then he said, in a
+casual tone, "I reckon Las Palmas is quite a ranch, ma'am."
+
+"Yes. But we need more pasture."
+
+"I know your La Feria ranch, too. I was with General Castro when we had
+that fight near there."
+
+"You were a Maderista?"
+
+"Yes'm. Machine-gun man. That's a fine country over there. Seems like
+God Almighty got mixed and put the Mexicans on the wrong side of the
+Rio Grande. But I reckon you haven't seen much of La Feria since the
+last revolution broke out."
+
+"No. We have tried to remain neutral, but--" Again she hesitated. "Mr.
+Austin has enemies. Fortunately both sides have spared La Feria."
+
+Law shrugged his broad shoulders. "Oh, well, the revolution isn't over!
+A ranch in Mexico is my idea of a bad investment." He rose and, taking
+his blanket, sought a favorable spot upon which to spread it. Then he
+helped Mrs. Austin to her feet--her muscles had stiffened until she
+could barely stand--after which he fetched his saddle for a pillow. He
+made no apologies for his meager hospitality, nor did his guest expect
+any.
+
+When he had staked out his horse for the night he returned to find the
+woman rolled snugly in her covering, as in a cocoon. The dying embers
+flickered into flame and lit her hair redly. She had laid off her felt
+Stetson, and one loosened braid lay over her hard pillow. Thinking her
+asleep, Law stood motionless, making no attempt to hide his expression
+of wonderment until, unexpectedly, she spoke.
+
+"What will you do with me when your Mexican comes?" she said.
+
+"Well, ma'am, I reckon I'll hide you out in the brush till I tame him.
+I hope you sleep well."
+
+"Thank you. I'm used to the open."
+
+He nodded as if he well knew that she was; then, shaking out his
+slicker, turned away.
+
+As he lay staring up through the thorny mesquite branches that roofed
+him inadequately from the dew he marveled mightily. A bright,
+steady-burning star peeped through the leaves at him, and as he watched
+it he remembered that this red-haired woman with the still, white face
+was known far and wide through the lower valley as "The Lone Star."
+Well, he mused, the name fitted her; she was, if reports were true,
+quite as mysterious, quite as cold and fixed and unapproachable, as the
+title implied. Knowledge of her identity had come as a shock, for Law
+knew something of her history, and to find her suing for his protection
+was quite thrilling. Tales of her pale beauty were common and not tame,
+but she was all and more than she had been described. And yet why had
+no one told him she was so young? This woman's youth and attractiveness
+amazed him; he felt that he had made a startling discovery. Was she so
+cold, after all, or was she merely reserved? Red hair above a pure
+white face; a woman's form wrapped in his blanket; ripe red lips
+caressing the rim of his mean drinking-cup! Those were things to think
+about. Those were pictures for a lonely man.
+
+She had not been too proud and cold to let him help her. In her fatigue
+she had allowed him to lift her and to make her more comfortable. Hot
+against his palms--palms unaccustomed to the touch of woman's flesh--he
+felt the contact of her naked feet, as at the moment when he had placed
+them in the cooling water. Her feeble resistance had only called
+attention to her sex--to the slim whiteness of her ankles beneath her
+short riding-skirt.
+
+Following his first amazement at beholding her had come a fantastic
+explanation of her presence--for a moment or two it had seemed as if
+the fates had taken heed of his yearnings and had sent her to him out
+of the dusk--wild fancies, like these, bother men who are much alone.
+Of course he had not dreamed that she was the mistress of Las Palmas.
+That altered matters, and yet--they were to spend a long idle day
+together. If the Mexican did not come, another night like this would
+follow, and she was virtually his prisoner. Perhaps, after all--
+
+Dave Law stirred nervously and sighed.
+
+"Don't this beat hell?" he murmured.
+
+
+
+
+II
+
+THE AMBUSH
+
+
+Alaire Austin slept badly. The day's hardships had left their traces.
+The toxins of fatigue not only poisoned her muscles with aches and
+pains, but drugged her brain and rendered the night a long succession
+of tortures during which she experienced for a second time the agonies
+of thirst and fatigue and despair. Extreme physical ordeals, like
+profound emotional upheavals, leave imprints upon the brain, and while
+the body may recover quickly, it often requires considerable time to
+rest exhausted nerves. The finer the nervous organism, the slower is
+the process of recuperation. Like most normal women, Alaire had a
+surprising amount of endurance, both nervous and muscular, but, having
+drawn heavily against her reserve force, she paid the penalty. During
+the early hours of the night she slept hardly at all, and as soon as
+her bodily discomfort began to decrease her mind became unruly. Twice
+she rose and limped to the water-hole for a drink, and it was not until
+nearly dawn that she dropped off into complete unconsciousness. She was
+awakened by a sunbeam which pierced her leafy shelter and with hot
+touch explored her upturned face.
+
+It was still early; the sun had just cleared the valley's rim and the
+ground was damp with dew. Somewhere near by an unfamiliar bird was
+sweetly trilling. Alaire listened dreamily until the bird-carol changed
+to the air of a familiar cowboy song, then she sat up, queerly startled.
+
+David Law was watering his horse, grooming the animal meanwhile with a
+burlap doth. Such attention was unusual in a stock country where horses
+run wild, but this horse, Mrs. Austin saw, justified unusual care. It
+was a beautiful blood-bay mare, and as the woman looked it lifted its
+head, then with wet, trembling muzzle caressed its owner's cheek.
+Undoubtedly this attention was meant for a kiss, and was as daintily
+conferred as any woman's favor. It brought a reward in a lump of sugar.
+There followed an exhibition of equine delight; the mare's lips
+twitched, her nose wrinkled ludicrously, she stretched her neck and
+tossed her head as the sweetness tickled her palate. Even the nervous
+switching of her tail was eloquent of pleasure. Meanwhile the owner
+showed his white teeth in a smile.
+
+"Good morning," said Mrs. Austin.
+
+Law lifted his hat in a graceful salute as he approached around the
+edge of the pool, his spurs jingling musically. The mare followed.
+
+"You have a fine horse, there."
+
+"Yes'm. Her and me get along all right. I hope we didn't wake you,
+ma'am."
+
+"No. I was too tired to sleep well."
+
+"Of course. I heard you stirring about during the night." Law paused,
+and the mare, with sharp ears cocked forward, looked over his shoulder
+inquisitively. "Tell the lady good morning, Bessie Belle," he directed.
+The animal flung its head high, then stepped forward and, stretching
+its neck, sniffed doubtfully at the visitor.
+
+"What a graceful bow!" Mrs. Austin laughed. "You taught her that, I
+presume."
+
+"Yes'm! She'd never been to school when I got her; she was plumb
+ignorant. But she's got all the airs of a fine lady now. Sometimes I go
+without sugar, but Bessie Belle never does."
+
+"And you with a sweet tooth!"
+
+The Ranger smiled pleasantly. "She's as easy as a rockin'-chair. We're
+kind of sweethearts. Ain't we, kid?" Again Bessie Belle tossed her head
+high. "That's 'yes,' with the reverse English," the speaker explained.
+"Now you just rest yourself, ma'am, and order your breakfast. What 'll
+it be--quail, dove, or cottontail?"
+
+"Why--whatever you can get."
+
+"That ain't the kind of restaurant we run. Bessie Belle would sure be
+offended if she understood you. Ever see anybody call a quail?"
+
+"Can it really be done?"
+
+Law's face brightened. "You wait." He led his mare down the arroyo,
+then returned, and, taking his Winchester from its scabbard, explained:
+"There's a pair of 'top-knots' on that side-hill waitin' for a drink.
+Watch 'em run into my lap when I give the distress signal of our secret
+order." He skirted the water-hole, and seated himself with his heels
+together and his elbows propped upon his spread knees in the military
+position for close shooting. From where he sat he commanded an
+unobstructed view of the thicket's edge. Next he moistened his lips and
+uttered an indescribable low whistle. At intervals he repeated the
+call, while the woman looked on with interest. Suddenly out of the
+grass burst a blue quail, running with wings outstretched and every
+feather ruffled angrily. It paused, the man's cheeks snuggled against
+the stock of his gun, and the bark of the thirty-thirty sounded loudly.
+Mrs. Austin saw that he had shot the little bird's head off. She spoke,
+but he stilled her with a gesture, threw in a second shell, and
+repeated his magic call. There was a longer wait this time, but finally
+the performance was repeated. The marksman rose, picked up the two
+birds, and came back to the camping-place.
+
+"Kind of a low-down trick when they've just started housekeeping, ain't
+it?" he smiled.
+
+Mrs. Austin saw that both crested heads had been cleanly severed. "That
+is quite wonderful" she said. "You must be an unusually good shot."
+
+"Yes'm. You can fool turkeys the same way. Turkeys are easy."
+
+"What do you say to them? What brings them out, all ruffled up?" she
+asked, curiously.
+
+Law had one of the birds picked by this time. "I tell 'em a snake has
+got me. I reckon each one thinks the other is in trouble and comes to
+the rescue. Anyhow, it's a mighty mean trick."
+
+He would not permit her to help with the breakfast, so she lay back
+enjoying the luxury of her hard bed and watching her host, whose
+personality, now that she saw him by daylight, had begun to challenge
+her interest. Of late years she had purposely avoided men, and
+circumstances had not permitted her to study those few she had been
+forced to meet; but now that fate had thrown her into the company of
+this stranger, she permitted some play to her curiosity.
+
+Physically Law was of an admirable make--considerably over six feet in
+height, with wide shoulders and lean, strong limbs. Although his face
+was schooled to mask all but the keenest emotions, the deftness of his
+movements was eloquent, betraying that complete muscular and nervous
+control which comes from life in the open. A pair of blue-gray,
+meditative eyes, with a whimsical fashion of wrinkling half-shut when
+he talked, relieved a countenance that otherwise would have been a
+trifle grim and somber. The nose was prominent and boldly arched, the
+ears large and pronounced and standing well away from the head; the
+mouth was thin-lipped and mobile. Alaire tried to read that bronzed
+visage, with little success until she closed her eyes and regarded the
+mental image. Then she found the answer: Law had the face and the head
+of a hunter. The alert ears, the watchful eyes, the predatory nose were
+like those of some hunting animal. Yes, that was decidedly the
+strongest impression he gave. And yet in his face there was nothing
+animal in a bad sense. Certainly it showed no grossness. The man was
+wild, untamed, rather than sensual, and despite his careless use of the
+plains vernacular he seemed to be rather above the average in education
+and intelligence. At any rate, without being stupidly tongue-tied, he
+knew enough to remain silent when there was nothing to say, and that
+was a blessing, for Mrs. Austin herself was not talkative, and idle
+chatter distressed her.
+
+On the whole, when Alaire had finished her analysis she rather resented
+the good impression Law had made upon her, for on general principles
+she chose to dislike and distrust men. Rising, she walked painfully to
+the pond and made a leisurely toilet.
+
+Breakfast was ready when she returned, and once more the man sat upon
+his heels and smoked while she ate. Alaire could not catch his eyes
+upon her, except when he spoke, at which time his gaze was direct and
+open; yet never did she feel free from his intensest observation.
+
+After a while she remarked: "I'm glad to see a Ranger in this county.
+There has been a lot of stealing down our way, and the Association men
+can't seem to stop it. Perhaps you can."
+
+"The Rangers have a reputation in that line," he admitted. "But there
+is stealing all up and down the border, since the war. You lost any
+stuff?"
+
+"Yes. Mostly horses."
+
+"Sure! They need horses in Mexico."
+
+"The ranchers have organized. They have formed a sort of vigilance
+committee in each town, and talk of using bloodhounds."
+
+"Bloodhounds ain't any good, outside of novels. If beef got scarce,
+them Greasers would steal the dogs and eat 'em." He added,
+meditatively, "Dog ain't such bad eatin', either."
+
+"Have you tried it?"
+
+Mr. Law nodded. "It was better than some of the army beef we got in the
+Philippines." Then, in answer to her unspoken inquiry, "Yes'm, I served
+an enlistment there."
+
+"You--were a private soldier?"
+
+"Yes'm."
+
+Mrs. Austin was incredulous, and yet she could not well express her
+surprise without too personal an implication. "I can't imagine
+anybody--that is, a man like you, as a common soldier."
+
+"Well, I wasn't exactly that," he grinned. "No, I was about the most
+UNcommon soldier out there. I had a speakin' acquaintance with most of
+the guard-houses in the islands before I got through."
+
+"But why did you enlist--a man like you?"
+
+"Why?" He pondered the question. "I was young. I guess I needed the
+excitement. I have to get about so much or I don't enjoy my food."
+
+"Did you join the Maderistas for excitement?"
+
+"Mostly. Then, too, I believed Panchito Madero was honest and would
+give the peons land. An honest Mexican is worth fightin' for, anywhere.
+The pelados are still struggling for their land--for that and a chance
+to live and work and be happy."
+
+Mrs. Austin stirred impatiently. "They are fighting because they are
+told to fight. There is no PATRIOTISM in them," said she.
+
+"I think," he said, with grave deliberateness, "the majority feel
+something big and vague and powerful stirring inside them. They don't
+know exactly what it is, perhaps, but it is there. Mexico has outgrown
+her dictators. They have been overthrown by the same causes that
+brought on the French Revolution."
+
+"The French Revolution!" Alaire leaned forward, eying the speaker with
+startled intensity. "You don't talk like a--like an enlisted man. What
+do you know about the French Revolution?"
+
+Reaching for a coal, the Ranger spoke without facing her. "I've read a
+good bit, ma'am, and I'm a noble listener. I remember good, too. Why, I
+had a picture of the Bastille once." He pronounced it "Bastilly," and
+his hearer settled back. "That was some calaboose, now, wasn't it?" A
+moment later he inquired, ingenuously, "I don't suppose you ever saw
+that Bastille, did you?"
+
+"No. Only the place where it stood."
+
+"Sho! You must have traveled right smart for such a young lady." He
+beamed amiably upon her.
+
+"I was educated abroad, and I only came home--to be married."
+
+Law noted the lifeless way in which she spoke, and he understood. "I'll
+bet you hablar those French and German lingoes like a native," he
+ventured. "Beats me how a person can do it."
+
+"You speak Spanish, don't you?"
+
+"Oh yes. But I was born in Mexico, as near as I can make out."
+
+"And you probably speak some of the Filipino dialects?"
+
+"Yes'm, a few."
+
+There was something winning about this young man's modesty, and
+something flattering in his respectful admiration. He seemed, also, to
+know his place, a fact which was even more in his favor. Undoubtedly he
+had force and ability; probably his love of adventure and a happy lack
+of settled purpose had led him to neglect his more commonplace
+opportunities and sent him first into the army and thence into the
+Ranger service. The world is full of such, and the frontier is their
+gathering-place. Mrs. Austin had met a number of men like Law, and to
+her they seemed to be the true soldiers of fortune--fellows who lived
+purely for the fun of living, and leavened their days with adventure.
+They were buoyant souls, for the most part, drifting with the tide,
+resentful of authority and free from care; meeting each day with
+enthusiastic expectancy for what it held in store. They were restless
+and improvident; the world counted them ne'er-do-wells, and yet she
+knew that at least their hours were full and that their names--some of
+them--were written large in the distant places. Alaire Austin often
+told herself that, had she been born a man, such a life as this might
+have been hers, and she took pleasure in dreaming sometimes of the
+experience that fate, in such a case, would have brought to her.
+
+Being a woman, however, and being animated at this particular moment by
+a peculiarly feminine impulse, she felt urged to add her own touch to
+what nature had roughed out. This man had been denied what she termed
+an education; therefore she decided to put one in his way.
+
+"Do you like to read?" she asked him.
+
+"Say! It's my favorite form of exercise." Law's blue-gray eyes were
+expressionless, his face was bland. "Why?"
+
+"I have a great many books at Las Palmas. You might enjoy some of them."
+
+"Now that's nice of you, ma'am. Mebbe I'll look into this
+cattle-stealin' in your neighborhood, and if I do I'll sure come
+borrowin'."
+
+"Oh, I'll send you a boxful when I get back," said Alaire, and Dave
+thanked her humbly.
+
+Later, when he went to move his mare into a shady spot, the Ranger
+chuckled and slapped his thigh with his hat. "Bessie Belle, we're going
+to improve our minds," he said, aloud. "We're going to be literary and
+read Pilgrim's Progress and Alice in Wonderland. I bet we'll enjoy 'em,
+eh? But--doggone! She's a nice lady, and your coat is just the same
+color as her hair."
+
+Where the shade was densest and the breeze played most freely, there
+Dave fixed a comfortable couch for his guest, and during the heat of
+the forenoon she dozed.
+
+Asleep she exercised upon him an even more disturbing effect than when
+awake, for now he could study her beauty deliberately, from the loose
+pile of warm, red hair to the narrow, tight-laced boots. What he saw
+was altogether delightful. Her slightly parted lips offered an
+irresistible attraction--almost an invitation; the heat had lent a
+feverish flush to her cheeks; Dave could count the slow pulsations of
+her white throat. He closed his eyes and tried to quell his unruly
+longings. He was a strong man; adventurous days and nights spent in the
+open had coarsened the masculine side of his character, perhaps at
+expense to his finer nature, for it is a human tendency to revert. He
+was masterful and ruthless; lacking obligations or responsibilities of
+any sort, he had been accustomed to take what he wanted; therefore the
+gaze he fixed upon the sleeping woman betrayed an ardor calculated to
+deepen the color in her cheeks, had she beheld it.
+
+And yet, strangely enough, Dave realized that his emotions were
+unaccountably mixed. This woman's distress had, of course, brought a
+prompt and natural response; but now her implicit confidence in his
+honor and her utter dependence upon him awoke his deepest chivalry.
+Then, too, the knowledge that her life was unhappy, indeed tragic,
+filled him with a sort of wondering pity. As he continued to look at
+her these feelings grew until finally he turned away his face. With his
+chin in his hands he stared out somberly into the blinding heat. He had
+met few women, of late years, and never one quite like this--never one,
+for instance, who made him feel so dissatisfied with his own
+shortcomings.
+
+After a time he rose and withdrew to the shelter of another tree, there
+to content himself with mental images of his guest.
+
+But one cannot sleep well with a tropic sun in the heavens, and since
+there was really nothing for her to do until the heat abated, Alaire,
+when she awoke, obliged the Ranger to amuse her.
+
+Although she was in fact younger than he, married life had matured her,
+and she treated him therefore like a boy. Law did not object. Mrs.
+Austin's position in life was such that most men were humble in her
+presence, and now her superior wisdom seemed to excite the Ranger's
+liveliest admiration. Only now and then, as if in an unguarded moment,
+did he appear to forget himself and speak with an authority equaling
+her own. What he said at such times indicated either a remarkably
+retentive memory or else an ability to think along original lines too
+rare among men of his kind to be easily credited.
+
+For instance, during a discussion of the Mexican situation--and of
+course their talk drifted thither, for at the moment it was the one
+vitally interesting topic along the border--he excused the barbarous
+practices of the Mexican soldiers by saying:
+
+"Of course they're cruel, vindictive, treacherous, but after all there
+are only a hundred and forty generations between us and Adam; only a
+hundred and forty lifetimes since the Garden of Eden. We civilized
+peoples are only a lap or two ahead of the uncivilized ones. When you
+think that it takes ten thousand generations to develop a plant and
+root out some of its early heredities, you can see that human beings
+have a long way yet to go before they become perfect. We're creatures
+of environment, just like plants. Environment has made the Mexican what
+he is."
+
+Certainly this was an amazing speech to issue from a sun-browned cowboy
+sitting cross-legged under a mesquite-tree.
+
+From under her hat-brim Alaire Austin eyed the speaker with a curiosity
+into which there had come a vague hostility. For the moment she was
+suspicious and piqued, but Law did not appear to notice, and as he
+talked on her doubts gradually subsided.
+
+"You said, last night, that you were born on the other side?" She
+inclined her ruddy head to the west.
+
+"Yes'm. My father was a mining man, and he done well over there until
+he locked horns with the Guadalupes. Old Don Enrique and him had a
+run-in at the finish, over some land or something. It was when the Don
+was gobbling all the property in the state, and laying the foundation
+for his big fortune. You know he had permission from the president to
+steal all the land he cared to, just like the rest of those local
+governors had. Well, Guadalupe tried to run my people out."
+
+"Did he succeed?"
+
+"No'm. He killed 'em, but they stayed."
+
+"Not--really?" The listener was shocked. "American citizens, too?"
+
+"Times wasn't much different then than now. There's plenty of good
+Americans been killed in Mexico and nothing done about it, even in our
+day. I don't know all the details--never could get 'em, either--for I
+was away at school; but after I came back from the Philippines the
+Madero fuss was just brewing, so I went over and joined it. But it
+didn't last long, and there wasn't enough fighting to suit me. I've
+been back, off and on, since, and I've burned a good deal of Guadalupe
+property and swum a good many head of Guadalupe stock."
+
+As the morning progressed Law proved himself an interesting companion,
+and in spite of the discomforts of the situation the hours slipped past
+rapidly. Luncheon was a disagreeable meal, eaten while the arroyo baked
+and the heat devils danced on the hills; but the unpleasantness was of
+brief duration, and Law always managed to banish boredom. Nor did he
+seem to waste a thought upon the nature of that grim business which
+brought him to this place. Quite the contrary, in the afternoon he put
+his mare through her tricks for Alaire's edification, and gossiped idly
+of whatever interested his guest.
+
+Then as the sun edged to the west and Mrs. Austin became restless, he
+saddled Bessie Belle and led her down the gulch into a safer covert.
+
+Returning, he carefully obliterated all traces of the camp. He watered
+the ashes of the fire, gathered up the tell-tale scraps of paper and
+fragments of food, and then when the place suited him fell to examining
+his rifle.
+
+Alaire watched him with interest. "Where shall I go," she asked, "and
+what shall I do?"
+
+"You just pick out a good cover beyond the water-hole and stay there,
+ma'am. It may be a long wait, for something may have happened. If so
+we'll have to lie close. And don't worry yourself none, ma'am; he won't
+make no trouble."
+
+The afternoon drew to a close. Gradually the blinding white glare of
+the sun lessened and yellowed, the shadow of the bluffs began to
+stretch out. The shallow pool lay silent, deserted save for furtive
+little shapes that darted nervously out of the leaves, or for winged
+visitors that dropped out of the air.
+
+With the sunset there came the sound of hoofs upon loose stones,
+branches rustled against breasting bodies, and Mrs. Austin cowered low
+in her hiding-place. But it was only the advance-guard of a bunch of
+brush cattle coming to water. They paused at a distance, and nothing
+except their thirst finally overcame their suspicions. One by one they
+drifted into sight, drank warily at the remotest edge of the tanque,
+then, alarmed at some imaginary sight or sound, went clattering up the
+ravine.
+
+Once again the water-hole lay sleeping.
+
+Alaire's retreat was far from comfortable; there was an ants' nest
+somewhere near her and she thought of moving; but suddenly her breath
+caught and her heart jumped uncontrollably. She crouched lower, for
+directly opposite her position, and outlined against the sky where the
+sharp ridge cut it, was the figure of a mounted man. Rider and horse
+were silhouetted against the pearl-gray heaven like an equestrian
+statue. How long they had been there Alaire had no faintest notion.
+Perhaps it was their coming which had alarmed the cattle. She was
+conscious that a keen and hostile pair of eyes was searching the
+coverts surrounding the charco. Then, as silently as it had appeared,
+the apparition vanished beyond the ridge, and Alaire wondered if the
+rider had taken alarm. She earnestly hoped so; this breathless vigil
+was getting on her nerves, and the sight of that threatening figure had
+set her pulses to throbbing. The rider was on his guard, that was
+plain; he was armed, too, and probably desperate. The ominous
+possibilities of this ambush struck her forcibly.
+
+Alaire lay close, as she had been directed, praying that the horseman
+had been warned; but shortly she heard again the rustle of stiff
+branches, and out into the opening rode a Mexican. He was astride a
+wiry gray pony, and in the strong twilight Alaire could see his every
+feature--the swarthy cheeks, the roving eyes beneath the black felt
+hat. A carbine lay across his saddle-horn, a riata was coiled beside
+his leg, a cartridge-belt circled his waist. There was something
+familiar about the fellow, but at the moment Alaire could not determine
+what it was.
+
+After one swift appraising glance the new-comer rode straight to the
+verge of the water-hole and dismounted; then he and his horse drank
+side by side.
+
+It was the moment for a complete and effective surprise, but nothing
+happened. Why didn't Law act? Alaire bent low, straining eyes and ears,
+but no command came from the Ranger. After a while the traveler rose to
+his feet and stretched his limbs. Next he walked to the ashes of the
+fire and looked down at them, stirring them with his toe. Apparently
+satisfied, he lit a cigarette.
+
+Could it be that something had gone wrong with the Ranger's plan? Had
+something happened to him? Alaire was startled by the possibility; this
+delay was beyond her comprehension.
+
+Then, as if in answer to her perplexity, a second horseman appeared,
+and the woman realized how simply she had been fooled.
+
+
+
+
+III
+
+WHAT HAPPENED AT THE WATER-HOLE
+
+
+The new-comers exchanged a word or two in Spanish, then the second
+rider flung himself from his saddle and made for the water. He was
+lying prone and drinking deeply when out of nowhere came a sharp
+command.
+
+"Oiga! Hands up, both of you!"
+
+The first arrival jumped as if a rattlesnake had buzzed at his back,
+the second leaped to his feet with an oath; they stared in the
+direction whence the voice had come.
+
+"Drop your gun, companero!" The order was decisive; it was directed at
+the man who had first appeared, for the other had left his Winchester
+in its scabbard.
+
+Both Mexicans cried, as if at a cue, "Who speaks?"
+
+"A Ranger."
+
+The fellow Law had addressed let fall his rifle; two pairs of dark
+hands rose slowly. Then the Ranger went on in Spanish:
+
+"Anto, lower your left hand and unbuckle your belt." Anto did as he was
+told, his revolver and cartridge-belt dropped to the ground. "And you,
+compadre, do the same. Mind you, the left hand! Now face about and walk
+to the charco, both of you. Good!"
+
+Law stepped into view, his Winchester in the crook of his arm. He
+emptied the three discarded weapons, then, walking to Anto's horse, he
+removed the second carbine from beneath the saddle-flap and ejected its
+shells into his palm.
+
+This done, he addressed the stranger. "Now, friend, who are you, and
+why are you riding with this fellow?"
+
+"My name is Panfilo Sanchez, señor. Before God, I have done nothing."
+The speaker was tremendously excited.
+
+"Well, Panfilo, that will take some proving," the Ranger muttered.
+
+"What do you say?"
+
+The gist of this statement having been repeated in Spanish, both
+prisoners burst into clamorous explanation of their presence together.
+Panfilo, it seemed, had encountered his companion purely by chance, and
+was horrified now to learn that his newly made friend was wanted by the
+authorities. In the midst of his incoherent protestations Mrs. Austin
+appeared.
+
+"He is telling you the truth, Mr. Law," she said, quietly. "He is one
+of my men."
+
+Both Mexicans looked blank. At sight of the speaker their mouths fell
+open, and Panfilo ceased his gesticulations.
+
+Mrs. Austin went on: "He is my horse-breaker's cousin. He couldn't have
+had any part in that murder in Jim Wells County, for he was at Las
+Palmas when I left."
+
+Panfilo recovered from his amazement, removed his sombrero, and blessed
+his employer extravagantly; then he turned triumphantly upon his
+captor. "Behold!" cried he. "There you have the truth. I am an
+excellent, hard-working man and as honest as God."
+
+"Surely you don't want him," Alaire appealed to Law. "He was probably
+helping his countryman to escape--but they all do that, you know."
+
+"All right! If he's your man, that's enough," Dave told her. "Now then,
+boys, it will soon be dark and we'll need some supper before we start.
+It won't hurt Anto's horse to rest a bit, either. You are under
+arrest," he added, addressing the latter. "You understand what that
+means?"
+
+"Si, señor!"
+
+"I won't tie you unless--"
+
+"No, señor!" Anto understood perfectly, and was grateful.
+
+"Well, then, build a fire, and you, Panfilo, lend a hand. The señora
+will need a cup of tea, for we three have a long ride ahead of us."
+
+No time was lost. Both Mexicans fell to with a will, and in a
+surprisingly short time water was boiling. When it came Law's turn to
+eat, Alaire, who was eager to be gone, directed her employee to fetch
+the Ranger's horse. Panfilo acquiesced readily and buckled on his
+cartridge-belt and six-shooter. He was about to pick up his rifle, too,
+but finding Law's eyes inquiringly fixed upon him, he turned with a
+shrug and disappeared down the arroyo. It was plain that he considered
+his friendly relations well established and resented the Ranger's
+suspicion.
+
+"How long has that fellow been working for you?" Law jerked his head in
+the direction Panfilo had taken.
+
+"Not long. I--don't know much about him," Alaire confessed. Then, as if
+in answer to his unspoken question, "But I'm sure he's all right."
+
+"Is he looking up range for you?"
+
+"N--no! I left him at the ranch. I don't know how he came to be here,
+unless--It IS rather strange!"
+
+Dave shot a swift, interrogatory glance at Panfilo's traveling
+companion, but Anto's face was stony, his black eyes were fixed upon
+the fire.
+
+With an abrupt gesture Law flung aside the contents of his cup and
+strode to Panfilo's horse, which stood dejectedly with reins hanging.
+
+"Where are you--going?" Alaire rose nervously.
+
+It was nearly dark now; only the crests of the ridges were plain
+against the luminous sky; in the brushy bottom of the arroyo the
+shadows were deep. Alaire had no wish to be left alone with the
+prisoner.
+
+With bridle-rein and carbine in his left hand, the Ranger halted, then,
+stooping for Anto's discarded cartridge-belt, he looped it over his
+saddle-horn. He vaulted easily into the seat, saying:
+
+"I hid that mare pretty well. Your man may not be able to find her."
+Then he turned his borrowed horse's head toward the brush.
+
+Anto had squatted motionless until this moment; he had not even turned
+his eyes; but now, without the slightest warning, he uttered a loud
+call. It might have served equally well as a summons or as an alarm,
+but it changed the Ranger's suspicions into certainty. Dave uttered an
+angry exclamation, then to the startled woman he cried:
+
+"Watch this man! He can't hurt you, for I've got his shells." To his
+prisoner he said, sharply: "Stay where you are! Don't move!" The next
+instant he had loped into the brush on the tracks of Panfilo Sanchez,
+spurring the tired gray pony into vigorous action.
+
+It was an uncomfortable situation in which Alaire now found herself.
+Law was too suspicious, she murmured to herself; he was needlessly
+melodramatic; she felt exceedingly ill at ease as the pony's hoof-beats
+grew fainter. She was not afraid of Anto, having dealt with Mexican
+vaqueros for several years, yet she could not forget that he was a
+murderer, and she wondered what she was expected to do if he should try
+to escape. It was absurd to suppose that Panfilo, her own hired man,
+could be capable of treachery; the mere suspicion was a sort of
+reflection upon her.
+
+Alaire was startled by hearing other hoof-beats now; their drumming
+came faint but unmistakable. Yes, there were two horses racing down the
+arroyo. Anto, the fugitive, rose to his feet and stared into the dusk.
+"Sit down!" Alaire ordered, sharply. He obeyed, muttering beneath his
+breath, but his head was turned as if in an effort to follow the sounds
+of the pursuit.
+
+Next came the distant rattle of loosened stones--evidently one horse
+was being urged toward the open high ground--then the peaceful quiet
+evening was split by the report of Law's thirty-thirty. Another shot
+followed, and then a third. Both Alaire and her prisoner were on their
+feet, the woman shaking in every limb, the Mexican straining his eyes
+into the gloom and listening intently.
+
+Soon there came a further echo of dry earth and gravel dislodged, but
+whether by Law's horse or by that of Sanchez was uncertain. Perhaps
+both men had gained the mesa.
+
+It had all happened so quickly and so unexpectedly that Alaire felt she
+must be dreaming, or that there had been some idiotic mistake. She
+wondered if the Ranger's sudden charge had not simply frightened
+Panfilo into a panicky flight, and she tried to put her thoughts into
+words the Mexican would understand, but his answer was unintelligible.
+His black scowl, however, was eloquent of uncertainty and apprehension.
+
+Alaire had begun to feel the strain of the situation and was trying to
+decide what next to do, when David Law came riding out of the twilight.
+He was astride the gray; behind him at the end of a lariat was Bessie
+Belle, and her saddle was empty.
+
+Mrs. Austin uttered a sharp cry.
+
+Law dismounted and strode to the prisoner. His face was black with
+fury; he seemed gigantic in his rage. Without a word he raised his
+right hand and cuffed the Mexican to his knees. Then he leaped upon
+him, as a dog might pounce upon a rabbit, rolled him to his face, and
+twisted the fellow's arms into the small of his back. Anto cursed, he
+struggled, but he was like a child in the Ranger's grasp. Law knelt
+upon him, and with a jerk of his riata secured the fellow's wrists;
+rising, he set the knot with another heave that dragged the prisoner to
+his knees. Next he booted Anto to his feet.
+
+"By God! I've a notion to bend a gun over your head," Law growled.
+"Clever little game, wasn't it?"
+
+"Where--? Did you--kill him?" the woman gasped.
+
+Alaire had never beheld such a demoniac expression as Law turned upon
+her. The man's face was contorted, his eyes were blazing insanely, his
+chest was heaving, and for an instant he seemed to include her in his
+anger. Ignoring her inquiry, he went to his mare and ran his shaking
+hands over her as if in search of an injury; his questing palms covered
+every inch of glistening hide from forelock to withers, from shoulder
+to hoof, and under cover of this task he regained in some degree his
+self-control.
+
+"That hombre of yours--didn't look right to me," he said, finally.
+Laying his cheek against Bessie Belle's neck, as a woman snuggles close
+to the man of her choice, he addressed the mare: "I reckon nobody is
+going to steal you, eh? Not if I know it. No, sir; that hombre wasn't
+any good, was he?"
+
+Alaire wet her lips. "Then you--shot him?"
+
+Law laughed grimly, almost mockingly. "Say! He must be a favorite of
+yours?"
+
+"N-no! I hardly knew the fellow. But--did you?"
+
+"I didn't say I shot him," he told her, gruffly. "I warned him first,
+and he turned on me--blew smoke in my face. Then he took to the brush,
+afoot, and--I cut down on him once more to help him along."
+
+"He got away?"
+
+"I reckon so."
+
+"Oh, oh!" Alaire's tone left no doubt of her relief. "He was always a
+good man--"
+
+"Good? Didn't he steal my horse? Didn't he aim to get me at the first
+chance and free his compadre? That's why he wanted his Winchester. Say!
+I reckon he--needs killin' about as much as anybody I know."
+
+"I can't understand it." Alaire sat down weakly. "One of my men, too."
+
+"This fellow behaved himself while I was gone, eh?" Law jerked his head
+in Anto's direction. "I was afraid he--he'd try something. If he had--"
+Such a possibility, oddly enough, seemed to choke the speaker, and the
+ferocity of his unfinished threat caused Mrs. Austin to look up at him
+curiously. There was a moment of silence, then he said, shortly: "Well,
+we've got a horse apiece now. Let's go."
+
+The stars had thickened and brightened, rounding the night sky into a
+glittering dome. Anto, the murderer, with his ankles lashed beneath his
+horse's belly, rode first; next, in a sullen silence, came the Ranger,
+his chin upon his breast; and in the rear followed Alaire Austin.
+
+In spite of her release from a trying predicament, the woman was
+scarcely more eager to go home than was the prisoner, for while Anto's
+trail led to a jail, hers led to Las Palmas, and there was little
+difference. These last two days in the open had been like a glimpse of
+freedom; for a time Alaire had almost lost the taste of bitter
+memories. It had required an effort of will to drug remembrance, but
+she had succeeded, and had proven her ability to forget. But now--Las
+Palmas! It meant the usual thing, the same endless battle between her
+duty and her desire. She was tired of the fight that resulted neither
+in victory nor defeat; she longed now, more than ever, to give up and
+let things take their course. Why could not women, as well as men,
+yield to their inclinations--drift with the current instead of
+breasting it until they were exhausted? There was David Law, for
+instance; he was utterly carefree, no duties shackled him. He had his
+horse, his gun, and his blanket, and they were enough; Alaire, like
+him, was young, her mind was eager, her body ripe, and her veins full
+of fire. Life must be sweet to those who were free and happy.
+
+But the object of her envy was not so completely at peace with himself
+as she supposed. Even yet his mind was in a black turmoil from his
+recent anger, and of late, be it said, these spells of temper had given
+him cause for uneasiness. Then, too, there was a lie upon his lips.
+
+Under the stars, at the break of the arroyo, three hundred yards below
+the water-hole, a coyote was slinking in a wide circle around the body
+of Panfilo Sanchez.
+
+
+
+
+IV
+
+AN EVENING AT LAS PALMAS
+
+
+Although the lower counties of southwest Texas are flat and badly
+watered, they possess a rich soil. They are favored, too, by a kindly
+climate, subtropic in its mildness. The days are long and bright and
+breezy, while night brings a drenching dew that keeps the grasses
+green. Of late years there have been few of those distressing droughts
+that gave this part of the state an evil reputation, and there has been
+a corresponding increase in prosperity. The Rio Grande, jaundiced,
+erratic as an invalid, wrings its saffron blood from the clay bluffs
+and gravel cañons of the hill country, but near its estuary winds
+quietly through a low coastal plain which the very impurities of that
+blood have richened. Here the river's banks are smothered in thickets
+of huisache, ebony, mesquite, oak, and alamo.
+
+Railroads, those vitalizing nerve-fibers of commerce, are so scarce
+along this division of the border that even in this day when we boast,
+or lament, that we no longer have a frontier, there remain in Texas
+sections larger than some of our Eastern states which hear the sound of
+iron wheels only on their boundaries. To travel from Brownsville north
+along the international line one must, for several hundred miles, avail
+oneself of horses, mules, or motor-cars, since rail transportation is
+almost lacking. And on his way the traveler will traverse whole
+counties where the houses are jacals, where English is a foreign
+tongue, and where peons plow their fields with crooked sticks as did
+the ancient Egyptians.
+
+That part of the state which lies below the Nueces River was for a time
+disputed territory, and long after Texans had given their lives to
+drive the Eagle of Mexico across the Rio Grande much of it remained a
+forbidden land. Even to-day it is alien. It is a part of our Southland,
+but a South different to any other that we have. Within it there are no
+blacks, and yet the whites number but one in twenty. The rest are
+swarthy, black-haired men who speak the Spanish tongue and whose
+citizenship is mostly a matter of form.
+
+The stockmen, pushing ahead of the nesters and the tillers of the soil,
+were the first to invade the lower Rio Grande, and among these "Old Ed"
+Austin was a pioneer. Out of the unmapped prairie he had hewed a
+foothold, and there, among surroundings as Mexican as Mexico, he had
+laid the beginnings of his fortune.
+
+Of "Old Ed's" early life strange stories are told; like the other
+cattle barons, he was hungry for land and took it where or how he
+could. There are tales of fertile sections bought for ten cents an
+acre, tales of Mexican ranchers dispossessed by mortgage, by monte, or
+by any means that came to hand; stories even of some, more stubborn
+than the rest, who refused to feed the Austin greed for land, and who
+remained on their farms to feed the buzzards instead. Those were crude
+old days; the pioneers who pushed their herds into the far pastures
+were lawless fellows, ruthless, acquisitive, mastered by the
+empire-builder's urge for acres and still more acres. They were the
+Reclaimers, the men who seized and held, and then seized more,
+concerning themselves little or not at all with the moral law as
+applicable to both Mexican and white, and leaving it to the second
+generation to justify their acts, if ever justification were required.
+
+As other ranches grew under the hands of such unregenerate owners, so
+also under "Old Ed" Austin's management did Las Palmas increase and
+prosper. The estate took its name from a natural grove of palms in
+which the house was built; it comprised an expanse of rich river-land
+backed by miles of range where "Box A" cattle lived and bred. In his
+later years the old man sold much land, and some he leased; but when he
+handed Las Palmas to his son, "Young Ed," as a wedding gift, the ranch
+still remained a property to be proud of, and one that was known far
+and wide for its size and richness. Leaving his boy to work out of it a
+fortune for himself and his bride, the father retired to San Antonio,
+whither the friends and cronies of his early days were drifting. There
+he settled down and proceeded to finish his allotted span exactly as
+suited him best. The rancher's ideal of an agreeable old age comprised
+three important items--to wit, complete leisure, unlimited freedom of
+speech, and two pints of rye whisky daily. He enjoyed them all
+impartially, until, about a year before this story opens, he died
+profanely and comfortably. He had a big funeral, and was sincerely
+mourned by a coterie of gouty old Indian-fighters.
+
+Las Palmas had changed greatly since Austin, senior, painfully scrawled
+his slanting signature to the deed. It was a different ranch now to
+what the old man had known; indeed, it was doubtful if he would have
+recognized it, for even the house was new.
+
+Alaire had some such thought in mind as she rode up to the gate on the
+afternoon following her departure from the water-hole, and she felt a
+thrill of pride at the acres of sprouting corn, the dense green fields
+of alfalfa so nicely fitted between their fences. They were like clean,
+green squares of matting spread for the feet of summer.
+
+A Mexican boy came running to care for her horse, a Mexican woman
+greeted her as she entered the wide, cool hall and went to her room.
+Alaire had ridden far. Part of the night had been spent at the Balli
+goat-ranch, the remainder of the journey had been hot and dusty, and
+even yet she was not wholly recovered from her experience of the
+outward trip.
+
+The house servants at Las Palmas were, on the whole, well trained, and
+Mrs. Austin's periodic absences excited no comment; in the present
+instance, Dolores fixed a bath and laid out clean clothes with no more
+than a running accompaniment of chatter concerned with household
+affairs. Dolores, indeed, was superior to the ordinary servant; she was
+a woman of some managerial ability, and she combined the duties of
+personal maid with those of housekeeper. She was a great gossip, and
+possessed such a talent for gaining information that through her
+husband, Benito, the range boss, she was able to keep her mistress in
+fairly intimate touch with ranch matters.
+
+Alaire, however, was at this moment in no mood to resume the tiresome
+details of management; she quickly dismissed her servitor and proceeded
+to revel in the luxury of a cool bath, after which she took a nap.
+Later, as she leisurely dressed herself, she acknowledged that it was
+good to feel the physical comforts of her own house, even though her
+home-coming gave her no especial joy. She made it a religious practice
+to dress for dinner, regardless of Ed's presence, though often for
+weeks at a time she sat in solitary state, presiding over an empty
+table. Nevertheless, she kept to her custom, for not only did the
+formality help her to retain her own self-respect, but it had its
+influence upon the servants. Without companionship one needs to be ever
+upon guard to retain the nice refinements of gentle breeding, and any
+one who has exercised authority in savage countries soon learns the
+importance of leaving unbridged the gulf of color and of class.
+
+But Alaire looked forward to no lonely dinner to-night, for Ed was at
+home. It was with a grave preoccupation that she made herself ready to
+meet him.
+
+Dolores bustled in for a second time and straightway launched herself
+into a tirade against Juan, the horse-boy.
+
+"Devil take me if there was ever such a shameless fellow," she cried,
+angrily. "He delights in tormenting me, and--Dios!--he is lazier than a
+snake. Work? Bah! He abhors it. All day long he snaps his revolver and
+pretends to be a bandido, and when he is not risking hell's fire in
+that way he is whirling his riata and jumping through it. Useless
+capers! He ropes the dog, he ropes the rose-bushes, he ropes fat
+Victoria, the cook, carrying a huge bowl of hot water to scald the
+ants' nest. Victoria's stomach is boiled red altogether, and so painful
+that when she comes near the stove she curses in a way to chill your
+blood. What does he do this morning but fling his wicked loop over a
+calf's head and break off one of its little horns. It was terrible; but
+Señor Austin only laughed and told him he was a fine vaquero."
+
+"Has Mr. Austin been here all the time?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+"Has he--drunk much?"
+
+"Um-m. No more than common. He is on the gallery now with his
+cocktails."
+
+"He knows I am at home?"
+
+"I told him."
+
+Alaire went on dressing. After a little she asked: "Has Benito finished
+branding the calves in the south pasture?"
+
+"He finished yesterday and sent the remuda to the Six Mile. José
+Sanchez will have completed the rodeo by this afternoon. Benito rode in
+last night to see you."
+
+"By the way, you know José's cousin, Panfilo?"
+
+"Si."
+
+"Why did he leave Las Palmas?"
+
+Dolores hesitated so long that her mistress turned upon her with a look
+of sharp inquiry.
+
+"He went to La Feria, señora." Then, in a lowered tone: "Mr. Austin
+ordered it. Suddenly, without warning, he sent him away, though Panfilo
+did not wish to go, Benito told me all about it."
+
+"Why was he transferred? Come! What ails your tongue, Dolores?"
+
+"Well, I keep my eyes open and my ears, too. I am no fool--" Dolores
+paused doubtfully.
+
+"Yes, yes!"
+
+Dolores drew closer. "Rosa Morales--you know the girl? Her father works
+the big pump-engine at the river. Well, he is not above anything, that
+man; not above selling his own flesh and blood, and the girl is no
+better. She thinks about nothing except men, and she attends all the
+bailes for miles around, on both sides of the river. Panfilo loved her;
+he was mad about her. That's why he came here to work."
+
+"They were engaged, were they not?"
+
+"Truly. And Panfilo was jealous of any man who looked at Rosa. Now you
+can understand why--he was sent away." Dolores's sharp eyes narrowed
+meaningly. "Señor Ed has been riding toward the river every day,
+lately. Panfilo was furious, so--"
+
+"I see! That is all I care to hear." Alone, Alaire stood motionless for
+some time, her face fixed, her eyes unseeing; but later, when she met
+her husband in the dining-room, her greeting was no less civil than
+usual.
+
+Ed acknowledged his wife's entrance with a careless nod, but did not
+trouble to remove his hands from his pockets. As he seated himself
+heavily at the table and with unsteady fingers shook the folds from his
+napkin, he said:
+
+"You stayed longer than you intended. Um-m--you were gone three days,
+weren't you?"
+
+"Four days," Alaire told him, realizing with a little inward start how
+very far apart she and Ed had drifted. She looked at him curiously for
+an instant, wondering if he really could be her husband, or--if he were
+not some peculiarly disagreeable stranger.
+
+Ed had been a handsome boy, but maturity had vitiated his good looks.
+He was growing fat from drink and soft from idleness; his face was too
+full, his eyes too sluggish; there was an unhealthy redness in his
+cheeks. In contrast to his wife's semi-formal dress, he was
+unkempt--unshaven and soiled. He wore spurred boots and a soft shirt;
+his nails were grimy. When in the city he contrived to garb himself
+immaculately; he was in fact something of a dandy; but at home he was a
+sloven, and openly reveled in a freedom of speech and a coarseness of
+manner that were sad trials to Alaire. His preparations for dinner this
+evening had been characteristically simple; he had drunk three dry
+cocktails and flung his sombrero into a corner.
+
+"I've been busy while you were gone," he announced. "Been down to the
+pump-house every day laying that new intake. It was a nasty job, too. I
+had Morales barbecue a cabrito for my lunch, and it was good, but I'm
+hungry again." Austin attacked his meal with an enthusiasm strange in
+him, for of late his appetite had grown as errant as his habits. Ed
+boasted, in his clubs, that he was an outdoor man, and he was wont to
+tell his friends that the rough life was the life for him; but as a
+matter of fact he spent much more time in San Antonio than he did at
+home, and each of his sojourns at Las Palmas was devoted principally to
+sobering up from his last visit to the city and to preparing for
+another. Nor was he always sober even in his own house; Ed was a heavy
+and a constant drinker at all times. What little exercise he took was
+upon the back of a horse, and, as no one knew better than his wife, the
+physical powers he once had were rapidly deteriorating.
+
+By and by he inquired, vaguely: "Let's see, ... Where did you go this
+time?"
+
+"I went up to look over that Ygnacio tract."
+
+"Oh yes. How did you find it?"
+
+"Not very promising. It needs a lot of wells."
+
+"I haven't been out that way since I was a boy. Think you'll lease it?"
+
+"I don't know. I must find some place for those La Feria cattle."
+
+Austin shook his head. "Better leave 'em where they are, until the
+rebels take that country. I stand mighty well with them."
+
+"That's the trouble," Alaire told him. "You stand too well--so well
+that I want to get my stock out of Federal territory as soon as
+possible."
+
+Ed shrugged carelessly. "Suit yourself; they're your cows."
+
+The meal went on with a desultory flow of small talk, during which the
+husband indulged his thirst freely. Alaire told him about the accident
+to her horse and the unpleasant ordeal she had suffered in the mesquite.
+
+"Lucky you found somebody at the water-hole," Ed commented. "Who was
+this Ranger? Never heard of the fellow," he commented on the name. "The
+Rangers are nothing like they used to be."
+
+"This fellow would do credit to any organization." As Alaire described
+how expeditiously Law had made his arrest and handled his man, her
+husband showed interest.
+
+"Nicolas Anto, eh?" said he, "Who was his companero?"
+
+"Panfilo Sanchez."
+
+Ed started. "That's strange! They must have met accidentally."
+
+"So they both declared. Why did you let Panfilo go?"
+
+"We didn't need him here, and he was too good a man to lose, so--" Ed
+found his wife's eyes fixed upon him, and dropped his own. "I knew you
+were short-handed at La Feria." There was an interval of silence, then
+Ed exclaimed, testily, "What are you looking at?"
+
+"I wondered what you'd say."
+
+"Eh? Can't I fire a man without a long-winded explanation?" Something
+in Alaire's expression warned him of her suspicion; therefore he took
+refuge behind an assumption of anger. "My God! Don't I have a word to
+say about my own ranch? Just because I've let you run things to suit
+yourself--"
+
+"Wait! We had our understanding." Alaire's voice was low and vibrant.
+"It was my payment for living with you, and you know it. You gave me
+the reins to Las Palmas so that I'd have something to do, something to
+live for and think about, except--your actions. The ranch has doubled
+in value, every penny is accounted for, and you have more money to
+spend on yourself than ever before. You have no reason to complain."
+
+Austin crushed his napkin into a ball and flung it from him; with a
+scowl he shoved himself back from the table.
+
+"It was an idiotic arrangement, just the same. I agreed because I was
+sick. Dad thought I was all shot to pieces. But I'm all right now and
+able to run my own business."
+
+"Nevertheless, it was a bargain, and it will stand. If your father were
+alive he'd make you live up to it."
+
+"Hell! You talk as if I were a child," shouted her husband; and his
+plump face was apoplectic with rage. "The title is in my name. How
+could he make me do anything?"
+
+"Nobody could force you," his wife said, quietly. "You are still enough
+of a man to keep your word, I believe, so long as I observe my part of
+our bargain?"
+
+Ed, slightly mollified, agreed. "Of course I am; I never welched. But I
+won't be treated as an incompetent, and I'm tired of these eternal
+wrangles and jangles."
+
+"You HAVE welched."
+
+"Eh?" Austin frowned belligerently.
+
+"You agreed to go away when you felt your appetite coming on, and you
+promised to live clean, at least around home."
+
+"Well?"
+
+"Have you done it?"
+
+"Certainly. I never said I'd cut out the booze entirely."
+
+"What about your carousals at Brownsville?"
+
+Austin subsided sullenly. "Other men have got full in Brownsville."
+
+"No doubt. But you made a scandal. You have been seen with--women, in a
+good many places where we are known."
+
+"Bah! There's nothing to it."
+
+Alaire went on in a lifeless tone that covered the seething emotions
+within her. "I never inquire into your actions at San Antonio or other
+large cities, although of course I have ears and I can't help hearing
+about them; but these border towns are home to us, and people know me.
+I won't be humiliated more than I am; public pity is--hard enough to
+bear. I've about reached the breaking-point."
+
+"Indeed?" Austin leaned forward, his eyes inflamed. His tone was
+raised, heedless of possible eavesdroppers. "Then why don't you end it?
+Why don't you divorce me? God knows I never see anything of you. You
+have your part of the house and I have mine; all we share in common is
+meal-hours, and--and a mail address. You're about as much my wife as
+Dolores is."
+
+Alaire turned upon him eyes dark with misery. "You know why I don't
+divorce you. No, Ed, we're going to live out our agreement, and these
+Brownsville episodes are going to cease." Her lips whitened. "So are
+your visits to the pumping-station."
+
+"What do you mean by that?"
+
+"You transferred Panfilo because he was growing jealous of you and
+Rosa."
+
+Ed burst into sudden laughter. "Good Lord! There's no harm in a little
+flirtation. Rosa's a pretty girl."
+
+His wife uttered a breathless, smothered exclamation; her hands, as
+they lay on the table-cloth, were tightly clenched. "She's your
+tenant--almost your servant. What kind of a man are you? Haven't you
+any decency left?"
+
+"Say! Go easy! I guess I'm no different to most men." Austin's
+unpleasant laughter had been succeeded by a still more unpleasant
+scowl. "I have to do SOMETHING. It's dead enough around here--"
+
+"You must stop going there."
+
+"Humph! I notice YOU go where YOU please. Rosa and I never spent a
+night together in the chaparral--"
+
+"Ed!" Alaire's exclamation was like the snap of a whip. She rose and
+faced her husband, quivering as if the lash had stung her flesh.
+
+"That went home, eh? Well, I'm no fool! I've seen something of the
+world, and I've found that women are about like men. I'd like to have a
+look at this David Law, this gunman, this Handsome Harry who waits at
+water-holes for ladies in distress." Ed ignored his wife's outflung
+hand, and continued, mockingly: "I'll bet he's all that's manly and
+splendid, everything that I'm NOT."
+
+"You'd--better stop," gasped the woman. "I can't stand everything."
+
+"So? Well, neither can I."
+
+"After--this, I think you'd better go--to San Antonio. Maybe I'll
+forget before you come back."
+
+To this "Young Ed" agreed quickly enough. "Good!" said he. "That suits
+me. It's hell around Las Palmas, anyhow, and I'll at least get a little
+peace at my club." He glowered after his wife as she left the room.
+Then, still scowling, he lurched out to the gallery where the breeze
+was blowing, and flung himself into a chair.
+
+
+
+
+V
+
+SOMETHING ABOUT HEREDITY
+
+
+It had required but one generation to ripen the fruits of "Old Ed"
+Austin's lawlessness, and upon his son heredity had played one of her
+grimmest pranks. The father had had faults, but they were those of his
+virtues; he had been a strong man, at least, and had "ridden herd" upon
+his unruly passions with the same thoroughness as over his wild cattle.
+The result was that he had been universally respected. At first the son
+seemed destined to be like his father. It was not until "Young Ed" had
+reached his full manhood that his defects had become recognizable evil
+tendencies, that his infirmity had developed into a disease. Like
+sleeping cancers, the Austin vices had lain dormant in him during
+boyhood; it had required the mutation from youth to manhood, and the
+alterative effect of marriage, to rouse them; but, once awakened, their
+ravages had been swift and destructive. Ed's marriage to Alaire had
+been inevitable. They had been playmates, and their parents had
+considered the union a consummation of their own lifelong friendship.
+Upon her mother's death, Alaire had been sent abroad, and there she
+remained while "Young Ed" attended an Eastern college. For any child
+the experience would have been a lonesome one, and through it the
+motherless Texas girl had grown into an imaginative, sentimental
+person, living in a make-believe world, peopled, for the most part,
+with the best-remembered figures of romance and fiction. There were, of
+course, some few flesh-and-blood heroes among the rest, and of these
+the finest and the noblest had been "Young Ed" Austin.
+
+When she came home to marry, Alaire was still very much of a child, and
+she still considered Ed her knight. As for him, he was captivated by
+this splendid, handsome girl, whom he remembered only as a shy,
+red-headed little comrade.
+
+Never was a marriage more propitious, never were two young people more
+happily situated than these two, for they were madly in love, and each
+had ample means with which to make the most of life.
+
+As Las Palmas had been the elder Austin's wedding-gift to his son, so
+Alaire's dowry from her father had been La Feria, a grant of lands
+across the Rio Grande beyond the twenty-league belt by which Mexico
+fatuously strives to guard her border. And to Las Palmas had come the
+bride and groom to live, to love, and to rear their children.
+
+But rarely has there been a shorter honeymoon, seldom a swifter
+awakening. Within six months "Young Ed" had killed his wife's love and
+had himself become an alcoholic. Others of his father's vices revived,
+and so multiplied that what few virtues the young man had inherited
+were soon choked. The change was utterly unforeseen; its cause was
+rooted too deeply in the past to be remedied. Maturity had marked an
+epoch with "Young Ed"; marriage had been the mile-post where his whole
+course veered abruptly.
+
+To the bride the truth had come as a stunning tragedy. She was
+desperately frightened, too, and lived a nightmare life, the while she
+tried in every way to check the progress of that disintegration which
+was eating up her happiness. The wreck of her hopes and glad imaginings
+left her sick, bewildered, in the face of "the thing that couldn't."
+
+Nor had the effect of this transformation in "Young Ed" been any less
+painful to his father. For a time the old man refused to credit it, but
+finally, when the truth was borne in upon him unmistakably, and he saw
+that Las Palmas was in a fair way to being ruined through the boy's
+mismanagement, the old cattleman had risen in his wrath. The ranch had
+been his pride as Ed had been his joy; to see them both go wrong was
+more than he could bear. There had been a terrible scene, and a
+tongue-lashing delivered in the language of early border days. There
+had followed other visits from Austin, senior, other and even bitterer
+quarrels; at last, when the girl-wife remained firm in her refusal to
+divorce her husband, the understanding had been reached by which the
+management of Las Palmas was placed absolutely in her hands.
+
+Of course, the truth became public, as it always does. This was a new
+country--only yesterday it had been the frontier, and even yet a
+frontier code of personal conduct to some extent prevailed.
+Nevertheless, "Young Ed" Austin's life became a scorn and a hissing
+among his neighbors. They were not unduly fastidious, these neighbors,
+and they knew that hot blood requires more than a generation to cool,
+but everything Ed did outraged them. In trying to show their sympathy
+for his wife they succeeded in wounding her more deeply, and Alaire
+withdrew into herself. She became almost a recluse, and fenced herself
+away not only from the curious, but also from those who really wished
+to be her friends. In time people remarked that Ed Austin's
+metamorphosis was no harder to understand than that of his wife.
+
+It was true. She had changed. The alteration reached to the very bone
+and marrow of her being. At first the general pity had wounded her,
+then it had offended, and finally angered her. That people should
+notice her affliction, particularly when she strove so desperately to
+hide it, seemed the height of insolence.
+
+The management of Las Palmas was almost her only relief. Having sprung
+from a family of ranchers, the work came easy, and she grew to like
+it--as well as she could like anything with that ever-present pain in
+her breast. The property was so large that it gave ample excuse for
+avoiding the few visitors who came, and the range boss, Benito
+Gonzales, attended to most of the buying and selling. Callers gradually
+became rarer; friends dropped away almost entirely. Since Las Palmas
+employed no white help whatever, it became in time more Mexican than in
+the days of "Old Ed" Austin's ownership.
+
+In such wise had Alaire fashioned her life, living meanwhile under a
+sort of truce with her husband.
+
+But Las Palmas had prospered to admiration, and La Feria would have
+prospered equally had it not been for the armed unrest of the country
+across the border. No finer stock than the "Box A" was to be found
+anywhere. The old lean, long-horned cattle had been interbred with
+white-faced Herefords, and the sleek coats of their progeny were
+stretched over twice the former weight of beef. Alaire had even
+experimented with the Brahman strain, importing some huge, hump-backed
+bulls that set the neighborhood agog. People proclaimed they were
+sacred oxen and whispered that they were intended for some outlandish
+pagan rite--Alaire by this time had gained the reputation of being
+"queer"--while experienced stockmen declared the venture a woman's
+folly, affirming that buffaloes had never been crossed successfully
+with domestic cattle. It was rumored that one of these imported animals
+cost more than a whole herd of Mexican stock, and the ranchers
+speculated freely as to what "Old Ed" Austin would have said of such
+extravagance.
+
+It was Blaze Jones, one of the few county residents granted access to
+Las Palmas, who first acquainted himself with the outcome of Alaire's
+experiment, and it was he who brought news of it to some visiting
+stock-buyers at Brownsville.
+
+Blaze was addicted to rhetorical extravagance. His voice was loud; his
+fancy ran a splendid course.
+
+"Gentlemen," said he, "you-all interest me with your talk about your
+prize Northern stock; but I claim that the bigger the state the bigger
+the cattle it raises. That's why old Texas beats the world."
+
+"But it doesn't," some one contradicted.
+
+"It don't, hey? My boy"--Blaze jabbed a rigid finger into the speaker's
+ribs, as if he expected a ground-squirrel to scuttle forth--"we've got
+steers in this valley that are damn near the size of the whole state of
+Rhode Island. If they keep on growin' I doubt if you could fatten one
+of 'em in Delaware without he'd bulge over into some neighboring
+commonwealth. It's the God's truth! I was up at Las Palmas last month--"
+
+"Las Palmas!" The name was enough to challenge the buyers' interest.
+
+Blaze nodded. "You-all think you know the stock business. You're all
+swollen up with cow-knowledge, now, ain't you?" He eyed them from
+beneath his black eyebrows. "Well, some of our people thought they did,
+too. They figured they'd inherited all there was to know about live
+stock, and they grew plumb arrogant over their wisdom. But--pshaw! They
+didn't know nothing. Miz Austin has bred in that Brayma strain and made
+steers so big they run four to the dozen. And here's the remarkable
+thing about 'em--they 'ain't got as many ticks as you gentlemen."
+
+Some of the cattlemen were incredulous, but Blaze maintained his point
+with emphasis. "It's true. They're a grave disappointment to every kind
+of parasite."
+
+But Alaire had not confined her efforts to cattle; she had improved the
+breed of "Box A" horses, too, and hand in hand with this work she had
+carried on a series of agricultural experiments.
+
+Las Palmas, so people used to say, lay too far up the river to be good
+farming-land; nevertheless, once the pumping-plant was in, certain
+parts of the ranch raised nine crops of alfalfa, and corn that stood
+above a rider's head.
+
+There was no money in "finished" stock; the border was too far from
+market--that also had long been an accepted truism--yet this woman
+built silos which she filled with her own excess fodder in scientific
+proportions, and somehow or other she managed to ship fat beeves direct
+to the packing-houses and get big prices for them.
+
+These were but a few of her many ventures. She had her hobbies, of
+course, but, oddly enough, most of them paid or promised to do so. For
+instance, she had started a grove of paper-shelled pecans, which was
+soon due to bear; the ranch house and its clump of palms was all but
+hidden by a forest of strange trees, which were reported to ripen
+everything from moth-balls to bicycle tires. Blaze Jones was perhaps
+responsible for this report, for Alaire had shown him several thousand
+eucalyptus saplings and some ornamental rubber-plants.
+
+"That Miz Austin is a money-makin' piece of furniture," he once told
+his daughter Paloma. "I'm no mechanical adder--I count mostly on my
+fingers--but her and me calculated the profits on them
+eucher--what's-their-name trees?--and it gave me a splittin' headache.
+She'll be a drug queen, sure."
+
+"Why don't you follow her example?" asked Paloma. "We have plenty of
+land."
+
+Blaze, in truth, was embarrassed by the size of his holdings, but he
+shook his head. "No, I'm too old to go rampagin' after new gods. I
+'ain't got the imagination to raise anything more complicated than a
+mortgage; but if I was younger, I'd organize myself up and do away with
+that Ed Austin. I'd sure help him to an untimely end, and then I'd
+marry them pecan-groves, and blooded herds, and drug-store orchards.
+She certainly is a heart-breakin' device, with her red hair and red
+lips and--"
+
+"FATHER!" Paloma was deeply shocked.
+
+Complete isolation, of course, Alaire had found to be impossible, even
+though her ranch lay far from the traveled roads and her Mexican guards
+were not encouraging to visitors. Business inevitably brought her into
+contact with a considerable number of people, and of these the one she
+saw most frequently was Judge Ellsworth of Brownsville, her attorney.
+
+It was perhaps a week after Ed had left for San Antonio that Alaire
+felt the need of Ellsworth's counsel, and sent for him. He responded
+promptly, as always. Ellsworth was a kindly man of fifty-five, with a
+forceful chin and a drooping, heavy-lidded eye that could either blaze
+or twinkle. He was fond of Alaire, and his sympathy, like his
+understanding, was of that wordless yet comprehensive kind which is
+most satisfying. Judge Ellsworth knew more than any four men in that
+part of Texas; information had a way of seeking him out, and his head
+was stored to repletion with facts of every variety. He was a good
+lawyer, too, and yet his knowledge of the law comprised but a small
+part of that mental wealth upon which he prided himself. He knew human
+nature, and that he considered far more important than law. His mind
+was like a full granary, and every grain lay where he could put his
+hand upon it.
+
+He motored out from Brownsville, and, after ridding himself of dust,
+insisted upon spending the interval before dinner in an inspection of
+Alaire's latest ranch improvements. He had a fatherly way of walking
+with his arm about Alaire's shoulders, and although she sometimes
+suspected that his warmth of good-fellowship was merely a habit
+cultivated through political necessities, nevertheless it was
+comforting, and she took it at its face value.
+
+Not until the dinner was over did Ellsworth inquire the reason for his
+summons.
+
+"It's about La Feria. General Longorio has confiscated my stock,"
+Alaire told him.
+
+Ellsworth started. "Longorio! That's bad."
+
+"Yes. One of my riders just brought the news. I was afraid of this very
+thing, and so I was preparing to bring the stock over. Still--I never
+thought they'd actually confiscate it."
+
+"Why shouldn't they?"
+
+Alaire interrogated the speaker silently.
+
+"Hasn't Ed done enough to provoke confiscation?" asked the Judge.
+
+"Ed?"
+
+"Exactly! Ed has made a fool of himself, and brought this on."
+
+"You think so?"
+
+"Well, I have it pretty straight that he's giving money to the Rebel
+junta and lending every assistance he can to their cause."
+
+"I didn't know he'd actually done anything. How mad!"
+
+"Yes--for a man with interests in Federal territory. But Ed always does
+the wrong thing, you know."
+
+"Then I presume this confiscation is in the nature of a reprisal. But
+the stock is mine, not Ed's. I'm an American citizen, and--"
+
+"My dear, you're the first one I've heard boast of the fact," cynically
+affirmed the Judge. "If you were in Mexico you'd profit more by
+claiming allegiance to the German or the English or some other foreign
+flag. The American eagle isn't screaming very loudly on the other side
+of the Rio Grande just now, and our dusky neighbors have learned that
+it's perfectly safe to pull his tail feathers."
+
+"I'm surprised at you," Alaire smiled. "Just the same, I want your help
+in taking up the matter with Washington."
+
+Ellsworth was pessimistic. "It won't do any good, my dear," he said.
+"You'll get your name in the papers, and perhaps cause another
+diplomatically worded protest, but there the matter will end. You won't
+be paid for your cattle."
+
+"Then I shall go to La Feria."
+
+"No!" The Judge shook his head decidedly.
+
+"I've been there a hundred times. The Federals have always been more
+than courteous."
+
+"Longorio has a bad reputation. I strongly advise against your going."
+
+"Why, Judge, people are going and coming all the time! Mexico is
+perfectly safe, and I know the country as well as I know Las Palmas."
+
+"You'd better send some man."
+
+"Whom can I send?" asked Alaire. "You know my situation."
+
+The Judge considered a moment before replying. "I can't go, for I'm
+busy in court. You could probably accomplish more than anybody else, if
+Longorio will listen to reason, and, after all, you are a person of
+such importance that I dare say you'd be safe. But it will be a hard
+trip, and you won't know whether you are in Rebel or in Federal
+territory."
+
+"Well, people here are asking whether Texas is in the United States or
+Mexico," Alaire said, lightly, "Sometimes I hardly know." After a
+moment she continued: "Since you know everything and everybody, I
+wonder if you ever met a David Law?"
+
+Ellsworth nodded. "Tell me something about him."
+
+"He asked me the same thing about you. Well, I haven't seen much of
+Dave since he grew up, he's such a roamer."
+
+"He said his parents were murdered by the Guadalupes."
+
+The Judge looked up quickly; a queer, startled expression flitted over
+his face. "Dave said that? He said both of them were killed?"
+
+"Yes. Isn't it true?"
+
+"Oh, Dave wouldn't lie. It happened a good many years ago, and
+certainly they both met a violent end. I was instrumental in saving
+what property Frank Law left, but it didn't last Dave very long. He's
+right careless in money matters. Dave's a fine fellow in some
+ways--most ways, I believe, but--" The Judge lost himself in frowning
+meditation.
+
+"I have never known you to damn a friend or a client with such faint
+praise," said Alaire.
+
+"Oh, I don't mean it that way. I'm almost like one of Dave's kin, and
+I've been keenly interested in watching his traits develop. I'm
+interested in heredity. I've watched it in Ed's case, for instance. If
+you know the parents it's easy to read their children." Again he lapsed
+into silence, nodding to himself. "Yes, Nature mixes her prescriptions
+like any druggist. I'm glad you and Ed--have no babies."
+
+Alaire murmured something unintelligible.
+
+"And yet," the lawyer continued, "many people are cursed with an
+inheritance as bad, or worse, than Ed's."
+
+"What has that to do with Mr. Law?"
+
+"Dave? Oh, nothing in particular. I was just--moralizing. It's a
+privilege of age, my dear."
+
+
+
+
+VI
+
+A JOURNEY, AND A DARK MAN
+
+
+Alaire's preparations for the journey to La Feria were made with little
+delay. Owing to the condition of affairs across the border, Ellsworth
+had thought it well to provide her with letters from the most
+influential Mexicans in the neighborhood; what is more, in order to
+pave her way toward a settlement of her claim he succeeded in getting a
+telegram through to Mexico City--no mean achievement, with most of the
+wires in Rebel hands and the remainder burdened with military business.
+But Ellsworth's influence was not bounded by the Rio Grande.
+
+It was his advice that Alaire present her side of the case to the local
+military authorities before making formal representation to Washington,
+though in neither case was he sanguine of the outcome.
+
+The United States, indeed, had abetted the Rebel cause from the start.
+Its embargo on arms had been little more than a pretense of neutrality,
+which had fooled the Federals not at all, and it was an open secret
+that financial assistance to the uprising was rendered from some
+mysterious Northern source. The very presence of American troops along
+the border was construed by Mexicans as a threat against President
+Potosi, and an encouragement to revolt, while the talk of intervention,
+invasion, and war had intensified the natural antagonism existing
+between the two peoples. So it was that Ellsworth, while he did his
+best to see to it that his client should make the journey in safety and
+receive courteous treatment, doubted the wisdom of the undertaking and
+hoped for no practical result.
+
+Alaire took Dolores with her, and for male escort she selected, after
+some deliberation, José Sanchez, her horse-breaker. José was not an
+ideal choice, but since Benito could not well be spared, no better man
+was available. Sanchez had some force and initiative, at least, and
+Alaire had no reason to doubt his loyalty.
+
+The party went to Pueblo by motor--an unpleasant trip, for the road
+followed the river and ran through a lonesome country, unpeopled save
+for an occasional goat-herd and his family, or a glaring-hot village of
+some half-dozen cubical houses crouching on the river-bank as if
+crowded over from Mexican soil. This road remained much as the first
+ox-carts had laid it out; the hills were gashed by arroyos, some of
+which were difficult to negotiate, and in consequence the journey was,
+from an automobilist's point of view, decidedly slow. The first night
+the travelers were forced to spend at a mud jacal, encircled, like some
+African jungle dwelling, by a thick brush barricade.
+
+José Sanchez was in his element here. He posed, he strutted, he
+bragged, he strove to impress his countrymen by every device. José was,
+indeed, rather a handsome fellow, with a bold insolence of bearing that
+marked him as superior to the common pelador, and, having dressed
+himself elaborately for this journey, he made the most of his
+opportunities for showing off. Nothing would do him but a baile, and a
+baile he had. Once the arrangements were made, other Mexicans appeared
+mysteriously until there were nearly a score, and until late into the
+night they danced upon the hard-packed earth of the yard. Alaire fell
+asleep to the sounds of feet scuffling and scraping in time to a wheezy
+violin.
+
+Arriving at Pueblo on the following day, Alaire secured her passports
+from the Federal headquarters across the Rio Grande, while José
+attended to the railroad tickets. On the second morning after leaving
+home the party was borne southward into Mexico.
+
+Although train schedules were uncertain, the railroad journey itself
+was similar to many Alaire had taken, except for occasional evidences
+of the war. The revolution had ravaged most of northern Mexico; long
+rows of rusting trucks and twisted car skeletons beside the track
+showed how the railway's rolling-stock had suffered in this particular
+vicinity; and as the train penetrated farther south temporary trestles
+and the charred ruins of station-houses spoke even more eloquently of
+the struggle. Now and then a steel water-tank, pierced with loop-holes
+and ripped by cannon balls, showed where some detachment had made a
+stand. There was a military guard on the train, too--a dozen unkempt
+soldiers loaded down with rifles and bandoliers of cartridges, and
+several officers, neatly dressed in khaki, who rode in the first-class
+coach and occupied themselves by making eyes at the women.
+
+At its frequent stops the train was besieged by the customary crowd of
+curious peons; the same noisy hucksters dealt out enchiladas,
+tortillas, goat cheeses, and coffee from the same dirty baskets and
+pails; even their outstretched hands seemed to bear the familiar grime
+of ante-bellum days. The coaches were crowded; women fanned themselves
+unceasingly; their men snored, open-mouthed, over the backs of the
+seats, and the aisles were full of squalling, squabbling children.
+
+As for the country itself, it was dying. The ranches were stripped of
+stock, no carts creaked along the highways, and the roads, like the
+little farms, were growing up to weeds. Stores were empty, the people
+were idle. Over all was an atmosphere of decay, and, what was far more
+significant, the people seemed content.
+
+All morning the monotonous journey continued--a trial to Alaire and
+Dolores, but to José Sanchez a red-letter experience. He covered the
+train from end to end, making himself acquainted with every one and
+bringing to Alaire the gossip that he picked up.
+
+It was not until midday that the first interruption occurred; then the
+train pulled in upon a siding, and after an interminable delay it
+transpired that a north-bound troop-train was expected.
+
+José brought this intelligence: "Soon you will behold the flower of the
+Mexican army," he told Alaire. "You will see thousands of Longorio's
+veterans, every man of them a very devil for blood. They are returning
+to Nuevo Pueblo after destroying a band of those rebels. They had a
+great victory at San Pedro--thirty kilometers from La Feria. Not a
+prisoner was spared, señora."
+
+"Is General Longorio with them?" Alaire inquired, quickly.
+
+"That is what I came to tell you. It is believed that he is, for he
+takes his army with him wherever he goes. He is a great fighter; he has
+a nose for it, that man, and he strikes like the lightning--here,
+there, anywhere." José, it seemed, was a rabid Potosista.
+
+But Dolores held opposite sympathies. She uttered a disdainful sniff.
+"To be sure he takes his army with him, otherwise the
+Constitutionalistas would kill him. Wait until Pancho Gomez meets this
+army of Longorio's. Ha! You will see some fighting."
+
+José blew two fierce columns of cigarette smoke from his nostrils.
+"Longorio is a gentleman; he scorns to use the tricks of that bandit.
+Pancho Gomez fights like a savage. Think of the cowardly manner in
+which he captured Espinal the last time. What did he do then? I'll tell
+you. He laid in wait and allowed a train-load of our troops to pass
+through his lines toward Chihuahua; then he took possession of the
+telegraph wires and pretended to be the Federal commander. He sent a
+lying message back to Espinal that the railway tracks were torn up and
+he could not reach Chihuahua, and so, of course, he was ordered to
+return. That was bad enough, but he loaded his bandits upon other
+trains--he locked them into freight-cars like cattle so that not a head
+could be seen--and the devil himself would never have guessed what was
+in those cars. Of course he succeeded. No one suspected the truth until
+his infamous army was in Espinal. Then it was too late. The carnage was
+terrible. But do you call that a nice action? It was nothing but the
+lowest deceit. It was enough to make our soldiers furious."
+
+Dolores giggled. "They say he went to his officers and told them:
+'Compadres, we are now going into Espinal. I will meet you at the
+Plaza, and I will shoot the last man who arrives there.' Dios! There
+ensued a foot-race."
+
+"It is well for him to train his men how to run fast," said José,
+frowning sternly, "for some day they will meet Luis Longorio, and
+then--you will see some of the swiftest running in all the world."
+
+"Yes! Truly!" Dolores was trembling with excitement, her voice was
+shrill. "God will need to lend them speed to catch this army of
+Longorio's. Otherwise no human legs could accomplish it."
+
+"Bah! Who can argue with a woman?" sneered José.
+
+Alaire, who had listened smilingly, now intervened to avert a serious
+quarrel.
+
+"When the train arrives," she told her horse-breaker, "I want you to
+find General Longorio and ask him to come here."
+
+"But, señora!" José was dumfounded, shocked. "He is a great general--"
+
+"Give him this note." Quickly writing a few lines on a page from her
+note-book, she gave him the scrap of paper, which he carefully placed
+in his hat; then, shaking his head doubtfully, he left the car.
+
+Flushed with triumph, Dolores took the first occasion to enlarge upon
+her theme.
+
+"You will see what a monster this Longorio is," she declared. "It was
+like him to steal your beautiful cattle; he would steal a crucifix.
+Once there was a fine ranch owned by a man who had two lovely
+daughters--girls of great respectability and refinement. But the man
+was a Candelerista. Longorio killed him--he and his men killed
+everybody on the hacienda except the daughters, and those he captured.
+He took them with him, and for no good purpose, either, as you can
+imagine. Naturally the poor creatures were nearly dead with fright, but
+as they rode along the elder one began talking with Longorio's
+soldiers. She made friends with them. She pretended to care nothing
+about her fate; she behaved like a lost person, and the soldiers
+laughed. They liked her spirit, God pity them! Finally she declared she
+was a famous shot with a pistol, and she continued to boast until one
+of her guards gave her his weapon with which to show her skill. Then
+what? Before they could hinder her she turned in her saddle and shot
+her younger sister through the brain. Herself she destroyed with a
+bullet in her breast. Every word is the sacred truth, señora.
+Longorio's soul is stained with the blood of those two innocents."
+
+"I've heard many stories like that, from both sides," Alaire said,
+gravely.
+
+In the course of time the military train came creaking along on the
+main track and stopped, to the great interest of the southbound
+travelers. It was made up of many stock cars crowded with cavalry
+horses. Each animal bore its equipment of saddle and bridle, and penned
+in with them were the women and the children. The soldiers themselves
+were clustered thickly upon the car roofs. Far down at the rear of the
+train was a rickety passenger-coach, and toward this José Sanchez made
+his way.
+
+There began a noisy interchange of greetings between the occupants of
+the two trains, and meanwhile the hot sun glared balefully upon the
+huddled figures on the car tops. A half-hour passed, then occurred a
+commotion at the forward end of Alaire's coach.
+
+A group of officers climbed aboard, and among them was one who could be
+none other than Luis Longorio. As he came down the passageway Alaire
+identified him without the aid of his insignia, for he stood head and
+shoulders above his companions and bore himself with an air of
+authority. He was unusually tall, at least six feet three, and very
+slim, very lithe; he was alert, keen; he was like the blade of a
+rapier. The leanness of his legs was accentuated by his stiff, starched
+riding-breeches and close-fitting pigskin puttees, while his face,
+apart from all else, would have challenged prompt attention.
+
+Longorio was a young man; his cheeks were girlishly smooth and of a
+clear, pale, olive tint, which sun and weather apparently were
+powerless to darken; his eyes were large, bold, and brilliant; his
+nostrils thin and sensitive, like those of a blooded horse. He seemed
+almost immature until he spoke, then one realized with a curious shock
+that he was a man indeed, and a man, moreover, with all the ardor and
+passion of a woman. Such was Alaire's first hasty impression of Luis
+Longorio, the Tarleton of Potosi's army.
+
+Disdain, hauteur, impatience, were stamped upon the general's
+countenance as he pushed briskly through the crowd, turning his head
+from side to side in search of the woman who had summoned him.
+
+Not until she rose did he discover Alaire; then he halted; his eyes
+fixed themselves upon her with a stare of startled amazement.
+
+Alaire felt herself color faintly, for the man seemed to be scanning
+her from head to foot, taking in every detail of her face and form, and
+as he did so his expression remained unaltered. For what seemed a full
+minute Longorio stood rooted; then the stiff-vizored cap was swept from
+his head; he bowed with the grace of a courtier until Alaire saw the
+part in his oily black hair.
+
+"Señora! A thousand apologies for my delay," he said. "Caramba! I did
+not dream--I did not understand your message." He continued to regard
+her with that same queer intensity.
+
+"You are General Longorio?" Alaire was surprised to note that her voice
+quavered uncertainly, and annoyed to feel her face still flushing.
+
+"Your obedient servant."
+
+With a gesture Mrs. Austin directed Dolores to vacate her seat, and
+invited the General to take it. But Longorio checked the maid's
+movement; then with a brusque command he routed out the occupants of
+the seat ahead, and, reversing the back, took a position facing Alaire.
+Another order, and the men who had accompanied him withdrew up the
+aisle. His luminous eyes returned once more to the woman, and there was
+no mistaking his admiration. He seemed enchanted by her pale beauty,
+her rich, red hair held him fascinated, and with Latin boldness he made
+his feelings crassly manifest.
+
+
+
+
+VII
+
+LUIS LONGORIO
+
+
+"You probably know why I wished to see you," Alaire began.
+
+Longorio shook his head in vague denial.
+
+"It is regarding my ranch, La Feria." Seeing that the name conveyed
+nothing, she explained, "I am told that your army confiscated my
+cattle."
+
+"Ah yes! Now I understand." The Mexican nodded mechanically, but it was
+plain that he was not heeding her words in the least. All his mental
+powers appeared to be concentrated in that disconcerting stare which he
+still bent upon her. "We confiscate everything--it is a necessity of
+war," he murmured.
+
+"But this is different. The ranch is mine, and I am an American."
+
+There was a pause. The General made a visible effort to gather his
+wits. It was now quite patent that the sight of Alaire, the sound of
+her voice, her first glance, had stricken him with an odd
+semi-paralysis. As if to shut out a vision or to escape some dazzling
+sight, he dosed his eyes. Alaire wondered if the fellow had been
+drinking. She turned to Dolores to find that good woman wearing an
+expression of stupefaction. It was very queer; it made Alaire extremely
+ill at ease.
+
+Longorio opened his eyes and smiled. "It seems that I have seen you
+before--as if we were old friends--or as if I had come face to face
+with myself," said he. "I am affected strangely. It is unaccountable. I
+know you well--completely--everything about you is familiar to me, and
+yet we meet for the first time, eh? How do you explain that, unless a
+miracle--"
+
+"It is merely your imagination."
+
+"Such beauty--here among these common people! I was unprepared."
+Longorio passed a brown hand across his brow to brush away those
+perverse fancies that so interfered with his thoughts.
+
+In moments of stress the attention often centers upon trivial things
+and the mind photographs unimportant objects. Alaire noticed now that
+one of Longorio's fingers was decorated with a magnificent
+diamond-and-ruby ring, and this interested her queerly. No ordinary man
+could fittingly have worn such an ornament, yet on the hand of this
+splendid barbarian it seemed not at all out of keeping.
+
+"Dios! Let me take hold of myself, for my wits are in mutiny," Longorio
+continued. Then he added, more quietly: "I need not assure you, señora,
+that you have only to command me. Your ranch has been destroyed; your
+cattle stolen, eh?"
+
+"Yes. At least--"
+
+"We will shoot the perpetrators of this outrage at once. Bueno! Come
+with me and you shall see it with your own eyes."
+
+"No, no! You don't understand."
+
+"So? What then?"
+
+"I don't want to see any one punished. I merely want your government to
+pay me for my cattle." Alaire laughed nervously.
+
+"Ah! But a lady of refinement should not discuss such a miserable
+business. It is a matter for men. Bother your pretty head no more about
+it, and leave me to punish the guilty in my own way."
+
+She endeavored to speak in a brisk, business-like tone. "La Feria
+belongs to me, personally, and I have managed it for several years,
+just as I manage Las Palmas, across the river. I am a woman of affairs,
+General Longorio, and you must talk to me as you would talk to a man.
+When I heard about this raid I came to look into it--to see you, or
+whoever is in charge of this district, and to make a claim for damages.
+Also, I intend to see that nothing similar occurs again. I have delayed
+making representations to my own government in the hope that I could
+arrange a satisfactory settlement, and so avoid serious complications.
+Now you understand why I am here and why I wished to see you."
+
+"Valgame Dios! This is amazing. I become more bewildered momentarily."
+
+"There is nothing extraordinary about it, that I can see."
+
+"You think not? You consider such a woman as yourself ordinary? The men
+of my country enshrine beauty and worship it. They place it apart as a
+precious gift from God which nothing shall defile. They do not discuss
+such things with their women. Now this sordid affair is something for
+your husband--"
+
+"Mr. Austin's business occupies his time; this is my own concern. I am
+not the only practical woman in Texas."
+
+Longorio appeared to be laboriously digesting this statement. "So!" he
+said at last. "When you heard of this--you came, eh? You came alone
+into Mexico, where we are fighting and killing each other? Well! That
+is spirit. You are wonderful, superb!" He smiled, showing the whitest
+and evenest teeth.
+
+Such extravagant homage was embarrassing, yet no woman could be wholly
+displeased by admiration so spontaneous and intense as that which
+Longorio manifested in every look and word. It was plain to Alaire that
+something about her had completely bowled him over; perhaps it was her
+strange red hair and her white foreign face, or perhaps something
+deeper, something behind all that. Sex phenomena are strange and varied
+in their workings. Who can explain the instant attraction or repulsion
+of certain types we meet? Why does the turn of a head, a smile, a
+glance, move us to the depths? Why does the touch of one stranger's
+hand thrill us, while another's leaves us quite impassive? Whence
+springs that personal magnetism which has the power to set the very
+atoms of our being into new vibrations, like a highly charged electric
+current?
+
+Alaire knew the susceptibility of Mexican men, and was immune to
+ordinary flattery; yet there was something exciting about this martial
+hero's complete captivation. To have charmed him to the point of
+bewilderment was a unique triumph, and under his hungry eyes she felt
+an adventurous thrill.
+
+It is true that Luis Longorio was utterly alien, and in that sense
+almost repellent to Alaire; moreover, she suspected him of being a
+monster so depraved that no decent woman could bring herself to accept
+his attentions. Nevertheless, in justice to the fellow, she had to
+acknowledge that externally, at least, he was immensely superior to the
+Mexicans she had met. Then, too, his aristocracy was unmistakable, and
+Alaire prided herself that she could recognize good blood in men as
+quickly as in horses. The fellow had been favored by birth, by
+breeding, and by education; and although military service in Mexico was
+little more than a form of banditry, nevertheless Longorio had
+developed a certain genius for leadership, nor was there any doubt as
+to his spectacular courage. In some ways he was a second Cid--another
+figure out of Castilian romance.
+
+While he and Alaire were talking the passengers had returned to their
+seats; they were shouting good-byes to the soldiers opposite; the
+engine-bell was clanging loudly; and now the conductor approached to
+warn Longorio that the train was about to leave. But the railway
+official had learned a wholesome respect for uniforms, and therefore he
+hung back until, urged by necessity, he pushed forward and informed the
+general of his train orders.
+
+Longorio favored him with a slow stare. "You may go when I leave," said
+he.
+
+"Si, señor. But--"
+
+The general uttered a sharp exclamation of anger, at which the
+conductor backed away, expressing by voice and gesture his most hearty
+approval of the change of plan.
+
+"We mustn't hold the train," Alaire said, quickly. "I will arrange to
+see you in Nuevo Pueblo when I return."
+
+Longorio smiled brilliantly and lifted a brown hand. "No, no! I am a
+selfish man; I refuse to deprive myself of this pleasure. The end must
+come all too soon, and as for these peladors, an hour more or less will
+make no difference. Now about these cattle. Mexico does not make war
+upon women, and I am desolated that the actions of my men have caused
+annoyance to the most charming lady in the world."
+
+"Ah! You are polite." Knowing that in this man's help alone lay her
+chance of adjusting her loss, Alaire deliberately smiled upon him. "Can
+I count upon your help in obtaining my rights?" she asked.
+
+"Assuredly."
+
+"But how? Where?"
+
+Longorio thought for a moment, and his tone altered as he said:
+"Señora, there seems to be an unhappy complication in our way, and this
+we must remove. First, may I ask, are you a friend to our cause?"
+
+"I am an American, and therefore I am neutral."
+
+"Ah! But Americans are not neutral. There is the whole difficulty. This
+miserable revolt was fostered by your government; American money
+supports it; and your men bear arms against us. Your tyrant President
+is our enemy; his hands itch for Mexico--"
+
+"I can't argue politics with you," Alaire interrupted, positively. "I
+believe most Americans agree that you have cause for complaint, but
+what has that to do with my ranch and my cattle? This is something that
+concerns no one except you and me."
+
+Longorio was plainly flattered by her words, and took no trouble to
+hide his pleasure. "Ah! If that were only true! We would arrange
+everything to your satisfaction without another word." His admiring
+gaze seemed to envelop her, and its warmth was unmistakable. "No one
+could have the cruelty to deny your slightest wish--I least of all."
+
+"Why did you take my cattle?" she demanded, stubbornly.
+
+"I was coming to that. It is what I meant when I said there was a
+complication. Your husband, señora, is an active Candelerista."
+
+For a moment Alaire was at a loss; then she replied with some spirit:
+"We are two people, he and I. La Feria belongs to me."
+
+"Nevertheless, his conduct is regrettable," Longorio went on. "Probably
+evil men have lied to him--San Antonio is full of rebels conspiring to
+give our country into the hands of outlaws. What a terrible spectacle
+it is! Enough to bring tears to the eyes of any patriot!" He turned his
+melancholy gaze from Alaire to her companion, and for the first time
+Dolores stirred.
+
+She had watched her countryman with a peculiar fascination, and she had
+listened breathlessly to his words. Now she inhaled deeply, as if freed
+from a spell; then she said:
+
+"Pah! Nobody pays heed to Señor Ed. We do not consider him."
+
+Dolores lacked diplomacy; her bluntness was often trying. Alaire turned
+upon her with a sharp exclamation, conscious meanwhile that the woman's
+tone, even more than her words, had enlightened Longorio to some
+extent. His lifted brows were eloquent of surprise and curiosity, but
+he held his tongue.
+
+"Am I to understand, then, that you rob me because of my husband's
+action?" Alaire asked.
+
+"No. But we must combat our enemies with the weapons we have--not only
+those who bear arms with Candeleria, but those who shelter themselves
+beyond the Rio Grande."
+
+Alaire's face fell. "I had hoped that you would understand and help me,
+but I shall go to Mexico City and demand my rights, if necessary."
+
+"Wait! I SHALL help." Longorio beamed enthusiastically. "It shall be
+the object of my life to serve you, and you and I shall arrange this
+matter satisfactorily. I have influence, believe me. A word from Luis
+Longorio will go further with my chief than a protest from your
+President. General Potosi is a man of the highest honor, and I am his
+right hand. Very well, then! Duty calls me to Nuevo Pueblo, and you
+shall return with me as the guest of my government. Dios! It is a
+miserable train, but you shall occupy the coach and travel as befits a
+queen of beauty--like a royal princess with her guard of honor." He
+rose to his feet, but his eagerness soon gave place to disappointment.
+
+"Thank you," said Alaire, "but I must first go to La Feria and get all
+the facts."
+
+"Señora! It is a wretched journey. See!" He waved a contemptuous
+gesture at the car, crowded to congestion. "There is no food; you have
+no one to wait upon you. In my company you will be safe. Upon my honor
+you will enjoy the highest courtesy--"
+
+"Of course. But I must go on. I have Dolores and José to look after
+me." Alaire indicated Sanchez, who had edged his way close and now
+stood with admiring eyes fixed upon his hero.
+
+"Yes, 'mi General," José exclaimed, eagerly, "I am here."
+
+Longorio scrutinized the horse-breaker critically. "Your name is--?"
+
+"José Sanchez."
+
+"You look like a brave fellow."
+
+José swelled at this praise, and no doubt would have made suitable
+answer, but his employer held out her hand, and General Longorio bent
+over it, raising it to his lips.
+
+"Señora, one favor you can grant me. No! It is a right I shall claim."
+He called one of his subordinates closer and ordered that a lieutenant
+and six soldiers be detached to act as an escort to Mrs. Austin's
+party. "It is nothing," he assured her. "It is the least I can do. Have
+no uneasiness, for these men are the bravest of my command, and they
+shall answer with their lives for your safety. As for that
+teniente--ah, he is favored above his general!" Longorio rolled his
+eyes. "Think of it! I could be faithless to duty--a traitor to my
+country--for the privilege he is to enjoy. It is the sacred truth!
+Señora, the hours will drag until I may see you again and be of further
+service. Meanwhile I shall be tortured with radiant dreams. Go with
+God!" For a second time he bowed and kissed the hand he held, then,
+taking José Sanchez intimately by the arm, he turned to the door.
+
+Dolores collapsed into her seat with an exclamation. "Caramba! The man
+is a demon! And such eyes. Uf! They say he was so furious at losing
+those two sisters I told you about that he killed the soldier with the
+very weapon--"
+
+Dolores was interrupted by Longorio's voice beneath the open window.
+The general stood, cap in hand, holding up to Alaire a solitary wild
+flower which he had plucked beside the track.
+
+"See!" he cried. "It is the color of your adorable eyes--blue like a
+sapphire gem. I saw it peeping at me, and it was lonely. But now,
+behold how it smiles--like a star that sees Paradise, eh? And I, too,
+have seen Paradise." He placed the delicate bloom in Alaire's fingers
+and was gone.
+
+"Cuidado!" breathed Dolores. "There is blood on it; the blood of
+innocents. He will burn for a million years in hell, that man."
+
+Longorio made good his promise; soon a grizzled old teniente, with six
+soldiers, was transferred as a bodyguard to the American lady, and
+then, after some further delay, the military train departed. Upon the
+rear platform stood a tall, slim, khaki-clad figure, and until the car
+had dwindled away down the track, foreshortening to a mere rectangular
+dot, Luis Longorio remained motionless, staring with eager eyes through
+the capering dust and the billowing heat waves.
+
+José Sanchez came plowing into Alaire's car, tremendously excited.
+"Look, señora!" he cried. "Look what the general gave me," and he
+proudly displayed Longorio's service revolver. Around José's waist was
+the cartridge-belt and holster that went with the weapon. "With his own
+hands he buckled it about me, and he said, 'José, something tells me
+you are a devil for bravery. Guard your mistress with your life, for if
+any mishap befalls her I shall cut out your heart with my own hands.'
+Those were his very words, señora. Caramba! There is a man to die for."
+
+Nor was this the last of Longorio's dramatic surprises. Shortly after
+the train had got under way the lieutenant in command of Alaire's guard
+brought her a small package, saying:
+
+"The general commanded me to hand you this, with his deepest regard."
+
+Alaire accepted the object curiously. It was small and heavy and
+wrapped in several leaves torn from a notebook, and it proved to be
+nothing less than the splendid diamond-and-ruby ring she had admired.
+
+"God protect us, now!" murmured Dolores, crossing herself devoutly.
+
+
+
+
+VIII
+
+BLAZE JONES'S NEMESIS
+
+
+Blaze Jones rode up to his front gate and dismounted in the shade of
+the big ebony-tree. He stepped back and ran an approving eye over
+another animal tethered there. It was a thoroughbred bay mare he had
+never seen, and as he scanned her good points he reflected that the
+time had come when he would have to accustom himself to the sight of
+strange horses along his fence and strange automobiles beside the road,
+for Paloma was a woman now, and the young men of the neighborhood had
+made the discovery. Yes, and Paloma was a pretty woman; therefore the
+hole under the ebony-tree would probably be worn deep by impatient
+hoofs. He was glad that most of the boys preferred saddles to soft
+upholstery, for it argued that some vigor still remained in Texas
+manhood, and that the country had not been entirely ruined by motors,
+picture-shows, low shoes, and high collars. Of course the youths of
+this day were nothing like the youths of his own, and yet--Blaze let
+his gaze linger fondly on the high-bred mare and her equipment--here at
+least was a person who knew a good horse, a good saddle, and a good gun.
+
+As he came up the walk he heard Paloma laugh, and his own face
+lightened, for Paloma's merriment was contagious. Then as he mounted
+the steps and turned the corner of the "gallery" he uttered a hearty
+greeting.
+
+"Dave Law! Where in the world did you drop from?"
+
+Law uncoiled himself and took the ranchman's hand. "Hello, Blaze! I
+been ordered down here to keep you straight."
+
+"Pshaw! Now who's giving you orders, Dave?"
+
+"Why, I'm with the Rangers."
+
+"Never knew a word of it. Last I heard you was filibustering around
+with the Maderistas."
+
+Blaze seated himself with a grateful sigh where the breeze played over
+him. He was a big, bearlike, swarthy man with the square-hewn,
+deep-lined face of a tragedian, and a head of long, curly hair which he
+wore parted in a line over his left ear. Jones was a character, a local
+landmark. This part of Texas had grown up with Blaze, and, inasmuch as
+he had sprung from a free race of pioneers, he possessed a splendid
+indifference to the artificial fads of dress and manners. It was only
+since Paloma had attained her womanhood that he had been forced to
+fight down his deep-seated distrust of neckwear and store clothes and
+the like; but now that his daughter had definitely asserted her rights,
+he had acquired numerous unwelcome graces, and no longer ventured among
+strangers without the stamp of her approval upon his appearance. Only
+at home did he maintain what he considered a manly independence of
+speech and habit. To-day, therefore, found him in a favorite suit of
+baggy, wrinkled linen and with a week's stubble of beard upon his chin.
+He was so plainly an outdoor man that the air of erudition lent him by
+the pair of gold-rimmed spectacles owlishly perched upon his sunburned
+nose was strangely incongruous.
+
+"So you're a Ranger, and got notches on your gun." Blaze rolled and lit
+a tiny cigarette, scarcely larger than a wheat straw. "Well, you'd
+ought to make a right able thief-catcher, Dave, only for your
+size--you're too long for a man and you ain't long enough for a snake.
+Still, I reckon a thief would have trouble getting out of your reach,
+and once you got close to him--How many men have you killed?"
+
+"Counting Mexicans?" Law inquired, with a smile.
+
+"Hell! Nobody counts them."
+
+"Not many."
+
+"That's good." Blaze nodded and relit his cigarette, which he had
+permitted promptly to smolder out. "The Force ain't what it was. Most
+of the boys nowadays join so they can ride a horse cross-lots, pack a
+pair of guns, and give rein to the predilections of a vicious ancestry.
+They're bad rams, most of 'em."
+
+"There aren't many," said Paloma. "Dave tells me the whole Force has
+been cut down to sixteen."
+
+"That's plenty," her father averred. "It's like when Cap'n Bill
+McDonald was sent to stop a riot in Dallas. He came to town alone, and
+when the citizens asked him where his men was, he said, 'Hell! 'Ain't I
+enough? There's only one riot.' Are you workin' up a case, Dave?"
+
+"Um-m--yes! People are missing a lot of stock hereabouts."
+
+"It's these blamed refugees from the war! A Mexican has to steal
+something or he gets run down and pore. If it ain't stock, it's
+something else. Why, one morning I rode into Jonesville in time to see
+four Greasers walkin' down the main street with feed-sacks over their
+shoulders. Each one of those gunnie's had something long and flat and
+heavy in it, and I growed curious. When I investigated, what d'you
+suppose I found? Tombstones! That's right; four marble beauties fresh
+from the cemetery. Well, it made me right sore, for I'd helped to start
+Jonesville. I was its city father. I'd made the place fit to live in,
+and I aimed to keep it safe to die in, and so, bein' a sort of
+left-handed, self-appointed deppity-sheriff, I rounded up those ghouls
+and drove 'em to the county-seat in my spring wagon. I had the evidence
+propped up against the front of our real-estate office--'Sacred to the
+Memory' of four of our leading citizens--so I jailed 'em. But that's
+all the good it did."
+
+"Couldn't convict, eh?"
+
+Blaze lit his cigarette for the third time. "The prosecuting attorney
+and I wasn't very good friends, seeing as how I'd had to kill his
+daddy, so he turned 'em loose. I'm damned if those four Greasers didn't
+beat me back to Jonesville." Blaze shook his head ruminatively. "This
+was a hard country, those days. There wasn't but two honest men in this
+whole valley--and the other one was a nigger."
+
+Dave Law's duties as a Ranger rested lightly upon him; his instructions
+were vague, and he had a leisurely method of "working up" his evidence.
+Since he knew that Blaze possessed a thorough knowledge of this section
+and its people, it was partly business which had brought him to the
+Jones home this afternoon.
+
+Strictly speaking, Blaze was not a rancher, although many of his acres
+were under cultivation and he employed a sizable army of field-hands.
+His disposition was too adventurous, his life had been too swift and
+varied, for him to remain interested in slow agricultural pursuits;
+therefore, he had speculated heavily in raw lands, and for several
+years past he had devoted his energies to a gigantic colonization
+scheme. Originally Blaze had come to the Rio Grande valley as a
+stock-raiser, but the natural advantages of the country had appealed to
+his gambling instinct, and he had "gone broke" buying land.
+
+He had located, some fifteen miles below the borders of Las Palmas, and
+there he had sunk a large fortune; then as a first step in his
+colonization project he had founded the town of Jonesville. Next he had
+caused the branch line of the Frisco railroad to be extended until it
+linked his holdings with the main system, after which he had floated a
+big irrigation company; and now the feat of paying interest on its
+bonds and selling farms under the ditch to Northern people kept him
+fully occupied. It was by no means a small operation in which he was
+engaged. The venture had taken foresight, courage, infinite hard work;
+and Blaze was burdened with responsibilities that would have broken
+down a man of weaker fiber.
+
+But his pet relaxation was reminiscence. His own experience had been
+wide, he knew everybody in his part of the state, and although events
+in his telling were sometimes colored by his rich imagination, the
+information he could give was often of the greatest value--as Dave Law
+knew.
+
+After a time the latter said, casually, "Tell me something about Tad
+Lewis."
+
+Blaze looked up quickly. "What d'you want to know?"
+
+"Anything. Everything."
+
+"Tad owns a right nice ranch between here and Las Palmas," Blaze said,
+cautiously.
+
+Paloma broke out, impatiently: "Why don't you say what you think?" Then
+to Dave: "Tad Lewis is a bad neighbor, and always has been. There's a
+ford on his place, and we think he knows more about 'wet' cattle than
+he cares to tell."
+
+"It's a good place to cross stock at low water," her father agreed,
+"and Lewis's land runs back from the Rio Grande in its old Spanish
+form. It's a natural outlet for those brush-country ranchos. But I
+haven't anything against Tad except a natural dislike. He stands well
+with some of our best people, so I'm probably wrong. I usually am."
+
+"You can't call Ed Austin one of our best people," sharply objected
+Paloma. "They claim that arms are being smuggled across to the Rebels,
+Dave, and, if it's true, Ed Austin--"
+
+"Now, Paloma," her father remonstrated mildly. "The Regulars and the
+River Guards watched Lewis's ranch till the embargo was lifted, and
+they never saw anything."
+
+"I believe Austin is a strong Rebel sympathizer," Law ventured.
+
+"Sure! And him and the Lewis outfit are amigos. If you go pirootin'
+around Tad's place you're more'n apt to make yourself unpopular, Dave.
+I'd grieve some to see you in a wooden kimono. Tad's too well fixed to
+steal cattle, and if he runs arms it's because of his sympathy for
+those noble, dark-skinned patriots we hear so much about in Washington.
+Tad's a 'galvanized Gringo' himself--married a Mexican, you know."
+
+"Nobody pays much attention to the embargo," Law agreed. "I ran arms
+myself, before I joined the Force."
+
+When meal-time drew near, both Jones and his daughter urged their guest
+to stay and dine with them, and Dave was glad to accept.
+
+"After supper I'm going to show you our town," Blaze declared. "It's
+the finest city in South Texas, and growing like a weed. All we need is
+good farmers. Those we've got are mostly back-to-nature students who
+leaped a drug-counter expecting to 'light in the lap of luxury. In the
+last outfit we sold there wasn't three men that knew which end of a
+mule to put the collar on. But they'll learn. Nature's with 'em, and so
+am I. God supplies 'em with all the fresh air and sunshine they need,
+and when they want anything else they come to Old Blaze. Ain't that
+right, Paloma?"
+
+"Yes, father."
+
+Paloma Jones had developed wonderfully since Dave Law had last seen
+her. She had grown into a most wholesome and attractive young woman,
+with an unusually capable manner, and an honest, humorous pair of brown
+eyes. During dinner she did her part with a grace that made watching
+her a pleasure, and the Ranger found it a great treat to sit at her
+table after his strenuous scouting days in the mesquite.
+
+"I'm glad to hear Jonesville is prosperous," he told his host. "And
+they say you're in everything."
+
+"That's right; and prosperity's no name for it. Every-body wants Blaze
+to have a finger in the pie. I'm interested in the bank, the
+sugar-mill, the hardware-store, the ice-plant--Say, that ice-plant's a
+luxury for a town this size. D'you know what I made out of it last
+year?"
+
+"I've no idea."
+
+"Twenty-seven thousand dollars!" The father of Jonesville spoke
+proudly, impressively, and then through habit called upon his daughter
+for verification. "Didn't I, Paloma?"
+
+Miss Paloma's answer was unexpected, and came with equal emphasis: "No,
+you didn't, father. The miserable thing lost money."
+
+Blaze was only momentarily dismayed. Then he joined in his visitor's
+laughter. "How can a man get along without the co-operation of his own
+household?" he inquired, naively. "Maybe it was next year I was
+thinking about." Thereafter he confined himself to statements which
+required no corroboration.
+
+Dave had long since learned that to hold Blaze Jones to a strict
+accountability with fact was to rob his society of its greatest charm.
+A slavish accuracy in figures, an arid lack of imagination, reduces
+conversation to the insipidness of flat wine, and Blaze's talk was
+never dull. He was a keen, shrewd, practical man, but somewhere in his
+being there was concealed a tremendous, lop-sided sense of humor which
+took the form of a bewildering imagery. An attentive audience was
+enough for him, and, once his fancy was in full swing, there was no
+limit to his outrageous exaggerations. A light of credulity in a
+hearer's eye filled him with prodigious mirth, and it is doubtful if
+his listeners ever derived a fraction of the amusement from his
+fabrications that he himself enjoyed. Paloma's spirit of contradiction
+was the only fly in his ointment; now that his daughter was old enough
+to "keep books" on him, much of the story-teller's joy was denied him.
+
+Of course his proclivities occasionally led to misapprehensions; chance
+acquaintances who recognized him as an artful romancer were liable to
+consider him generally untruthful. But even in this misconception Blaze
+took a quiet delight, secure in the knowledge that all who knew him
+well regarded him as a rock of integrity. As a matter of fact, his
+genuine exploits were quite as sensational as those of his manufacture.
+
+When, after supper, Blaze had hitched a pair of driving-mules to his
+buckboard, preparatory to showing his guest the glories of Jonesville,
+Dave said:
+
+"Paloma's getting mighty pretty."
+
+"She's as pretty as a blue-bonnet flower," her father agreed. "And she
+runs me around something scandalous. I 'ain't got the freedom of a
+peon." Blaze sighed and shook his shaggy head. "You know me, Dave; I
+never used to be scared of nobody. Well, it's different now. She rides
+me with a Spanish bit, and my soul ain't my own." With a sudden
+lightening of his gloom, he added: "Say, you're going to stay right
+here with us as long as you're in town; I want you to see how I
+cringe." In spite of Blaze's plaintive tone it was patent that he was
+inordinately proud of Paloma and well content with his serfdom.
+
+Jonesville proved to be a typical Texas town of the modern variety, and
+altogether different to the pictured frontier village. There were no
+one-storied square fronts, no rows of saloons with well-gnawed
+hitching-rails, no rioting cowboys. On the contrary, the larger
+buildings were of artificial stone, the sidewalks of concrete, and the
+store fronts of plate-glass. Arc-lights shed a bluish-white glare over
+the wide street-crossings, and all in all the effect was much like that
+of a prosperous, orderly Northern farming town.
+
+Not that Jonesville would have filled an eye for beauty. It was too new
+and crude and awkward for that. It fitted loosely into its clothes, for
+its citizens had patterned it with regard for the future, and it
+sprawled over twice its legitimate area. But to its happy founder it
+seemed well-nigh perfect, and its destiny roused his maddest
+enthusiasm. He showed Dave the little red frame railroad station,
+distinguished in some mysterious way above the hundred thousand other
+little red frame railroad stations of the identical size and style; he
+pointed out the Odd Fellows Hall, the Palace Picture Theater, with its
+glaring orange lights and discordant electric piano; he conducted Law
+to the First National Bank, of which Blaze was a proud but somewhat
+ornamental director; then to the sugar-mill, the ice-plant, and other
+points of equally novel interest.
+
+Everywhere he went, Jones was hailed by friends, for everybody seemed
+to know him and to want to shake his hand.
+
+"SOME town and SOME body of men, eh?" he inquired, finally, and Dave
+agreed:
+
+"Yes. She's got a grand framework, Blaze. She'll be most as big as Fort
+Worth when you fatten her up."
+
+Jones waved his buggy-whip in a wide circle that took in the miles of
+level prairie on all sides. "We've got the whole blamed state to grow
+in. And, Dave, I haven't got an enemy in the place! It wasn't many
+years ago that certain people allowed I'd never live to raise this
+town. Why, it used to be that nobody dared to ride with me--except
+Paloma, and she used to sleep with a shot-gun at her bedside."
+
+"You sure have been a responsibility to her."
+
+"But I'm as safe now as if I was in church."
+
+Law ventured to remark that none of Blaze's enemies had grown fat in
+prosecuting their feuds, but this was a subject which the elder man
+invariably found embarrassing, and now he said:
+
+"Pshaw! I never was the blood-letter people think. I'm as gentle as a
+sheep." Then to escape further curiosity on that point he suggested
+that they round out their riotous evening with a game of pool.
+
+Law boasted a liberal education, but he was no match for the father of
+Jonesville, who wielded a cue with a dexterity born of years of
+devotion to the game. In consequence, Blaze's enjoyment was in a fair
+way to languish when the proprietor of the Elite Billiard Parlor
+returned from supper to say:
+
+"Mr. Jones, there's a real good pool-player in town, and he wants to
+meet you."
+
+Blaze uttered a triumphant cry. "Get him, quick! Send the brass-band to
+bring him. Dave, you hook your spurs over the rung of a chair and watch
+your uncle clean this tenderfoot. If he's got class, I'll make him
+mayor of the town, for a good pool-shooter is all this metropolis
+lacks. Why, sometimes I go plumb to San Antone for a game." He
+whispered in his friend's ear, "Paloma don't let me gamble, but if
+you've got any dinero, get it down on me." Then, addressing the
+bystanders, he proclaimed, "Boys, if this pilgrim is good enough to
+stretch me out we'll marry him off and settle him down."
+
+"No chance, Uncle Blaze; he's the most married person in town," some
+one volunteered. "His wife is the new dressmaker--and she's got a
+mustache." For some reason this remark excited general mirth.
+
+"That's too bad. I never saw but one woman with a mustache, and she
+licked me good. If he's yoked up to that kind of a lady, I allow his
+nerves will be wrecked before he gets here. I hope to God he ain't
+entirely done for." Blaze ran the last three balls from a well-nigh
+impossible position, then racked up the whole fifteen with trembling
+eagerness and eyed the door expectantly. He was wiping his spectacles
+when the proprietor returned with a slim, sallow man whom he introduced
+as Mr. Strange.
+
+"Welcome to our city!" Blaze cried, with a flourish of his glasses.
+"Get a prod, Mr. Strange, and bust 'em, while I clean my wind-shields.
+These fellow-townsmen of mine handle a cue like it was an ox-gad."
+
+Mr. Strange selected a cue, studied the pyramid for an instant, then
+called the three ball for the upper left-hand corner, and pocketed it,
+following which he ran the remaining fourteen. Blaze watched this
+procedure near-sightedly, and when the table was bare he thumped his
+cue loudly upon the floor. He beamed upon his opponent; he appeared
+ready to embrace him.
+
+"Bueno! There's art, science, and natural aptitude! Fly at 'em again,
+Mr. Strange, and take your fill." He finished polishing his spectacles,
+and readjusted them. "I aim to make you so comfortable in Jonesville
+that---" Blaze paused, he started, and a peculiar expression crept over
+his face.
+
+It seemed to Law that his friend actually turned pale; at any rate, his
+mouth dropped open and his gaze was no longer hypnotically following
+the pool-balls, but was fixed upon his opponent.
+
+Now there were chapters in the life of Blaze Jones that had never been
+fully written, and it occurred to Dave that such a one had been
+suddenly reopened; therefore he prepared himself for some kind of an
+outburst. But Blaze appeared to be numbed; he even jumped nervously
+when Mr. Strange missed a shot and advised him that his chance had come.
+
+As water escapes from a leaky pail, so had Jones's fondness for pool
+oozed away, and with it had gone his accustomed skill. He shot blindly,
+and, much to the general surprise, missed an easy attempt.
+
+"Can't expect to get 'em all," comfortingly observed Mr. Strange as he
+executed a combination that netted him two balls and broke the bunch.
+After that he proved the insincerity of his statement by clearing the
+cloth for a second time. The succeeding frames went much the same, and
+finally Blaze put up his cue, mumbling:
+
+"I reckon I must have another chill coming on. My feet are plumb dead."
+
+"Cold feet are sure bad." Strange favored the crowd with a wink.
+
+"I'm sort of sick."
+
+"That's tough!" the victor exclaimed, regretfully. "But I'll tell you
+what we'll do--we'll take a little look into the future."
+
+"What d'you mean?"
+
+"Simply this: Nature has favored me with second sight and the ability
+to read fortunes. I foretell good an' evil, questions of love and
+mattermony by means of numbers, cards, dice, dominoes, apple-parings,
+egg-shells, tea-leaves, an' coffee-grounds." The speaker's voice had
+taken on the brazen tones of a circus barker. "I pro'nosticate by
+charms, ceremonies, omens, and moles; by the features of the face,
+lines of the hand, spots an' blemishes of the skin. I speak the
+language of flowers. I know one hundred and eighty-seven weather signs,
+and I interpet dreams. Now, ladies and gents, this is no idle boast.
+Triflin' incidents, little marks on the cuticle, although they appear
+to be the effect of chance, are nevertheless of the utmost consequence,
+an' to the skilled interpeter they foretell the temper of, an' the
+events that will happen to, the person bearin' 'em. Now let us take
+this little deck of common playing-cards---"
+
+The monologist, suiting the action to the word, conjured a deck of
+cards from somewhere, and extended them to Blaze. "Select one; any
+one---"
+
+"Hell!" snorted Jones, slipping into his coat.
+
+"You are a skeptic! Very well. I convince nobody against his will. But
+wait! You have a strong face. Stand where you are." Extracting from
+another pocket a tiny pair of scissors and a sheet of carbon paper, Mr.
+Strange, with the undivided attention of the audience upon him, began
+to cut Blaze's silhouette. He was extraordinarily adept, and despite
+his subject's restlessness he completed the likeness in a few moments;
+then, fixing it upon a plain white cardboard, he presented it with a
+flourish.
+
+Blaze accepted the thing and plunged for the open air.
+
+
+
+
+IX
+
+A SCOUTING TRIP
+
+
+"What ails you?" Law inquired as he and Blaze rolled away in the
+buckboard.
+
+"Serves me right for leaving my six-shooter at home," panted the
+rancher. "Well, I might have known they'd find me some day."
+
+"'They'? Who?"
+
+"That hombre and his wife--the woman with the mustache. They swore
+they'd get me, and it looks like they will, for I daresn't raise my
+hand to protect myself."
+
+This was very mystifying to Dave, and he said so.
+
+"The woman'll recognize me, quick enough," Blaze asserted, and then,
+"God knows what Paloma will do."
+
+"Really! Is it that bad?"
+
+"It's a vile story, Dave, and I never expected to tell anybody; but
+it's bound to come out on me now, so you better hear my side. Last
+summer I attended a convention at Galveston, and one hot day I decided
+to take a swim, so I hired a suit and a room to cache my six-shooter
+in. It was foolish proceedings for a man my age, but the beach was
+black with people and I wasn't altogether myself. You see, we'd had an
+open poker game running in my room for three days, and I hadn't got any
+sleep. I was plumb feverish, and needed a dip. Well, I'm no water-dog,
+Dave; I can't swim no better than a tarrapin with its legs cut off, but
+I sloshed around some in the surf, and then I took a walk to dreen off
+and see the sights. It was right interesting when I got so I could tell
+the women from the men--you see I'd left my glasses in the bath-house.
+
+"Now I'd sort of upheld the general intemperance of that poker game for
+three days and nights--but I don't offer my condition as an excuse for
+what follows. No gentleman ought to lay his indecencies onto John
+Barley corn when they're nothing more nor less than the outcroppin's of
+his own orneriness. Liquor has got enough to answer for without being
+blamed for human depravities. I dare say I was friendlier than I had
+any right to be; I spoke to strangers, and some of the girls hollered
+at me, but I wouldn't have harmed a soul.
+
+"Well, in the course of my promenade I came to a couple of fellers
+setting half-buried in the sand, and just as I was passing one of them
+got up--sort of on all-fours and--er--facing away from me--sabe? That's
+where the trouble hatched. I reached out and, with nothing but
+good-will in my heart, I--sort of pinched this party-sort of on the
+hip, or thereabouts. I didn't mean a thing by it, Dave. I just walked
+on, smiling, till something run into me from behind. When I got up and
+squared around, there was that man we just left cutting didos out of
+black paper.
+
+"'What d'you mean by pinching my wife?' he says, and he was r'arin' mad.
+
+"'Your WIFE?' I stammers, and with that he climbs me. Dave, I was weak
+with shame and surprise, and all I could do was hold him off. Sure
+enough, the man I'd pinched was a long, ga'nt woman with a little black
+mustache, and here she came!
+
+"We started in right there. I never saw such a poisonous person as that
+woman. She was coiled, her head was up, and her rattles agoing, and so
+I finally lit out But I'm sort of fat, and they over-ran me. They bayed
+me against the sea-wall, and all I had the heart to do was to hold 'em
+off some more. Soon as I got my wind I shook 'em off a second time and
+run some more, but they downed me. By that time we'd begun to gather
+quite a crowd. ...
+
+"Dave, was you ever treed by wild hogs? That's how them two people kept
+after me. You'd have thought I'd deprived 'em of their young. I didn't
+want to hurt 'em, but whenever I'd run they'd tangle my legs. By and by
+I got so short of breath that I couldn't run, so I fell on top of the
+man. But the woman got me by the legs and rolled me under. I busted out
+and hoofed it again, but they caught me and down we went, me on top.
+Then that man's helpmate grabbed my legs and rolled me over, like she
+did before. Finally I got too tired to do anything but paw like a
+puppy. It seems like we must have fought that way all the morning,
+Dave. Anyhow, people gathered from long distances and cheered the
+woman. I got desperate toward the last, and I unraveled the right hip
+of my bathing suit grabbing for my gun. I couldn't see the bath-house
+for the sand in my eyes, so I must have led 'em up across the boulevard
+and into the tent colony, for after a while we were rolling around
+among tent-pegs and tangling up in guy-ropes, and all the time our
+audience was growing. Dave, those tent-ropes sounded like guitar
+strings."
+
+Blaze paused to wipe the sweat from his brow, whereupon his listener
+inquired in a choking voice:
+
+"How did you come out?"
+
+"I reckon I'd have got shed of 'em somehow, for I was resting up on top
+of my man, but that stinging lizard of a woman got her claws into the
+neck of my bathing-suit and r'ared back on it. Dave, she skinned me out
+of that garment the way you'd skin out an eel, and--there I was! You
+never heard such a yelling as went up. And I didn't hear all of it,
+either, for I just laid back my ears and went through those sight-seers
+like a jack-rabbit. I never knew a man could run like I did. I could
+hear people holler, 'Here he comes,' 'There he goes,' 'Yonder he went,'
+but I was never headed. I hurdled the sea-wall like an antelope, and
+before they got eyes on me I was into my bath-house.
+
+"When I'd got dressed, I sneaked up to the Galvez for a drink. In the
+bar were a lot of stockmen, and they asked me where I'd been. I told
+'em I'd been nursing a sick lodge member, and they said:
+
+"'Too bad! You missed the damnedest fight since Custer was licked. We
+couldn't get very close, for the jam, but it was great!'
+
+"The story went all over Galveston. The husband swore he'd kill the man
+who attacked his wife, and the newspapers called on the police to
+discover the ruffian."
+
+There was a protracted silence; then Law controlled his voice
+sufficiently to say: "It's fortunate he didn't recognize you to-night."
+
+"Maybe he did. Anyhow, his wife is the new dressmaker Paloma's hired. I
+'ain't got a chance, Dave. That story will ruin me in the community,
+and Paloma will turn me out when she learns I'm a--a lady-pincher."
+
+"What are you going to do about it?"
+
+Blaze sighed. "I don't know, yet. Probably I'll end by running from
+those scorpions, like I did before."
+
+ The next morning at breakfast Paloma announced, "Father, you must
+help Dave hunt down these cattle thieves."
+
+"Ain't that sort of a big order?" Blaze queried.
+
+"Perhaps, but you're the very man to do it. Ricardo Guzman is the only
+person who knows the Lewis gang as well as you do."
+
+Jones shook his head doubtfully. "Don Ricardo has been working up his
+own private feud with that outfit. If I was the kind that went looking
+for a fight, I wouldn't have paid freight on myself from the Panhandle
+down here. I could have got one right at home, any morning before
+breakfast."
+
+"Ricardo Guzman is something of a black sheep himself," Law spoke up.
+
+"Pshaw! He's all right. I reckon he has changed a few brands in his
+time, but so has everybody else. Why, that's how 'Old Ed' Austin got
+his start. If a cowman tells you he never stole anything, he's either a
+dam' good liar or a dam' bad roper. But Ricardo's going straight enough
+now."
+
+"He has lost his share of stock," Paloma explained, "and he'll work
+with you if father asks him. You go along with Dave---"
+
+"I'm too busy," Blaze demurred, "and I ain't feeling good. I had bad
+dreams all night."
+
+"I don't want you around here this morning. That new dressmaker is
+coming."
+
+Jones rose abruptly from the table. "I reckon my business can wait.
+Hustle up, Dave." A few moments later, as they were saddling their
+horses, he lamented: "What did I tell you? Here I go, on the dodge from
+a dressmaker. I s'pose I've got to live like a road-agent now, till
+something happens."
+
+ Don Ricardo Guzman was an American, but he spoke no English. An
+accident of birth had made him a citizen of the United States--his
+father having owned a ranch which lay north instead of south of the Rio
+Grande. Inasmuch as the property had fallen to Ricardo, his sons, too,
+were Yankees in the eyes of the law. But in all other respects Don
+Ricardo and his family differed not at all from the many Guzmans who
+lived across the border. The Guzman ranch comprised a goodly number of
+acres, and, since live stock multiply rapidly, its owner had in some
+sort prospered. On the bank of a resaca---a former bed of the Rio
+Grande--stood the house, an adobe structure, square, white, and
+unprotected from the sun by shrub or tree. Behind it were some brush
+corrals and a few scattered mud jacals, in which lived the help.
+
+Ricardo had just risen from a siesta when his two visitors rode up, and
+he made them welcome with the best he had. There followed a
+complimentary exchange of greetings and the usual flow of small talk.
+Ricardo had suffered a severe toothache--the same abominable affliction
+that had lost Porfirio Diaz an empire. It had been a dry spring, but,
+praise God, the water still held in the resaca--his two sons were
+branding calves in one of the outer pastures--and there had been a very
+good calf crop indeed. Blaze recounted his own doings; Law told of
+Ranger activities along the lower border. In the cool of the afternoon
+Ricardo rode with his visitors, and then, cordial relations being now
+established, he began to divulge information of value to Law.
+
+Yes, he had endured many depredations from thieves. It was shameful,
+but doubtless God willed that a certain amount of stealing should go on
+in the world. The evil-doers were certainly favored by nature, in this
+locality, for the great expanse of brush country to the north and east
+offered almost perfect security, and the river, to the south, gave
+immunity from pursuit or prosecution. The beeves were driven north into
+the wilderness, but the horses went to Mexico, where the war had
+created a market for them. The Federals had plenty of money to buy
+mounts.
+
+Whom did Don Ricardo suspect?
+
+The old man was non-committal. Suspicion was one thing, proof was quite
+another; and conviction was difficult under the best of circumstances.
+Why, even a cow's recognition of her own calf was not evidence for a
+court, and alibis were easily proven. Unless the thieves were caught in
+the very act there was no case against them, and--por Dios!--one could
+not be for ever on guard. Who could tell where the malefactors would
+strike next? Now, in Mexico one could afford to kill an undesirable
+neighbor without so much formality. But, thank God! Don Ricardo was not
+a Mexican. No, he was a good American citizen. It was something to make
+him sleep well in these war-times.
+
+"Just the same, I'll bet he'd sleep better if the Lewis outfit was
+cleaned up," Dave ventured, and Blaze agreed.
+
+Guzman caught his enemy's name and nodded.
+
+"Ah! That sin verguenza! He sells arms to the Candeleristas and horses
+to the Potosistas. Perhaps he steals my calves. Who knows?"
+
+"Señor Lewis doesn't need to steal. He has money," Jones argued.
+
+"True! But who is so rich that he would not be richer? Lewis employs
+men who are poor, and he himself is above nothing. I, too, am a friend
+of the Rebels. Panchito, the Liberator, was a saint, and I give money
+to the patriots who fight for his memory. But I do not aid the tyrant
+Potosi with my other hand. Yes, and who is richer, for instance, than
+Señor Eduardo Austin?"
+
+"You surely don't accuse him of double-dealing with the Rebels?" Blaze
+inquired, curiously.
+
+"I don't know. He is a friend of Tad Lewis, and there are strange
+stories afloat."
+
+Just what these stories were, however, Ricardo would not say, feeling,
+perhaps, that he had already said too much.
+
+The three men spent that evening together, and in the morning Blaze
+rode home, leaving the Ranger behind for the time being as Guzman's
+guest.
+
+Dave put in the next two days riding the pastures, familiarizing
+himself with the country, and talking with the few men he met. About
+all he discovered, however, was the fact that the Guzman range not only
+adjoined some of Lewis's leased land, but also was bounded for several
+miles by the Las Palmas fence.
+
+It was pleasant to spend the days among the shy brush-cattle, with
+Bessie Belle for company. The mare seemed to enjoy the excursions as
+much as her owner. Her eyes and ears were ever alert; she tossed her
+head and snorted when a deer broke cover or a jack-rabbit scuttled out
+of her path; she showed a friendly interest in the awkward calves which
+stood and eyed her with such amazement and then galloped stiffly off
+with tails high arched.
+
+Law had many times undertaken to break Bessie Belle of that habit of
+flinging her head high at sudden sounds, but she was nervous and
+inquisitive, and this was the one thing upon which she maintained a
+feminine obstinacy.
+
+On the second evening the Ranger rode home through a drizzle that had
+materialized after a long, threatening afternoon and now promised to
+become a real rain. Ricardo met him at the door to say:
+
+"You bring good fortune with you, señor, for the land is thirsty.
+To-morrow, if this rain holds, we shall ride together--you, Pedro, and
+I. Those thieves do their stealing when they leave no tracks."
+
+Raoul, the younger son, volunteered to go in place of his father, but
+Ricardo would not hear of it.
+
+"Am I so old that I must lie abed?" he cried. "No! We three shall ride
+the fences, and if we encounter a cut wire--diablo!--we shall have a
+story to tell, eh?"
+
+The sky was leaden, the rain still fell in the morning when Dave and
+his two companions set out. Until noon they rode, their slickers
+dripping, their horses steaming; then they ate an uncomfortable lunch
+under the thickest hackberry-tree they could find, after which they
+resumed their patrol. Ricardo's tongue at length ran down under this
+discomfort, and the three riders sat their saddles silently, swaying to
+the tireless fox-trot of their horses, their eyes engaged in a watchful
+scrutiny.
+
+At last Pedro, who was ahead, reined in and pointed; the others saw
+where the barbed-wire strands of the fence they had been following were
+clipped. A number of horse and calf tracks led through the opening, and
+after an examination Ricardo announced:
+
+"There are two men. They have come and gone, with the calves tied neck
+and neck."
+
+"That is Las Palmas, isn't it?" Law indicated the pasture into which
+the trail led.
+
+Father and son answered, "Si, señor."
+
+For a time the Ranger lounged sidewise in his saddle, studying the
+country before him. The land was open and comparatively flat; it was
+broken by tiny clumps of mesquite and low, sprawling beds of cactus.
+Perhaps a half-mile away, however, began a long, narrow patch of woods,
+with the tops of occasional oaks showing, and this ran parallel with
+the fence for a considerable distance.
+
+"They took them in yonder, to brand," he said, straightening himself.
+"Maybe we'll be in time."
+
+Side by side the three men rode off Guzman's land, following the tracks
+to the nearest point of woods; there Law stopped to give his directions.
+
+"Pedro, you ride down this side; Ricardo, you skirt the outside. I
+shall keep to the middle. Walk your horses, for I shall go slowly." He
+slipped his carbine from its scabbard; the others did the same.
+
+But Dave's plan did not commend itself to Ricardo; the old man's face
+puckered into an expression of doubt, and, removing his hat, he ran a
+hand over his wiry, short-cropped, white hair.
+
+"Señor," he protested, "I know something about these men, and they will
+not wait to learn that you are an officer. Perhaps I had better ride
+with you."
+
+But Law declined the well-meant offer, and with a dubious shake of the
+head Ricardo rode away, while Dave guided Bessie Belle into the grove.
+
+The mare seemed to know that something unusual was afoot. Perhaps some
+nervous tensity of her rider made itself felt, perhaps with equine
+sagacity she had understood from the first the nature of this scouting
+expedition. Dave was inclined to believe the latter--he had often
+averred that Bessie Belle knew quite as much as or more than he. At any
+rate she picked her way with admirable care, her hoofs made almost no
+sound upon the wet soil; only the complaint of the saddle leathers or
+the swish of a wet branch rose above the steady patter of the
+raindrops. It was not necessary to guide her; she selected the openings
+of her own free will, her small, sharp ears were alert, and her eyes
+searched the glades intently.
+
+Dave smiled at this excess of caution and stroked Bessie Belle's wet
+neck encouragingly, whereupon she turned her head and it seemed to the
+rider that she nodded her complete understanding. Law could have kissed
+her.
+
+
+
+
+X
+
+A RANGER'S HORSE
+
+
+Onward through the dense foliage the two friends wound. Now and then
+they stopped to listen, but the rain was heavy enough to drown all
+other noises. Encountering fresh tracks finally, Dave leaned from his
+saddle and studied them. What he saw caused him to push forward with no
+diminution of stealth.
+
+He had gone perhaps half a mile when Bessie Belle raised her head, and
+he noted that her nostrils were working sensitively. A few yards
+farther on Law fancied that he could detect the smell of a wood fire.
+Almost without a signal from him the mare halted in her tracks until he
+had satisfied himself. Still farther along they came to a place where
+the brush was low, and there, rising through the tree-tops beyond, they
+saw a wavering plume of blue smoke.
+
+The Ranger rode into sight of the branding-fire with his Winchester
+across his saddle-horn and his thumb upon the hammer; what followed
+came with almost the blinding suddenness of a lightning crash, though
+afterward the events of that crowded moment lingered as a clear-cut
+memory. First there was the picture of a sandy glade in the center of
+which burned a fire with branding-irons in it, and a spotted calf tied
+to a tree, but otherwise no sign of life. Then, without warning, Bessie
+Belle threw up her head in that characteristic trick of hers, and
+simultaneously Dave saw a figure rise out of the grass at his left with
+rifle leveled. The Ranger remembered afterward the odd foreshortening
+of the weapon and the crooked twist of the face behind it. With the
+first jerk of his horse's head his own gun had leaped to his
+shoulder--he was not conscious of having willed it to do so--and even
+as he pressed the trigger he beheld a jet of smoke spurt from the
+muzzle aimed at him. With the kick of his carbine he felt Bessie Belle
+give way--it seemed to Dave that he shot while she was sinking. The
+next instant his feet, still in the stirrups, were on the ground and
+his horse lay between them, motionless. That nervous fling of her head
+had saved Dave's life, for the rustler's bullet had shattered her skull
+in its flight, and she lay prone, with scarcely a muscular twitch, so
+sudden had been her end. The breath escaped slowly from her lungs; it
+was as if she heaved a lingering sigh; one leg contracted and then
+relaxed.
+
+For a moment the Ranger was dazed. He stood staring down at his pet;
+then the truth engulfed him. He realized that he had ridden her to her
+death, and at the thought he became like a woman bereft of her child,
+like a lover who had seen his sweetheart slain.
+
+A shout--it was a hoarse, inarticulate cry; a swift, maddened scrutiny
+that searched the sodden scene of the ambush; then he was down beside
+the mare, calling her name heartbrokenly, his arms around her neck, his
+face against her warm, wet, velvet hide.
+
+Law knew that two men had entered the thicket, and therefore one still
+remained to be reckoned with, but he gave no thought to that. Nor did
+he rise to look after the grotesquely huddled figure that had been a
+cattle thief only a moment before--both he and his assailant had been
+too close to miss. From the corner of his eye he could see a pair of
+boot-soles staring at him out of the grass, and they told him there was
+no need for investigation. Near the body he heard a calf stirring, but
+he let it struggle.
+
+Bessie Belle's bright eyes were glazing; she did not hear her lover's
+voice. Her muzzle, softer than any satin, was loose, her lips would
+never twitch with that clumsy, quivering caress which pleased her
+master so. One front hoof, washed as clean as agate, was awkwardly bent
+under her, the other had plowed a furrow in the soft earth as she sank,
+and against this leg her head lay tipped.
+
+Don Ricardo and his son burst out of the brush from opposite directions
+almost at the same moment, to find the Ranger with his face buried in
+his horse's mane.
+
+"Caramba! What is this?" The old man flung himself from the saddle and
+came running. "You are injured?"
+
+Pedro, too, bent over the officer, his brown face pale with
+apprehension. "Mother of God!" breathed the latter. "It was a wild
+thing to do, to ride alone---"
+
+"I'm all right," Law said, rising stiffly, whereupon both Mexicans
+voiced their relief.
+
+"The saints be praised!"
+
+"Si! What happened? There was a shot! Did you see nothing?"
+
+Law jerked his head in the direction of the fallen man at his back, and
+Pedro uttered a loud cry.
+
+"Look!" Father and son ran through the grass, then recoiled and broke
+into a jargon of oaths and exclamations.
+
+Law followed them with his eyes. "Is he dead?" he inquired, coldly.
+
+"God! Yes."
+
+"Right in the mouth! The fellow was in hell before he realized it."
+
+"See! It is as we thought, Pedro; one of Lewis's! Tse! Tse! Tse! What a
+sight!"
+
+"Who is he?" queried the officer.
+
+"Pino Garza, one of the worst!" chimed the two Guzmans.
+
+Ricardo was dancing in his excitement. "I told you that Lewis knew
+something. The other one got past me, but he rode like the devil, and I
+cannot shoot like--this."
+
+"Wait!" exclaimed Pedro. "This is beyond my understanding. I heard but
+one shot from here, then after an instant my father's gun. And yet here
+is a dead horse and a dead man."
+
+"This fellow and I fired at about the same instant," Dave explained,
+but even when he had related the history of the encounter his
+companions could scarcely believe that such quick shooting was possible.
+
+It was difficult to secure a connected story from Ricardo, but he
+finally made it plain that at the first report the other thief had
+fled, exposing himself only long enough for the old man to take a quick
+shot in his direction. Ricardo had missed, and the miscreant was
+doubtless well away by this time. He had ridden a sorrel horse, that
+was all Ricardo could remember.
+
+Law looked only briefly at the gruesome results of his marksmanship,
+then he turned back to the body of his beloved mare. Ricardo noticed at
+length that he was crying; as the Ranger knelt beside the dead
+thoroughbred the old Mexican whispered to his son:
+
+"Valgame Dios! This is a strange fellow. He weeps like a woman. He must
+have loved that horse as a man loves his wife. Who can understand these
+Gringos?" After a time he approached cautiously and inquired: "What
+shall we do with this hombre, señor? Pedro has found his horse."
+
+Law roused himself. With his own hands he gently removed Bessie Belle's
+saddle, bridle, and blanket, then he gave his orders.
+
+"I'll take your horse, Ricardo, and you take--that fellow's. Get a
+wagon and move him to Jonesville."
+
+"And you?"
+
+"I'm going to follow that man on the sorrel."
+
+The dead man's saddle was left beside the body; then when the exchange
+of mounts had been effected and all was ready, Law made a request that
+amazed both father and son.
+
+"If I'm not back by morning, I want you to bury my mare." His voice
+broke; he turned away his face. "Bury her deep, Ricardo, so--the
+coyotes can't dig her up; right here where she fell. I'll be back to
+see that it's done right. Understand?"
+
+"Bueno! I understand perfectly. She was a pretty horse. She was
+your--bonita, eh? Well, you have a big heart, señor, as a brave man
+should have. Everything shall be done as you wish; I give you my hand
+on it." Ricardo reached down and gripped Law's palm. "We will name our
+pasture for her, too, because it is plain you loved her dearly. So,
+then, until to-morrow."
+
+Law watched his two friends ride away, then he wiped his Winchester and
+saw to his cinch. This done he raised Bessie Belle's head and kissed
+the lip that had so often explored his palm for sugar. With a miserable
+ache in his throat he mounted and rode off to pick up the trail of the
+man on the sorrel pony.
+
+Fortunately this was not difficult, for the tracks of a running horse
+are plain in soft ground. Finding where his quarry had broken cover,
+Law set out at a lope.
+
+The fellow had ridden in a wide semicircle at first, then, finding he
+was not pursued, he had slackened pace, and, in consequence, the signs
+became more difficult to follow. They seemed to lead in the direction
+of Las Palmas, which Dave judged must be fully twelve miles away, and
+when they continued to maintain this course the Ranger became doubly
+interested. Could it be, he asked himself, that his quarry would have
+the audacity to ride to the Austin headquarters? If so, his
+identification promised to become easy, for a man on a sorrel cow-pony
+was more than likely to be observed. Perhaps he thought himself secure
+and counted upon the assistance of some friend or confederate among the
+Las Palmas ranch-hands in case of pursuit. That seemed not
+unreasonable, particularly inasmuch as he could have no suspicion that
+it was a Ranger who was on his trail.
+
+Dave lost the hoof-prints for a time, but picked them up again at the
+pasture gate a few miles farther on, and was able to trace them far
+enough to assure himself that his quarry was indeed headed for the
+Austin house and had no intention of swinging southward toward the
+Lewis headquarters.
+
+By this time the rain had done its work, and to follow the tracks
+became a matter of guesswork. Night was coming on also, and Dave
+realized that at this rate darkness would find him far from his goal.
+Therefore he risked his own interpretation of the rider's intent and
+pushed on without pausing to search out the trail step by step. At the
+second gate the signs indicated that his man was little more than an
+hour ahead of him.
+
+The prospect of again seeing the ruddy-haired mistress of Las Palmas
+stirred Law more deeply than he cared to admit. Alaire Austin had been
+seldom out of his thoughts since their first meeting, for, after the
+fashion of men cut off from human society, he was subject to insistent
+fancies. Dave had many times lived over those incidents at the
+water-hole, and for the life of him he could not credit the common
+stories of Alaire's coldness. To him, at least, she had appeared very
+human, and after they had once become acquainted she had been
+unaffected and friendly.
+
+Since that meeting Dave had picked up considerable information about
+the object of his interest, and although much of this was palpably
+false, it had served to make her a still more romantic figure in his
+eyes. Alaire now seemed to be a sort of superwoman, and the fact that
+she was his friend, that something deep within her had answered to him,
+afforded him a keen satisfaction, the greater, perhaps, because of his
+surprise that it could be so. Nevertheless, he was uncomfortably aware
+that she had a husband. Not only so, but the sharp contrast in their
+positions was disagreeable to contemplate; she was unbelievably rich,
+and a person of influence in the state, while he had nothing except his
+health, his saddle, and his horse---
+
+With a desperate pang Law realized that now he had no horse. Bessie
+Belle, his best beloved, lay cold and wet back yonder in the weeping
+mesquite. He found several cubes of sugar in his pocket, and with an
+oath flung them from him. Don Ricardo's horse seemed stiff-gaited and
+stubborn.
+
+Dave remembered how Mrs. Austin had admired the mare. No doubt she
+would grieve at the fate that had befallen her, and that would give
+them something to talk about. His own escape would interest her, too,
+and--Law realized, not without some natural gratification, that he
+would appear to her as a sort of hero.
+
+The mist and an early dusk prevented him from seeing Las Palmas itself
+until he was well in among the irrigated fields. A few moments later
+when he rode up to the out-buildings he encountered a middle-aged
+Mexican who proved to be Benito Gonzalez, the range boss.
+
+Dave made himself known, and Benito answered his questions with
+apparent honesty. No, he had seen nothing of a sorrel horse or a
+strange rider, but he had just come in himself. Doubtless they could
+learn more from Juan, the horse-wrangler, who was somewhere about.
+
+Juan was finally found, but he proved strangely recalcitrant. At first
+he knew nothing, though after some questioning he admitted the
+possibility that he had seen a horse of the description given, but was
+not sure. More pressure brought forth the reluctant admission that the
+possibility was almost a certainty.
+
+"What horse was it?" Benito inquired; but the lad was non-committal.
+Probably it belonged to some stranger. Juan could not recollect just
+where or when he had seen the pony, and he was certain he had not laid
+eyes upon the owner.
+
+"Devil take the boy! He's half-witted," Benito growled.
+
+But Dave changed his tactics. "Oiga!" he said, sternly. "Do you want to
+go to jail?" Juan had no such desire. "Then tell the truth. Was the
+horse branded?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+"With what brand?"
+
+Juan had not noticed.
+
+"With the 'K.T.' perhaps?" That was the Lewis brand.
+
+"Perhaps!"
+
+"Where is it now?"
+
+Juan insolently declared that he didn't know and didn't care.
+
+"Oh, you don't, eh?" Law reached for the boy and shook him until he
+yelled. "You will make a nice little prisoner, Juanito, and we shall
+find a way to make you speak."
+
+Gonzalez was inclined to resent such high-handed treatment of his
+underling, but respect for the Rangers was deep-rooted, and Juan's
+behavior was inexplicable.
+
+At last the horse-boy confessed. He had seen both horse and rider, but
+knew neither. Mr. Austin and the stranger had arrived together, and the
+latter had gone on. That was the truth.
+
+"Bueno!" Law released his prisoner, who slunk away rubbing his
+shoulder. "Now, Benito, we will find Mr. Austin."
+
+A voice answered from the dusk: "He won't take much finding," and Ed
+Austin himself emerged from the stable door. "Well, what do you want?"
+he asked.
+
+"You are Mr. Austin, I reckon?"
+
+"I am. What d'you mean by abusing my help?" The master of Las Palmas
+approached so near that his threatening scowl was visible. "I don't
+allow strangers to prowl around my premises."
+
+Amazed at this hostile greeting, Law explained in a word the reason for
+his presence.
+
+"I don't know anything about your man. What d'you want him for, and who
+are you?"
+
+Dave introduced himself. "I want him for stealing Guzman calves. I
+trailed him from where he and his partner cut into your south pasture."
+
+Benito stirred and muttered an oath, but Austin was unmoved. "I reckon
+you must be a bad trailer," he laughed. "We've got no thieves here.
+What makes you think Guzman lost any calves?"
+
+Dave's temper, never too well controlled at best, began to rise. He
+could not imagine why a person of Ed Austin's standing should behave in
+this extraordinary manner, unless perhaps he was drunk.
+
+"Well, I saw the calves, and I left the fellow that was branding them
+with a wet saddle-blanket over his face."
+
+"Eh? What's that?" Austin started, and Gonzalez uttered a smothered
+exclamation. "You killed him? He's dead?"
+
+"Dead enough to skin. I caught him with his irons in the fire and the
+calves necked up in your pasture. Now I want his companero."
+
+"I--hope you don't think we know anything about him," Ed protested.
+
+"Where's that man on the sorrel horse?"
+
+Austin turned away with a shrug.
+
+"You rode in with him," Dave persisted.
+
+Ed wheeled quickly. "How do you know I did?"
+
+"Your boy saw you."
+
+The ranchman's voice was harsh as he said: "Look here, my friend,
+you're on the wrong track. The fellow I was with had nothing to do with
+this affair. Would you know your man? Did you get a look at him?"
+
+"No. But I reckon Don Ricardo could tell his horse."
+
+"Humph!" Austin grunted, disagreeably. "So just for that you come
+prowling around threatening my help, eh? Trying to frame up a case,
+maybe? Well, it don't go. I was out with one of Tad Lewis's men."
+
+"What was his name?" Dave managed to inquire.
+
+"Urbina. He had a sorrel under him, but there are thousands of sorrel
+horses."
+
+"What time did you meet him?"
+
+"I met him at noon and--I've been with him ever since. So you see
+you're wrong. I presume your man doubled back and is laughing at you."
+
+Law's first bewilderment had given place to a black rage; for the
+moment he was in danger of disregarding the reason for "Young Ed's"
+incivility and giving free rein to his passion, but he checked himself
+in time.
+
+"Would you mind telling me what you and this Urbina were doing?" he
+inquired, harshly.
+
+Austin laughed mockingly. "That's my business." said he.
+
+Dave moistened his lips. He hitched his shoulders nervously. He was
+astonished at his own self-control, though the certainty that Austin
+was drunk helped him to steady himself. Nevertheless, he dared not
+trust himself to speak.
+
+Construing this silence as an acknowledgment of defeat, Ed turned to
+go. Some tardy sense of duty, however, prompted him to fling back,
+carelessly:
+
+"I suppose you've come a good ways. If you're hungry, Benito will show
+you the way to the kitchen." Then he walked away into the darkness,
+followed by the shocked gaze of his range boss.
+
+Benito roused himself from his amazement to say, warmly: "Si, compadre.
+You will enjoy a cup of hot coffee."
+
+But Law ground out fiercely: "I'm not used to kitchen hand-outs. I
+reckon I can chew my bridle-reins if I get too hungry." Walking to his
+horse, he vaulted into the saddle.
+
+Benito laid a hand upon his thigh and apologized. "Señor Ed is a
+strange man. He is often like this, lately. You understand me? Will you
+come to my house for supper?"
+
+"Thank you, but I think I'll ride on to Tad Lewis's and see Urbina."
+
+At this the Mexican shook his head as if apprehensive of the result,
+but he said nothing more.
+
+Law hesitated as he was about to spur out of the yard. "By the way," he
+ventured, "you needn't mention this to Mrs. Austin."
+
+"She is not here," Gonzalez told him. "She has gone to La Feria to see
+about her affairs. She would not permit of this occurrence if she were
+at home. She is a very fine lady."
+
+"Yes. Good night, Benito."
+
+"Good night, señor."
+
+When the Ranger had gone, Gonzalez walked slowly toward his house with
+his head bowed thoughtfully.
+
+"It is very strange," he muttered. "How could Don Eduardo have met this
+Garza at noon when, with my own eyes, I saw him ride away from Las
+Palmas at three o'clock in the afternoon? It is very strange."
+
+
+
+
+XI
+
+JUDGE ELLSWORTH EXACTS A PROMISE
+
+
+On his way to the Lewis ranch Dave Law had a struggle with himself. He
+had earned a reputation as a man of violent temper, and the time was
+not long past when a fraction of the insult Ed Austin had offered him
+would have provoked a vigorous counterblast. The fact that on this
+occasion he had managed to restrain himself argued an increase of
+self-control that especially gratified him, because his natural
+tendency to "fly off the handle" had led more than once to regrettable
+results. In fact, it was only since he had assumed the duties of a
+peace officer that he had made a serious effort at self-government. A
+Ranger's work calls for patience and forbearance, and Dave had begun to
+realize the perils of his temperament. Normally he was a level-headed,
+conservative fellow, but when angered a thousand devils sprang up in
+him and he became capable of the wildest excess. This instability,
+indeed, had been largely to blame for his aimless roaming. Deep inside
+himself he knew that it was nothing but his headstrong temper which had
+brought on all his misfortunes and left him, well along in his
+thirties, a wanderer, with nothing he could call his own. As with most
+men of his turbulent disposition, fits of fury were usually followed by
+keen revulsions of feeling. In Dave these paroxysms had frequently been
+succeeded by such a sense of shame as to drive him from the scene of
+his actions, and in the course of his rovings he had acquired an ample
+store of regrets--bitter food for thought during the silent hours when
+he sat over his camp-fire or rode alone through the mesquite. His
+hatreds were keen and relentless, his passions wild, and yet, so far as
+he knew, they had never led him to commit a mean or a downright evil
+deed. He had killed men, to be sure, but never, he was thankful to say,
+in one of his moments of frenzy.
+
+The killing of men in the fierce exultation of battle, the slaying of a
+criminal by an officer under stress of duty, even the taking of life
+under severe personal provocation, were acts that did not put one
+beyond the pale. Such blood washes off. But there were stains of a
+different kind.
+
+Dave was glad that he had swallowed "Young Ed's" incivility, not only
+for his own sake, but for the sake of Alaire.
+
+After all, he argued, it was barely possible that Ed had spoken the
+truth. There WERE many sorrel horses; the evidence of those rain-washed
+hoof-prints was far from conclusive; even the fact that Urbina belonged
+to the Tad Lewis outfit was no more than a suspicious circumstance. And
+yet, earnestly as he strove to convince himself of these possibilities,
+the Ranger could not down the conviction that the rancher had lied and
+that he himself was on the right track.
+
+It was late when he arrived at his destination, but Lewis's house was
+dark, and it required some effort to awaken the owner. When Tad at last
+appeared, clad in undershirt and trousers, he greeted the Ranger with a
+leveled Winchester; but when Dave had made known his identity he
+invited him in, though with surly reluctance.
+
+Lewis was a sandy-complexioned man of about forty, with colorless brows
+and a mean, shifty eye. Formerly a cowboy, he had by the exercise of
+some natural ability acquired a good property--and a bad reputation.
+Just how or why he had prospered was a mystery which his neighbors
+never tired of discussing.
+
+Tad, it seemed, resented any interruption of his rest, and showed the
+fact plainly.
+
+Yes, he employed a fellow named Urbina. What was wanted of him?
+
+Law explained briefly.
+
+"Why, he's one of my best men!" laughed the rancher. "He wouldn't steal
+nothing."
+
+"Well, I had to shoot another good man of yours," Dave said, quietly.
+
+Lewis fell back a step. "Which one? Who?" he inquired, quickly.
+
+"Pino Garza." Dave told of the meeting at the branding-fire and its
+outcome. He was aware, meanwhile, that Lewis's family were listening,
+for behind a half-open bedroom door he could hear an excited whispering.
+
+"Killed him the first shot, eh?" Tad was dumfounded. "Now I never
+thought Pino was that bad. But you never can tell about these Greasers,
+can you? They'll all steal if they get a chance. I let Pino go, 'bout a
+week back; but he's been hangin' around, aimin' to visit some of his
+relatives up in the brush country. It was probably one of them old
+Guzman saw. Anyhow, it couldn't of been Adolfo Urbina; he was over to
+Las Palmas all the afternoon."
+
+"Did you send him there?"
+
+"Sure. Ed Austin can tell you."
+
+"Where is Urbina now?"
+
+"I reckon he's asleep somewhere. We'll dig him up and talk to him, if
+you say so."
+
+"Good."
+
+Tad's willingness to cooperate with the officer, now that he understood
+the situation, was in marked contrast to the behavior of Austin. In
+fact, his offer to help was almost too willingly given to suit Dave,
+who expected him to protest at being dragged out on such a night. No
+protest came, however; Lewis slipped into his boots and slicker,
+explaining meanwhile:
+
+"I'm sorry this play came up, for I don't want folks to think I got a
+gang of thieves workin' for me."
+
+But Adolfo Urbina was nowhere to be found. No one had seen him since
+about seven o'clock, nor could it be discovered where he was spending
+the night. Dave remembered that it had been about seven when he left
+Las Palmas, and ascertained, indirectly, that Tad had a telephone. On
+his way from Austin's Law had stopped at a rancho for a bite to eat,
+but he could forgive himself for the delay if, as he surmised, Urbina
+had been warned by wire of his coming.
+
+"That's too bad, ain't it?" Lewis said. "But he'll be around again in
+the morning, and I'll get him for you. You leave it to me."
+
+There was plainly nothing to do but accept this offer since it could
+avail nothing to wait here for Urbina's return. Unless the fellow gave
+himself up, he probably could not be found, now that the alarm was
+given, without a considerable search--in view of which Dave finally
+remounted his borrowed horse and rode away in the direction of
+Jonesville.
+
+It was after daylight when he dismounted stiffly at Blaze's gate. He
+was wet to the skin and bespattered with mud; he had been almost
+constantly in the saddle for twenty-four hours, and Don Ricardo's
+cow-pony was almost exhausted.
+
+Blaze and Paloma, of course, were tremendously interested in his story.
+
+"Say, now, that's quick work," the latter exclaimed, heartily. "You're
+some thief-buster, Dave, and if you'll just stay around here little
+calves can grow up with some comfort."
+
+When Dave rode to Jonesville, after breakfast, he found that the body
+of his victim had been brought in during the night, and that the town
+was already buzzing with news of the encounter. During the forenoon Don
+Ricardo and his sons arrived, bringing additional information, which
+they promptly imparted to the Ranger. The Guzmans were people of
+action. All three of them had spent the night on horseback, and Pedro
+had made a discovery. On the day previous Garza had been seen riding in
+company with a man astride a sorrel pony, and this man had been
+recognized as Adolfo Urbina. Pedro's witness would swear to it.
+
+Their distance from Las Palmas at the time when they had been seen
+together proved, beyond question, that unless Urbina had flown he could
+not have arrived at the place in question by noon, the hour Ed Austin
+had fixed.
+
+This significant bit of information, however, Dave advised the Guzmans
+not to make public for the time being.
+
+Toward midday Tad Lewis and three of his men arrived with the news that
+Urbina had left for Pueblo before they could intercept him.
+
+"He's got a girl up there, and he's gone to get married," Tad
+explained. "I'm sure sorry we missed him."
+
+Dave smiled grimly at the speaker.
+
+"Are you sure he didn't cross to the other side?" he asked.
+
+Lewis retorted warmly: "Adolfo's an all-right hombre, and I'll back
+him. So 'll Ed Austin, I guess me an' Ed are responsible, ain't we?"
+Some skeptical expression in his hearer's face prompted him to inquire,
+brusquely, "Don't you believe what I'm telling you about his goin' to
+Pueblo?"
+
+"I guess he's gone--somewhere."
+
+Tad uttered an angry exclamation. "Looks to me like you'd made up your
+mind to saddle this thing onto him whether he done it or not. Well,
+he's a poor Mexican, but I won't stand to see him railroaded, and
+neither will 'Young Ed.'"
+
+"No?"
+
+"You heard me! Ed will alibi him complete."
+
+Law answered, sharply: "You tell Ed Austin to go slow with his alibis.
+And you take this for what it's worth to you: I'm going to get all the
+cattle-rustlers in this county--ALL of them, understand?"
+
+Lewis flushed redly and sputtered: "If you make this stick with Adolfo,
+nobody 'll be safe. I reckon Urbina's word is as good as old Ricardo's.
+Everybody knows what HE is."
+
+Later when Dave met the Guzmans, Ricardo told him, excitedly, "That
+horse Tad Lewis is riding is the one I saw yesterday."
+
+"Are you sure?"
+
+"Listen, señor. Men in cities remember the faces they see; I have lived
+all my life among horses, and to me they are like men. I seldom forget."
+
+"Very well. Tad says Urbina has gone to Pueblo to get married, so I'm
+going to follow him, and I shall be there when he arrives."
+
+"Bueno! Another matter"--Ricardo hesitated--"your bonita--the pretty
+mare. She is buried deep."
+
+"I'm glad," said Dave. "I think I shall sleep better for knowing that."
+
+Since the recent rain had rendered the black valley roads impassable
+for automobiles, Dave decided to go to Pueblo by rail, even though it
+was a roundabout way, and that afternoon found him jolting over the
+leisurely miles between Jonesville and the main line. He was looking
+forward to a good night's sleep when he arrived at the junction; but on
+boarding the north-bound through train he encountered Judge Ellsworth,
+who had just heard of the Garza killing, and of course was eager for
+details. The two sat in the observation-car talking until a late hour.
+
+Knowing the judge for a man of honor and discretion. Dave unburdened
+himself with the utmost freedom regarding his suspicions of Ed Austin.
+
+Ellsworth nodded. "Yes, Ed has thrown in with the Rebel junta in San
+Antone, and Tad Lewis is the man they use to run arms and supplies in
+this neighborhood. That's why he and Ed are so friendly. Urbina is
+probably your cattle thief, but he has a hold over Ed, and so he rode
+to Las Palmas when he was pursued, knowing that no jury would convict
+him over Austin's testimony."
+
+"Do you think Ed would perjure himself?" Dave asked.
+
+"He has gone clean to the bad lately; there's no telling what he'll do.
+I'd hate to see you crowd him, Dave."
+
+"They call you the best lawyer in this county because you settle so
+many cases out of court." The judge smiled at this. "Well, here's a
+chance for you to do the county a good turn and keep Ed Austin out of
+trouble."
+
+"How?"
+
+"The prosecuting attorney is a new man, and he wants to make a
+reputation by breaking up the Lewis gang."
+
+"Well?"
+
+"He intends to cinch Urbina, on Ricardo's and my testimony. You're a
+friend of Austin's; you'd better tip him to set his watch ahead a few
+hours and save himself a lot of trouble. The prosecuting attorney don't
+like Ed any too well. Understand?"
+
+The judge pondered this suggestion for a moment. "'Young Ed' is a queer
+fellow. Once in a while he gets his neck bowed."
+
+"So do I," Law declared, quietly. "He treated me like a hobo--sent me
+to the kitchen for a hand-out. That sticks. If I hadn't tamed down
+considerably these late years, I'd have--wound him up, right there."
+
+From beneath his drooping lids Ellsworth regarded the Ranger curiously.
+"You HAVE a bad temper, haven't you?"
+
+"Rotten!"
+
+"I know. You were a violent boy. I've often wondered how you were
+getting along. How do you feel when you're--that way?"
+
+It was the younger man's turn to hesitate. "Well, I don't feel anything
+when I'm mad," he confessed. "I'm plumb crazy, I guess. But I feel
+plenty bad afterwards."
+
+There was a flicker of the judge's eyelids.
+
+Dave went on musingly: "I dare say it's inherited. They tell me my
+father was the same. He was--a killer."
+
+"Yes. He was all of that."
+
+"Say! WAS he my father?"
+
+Ellsworth started. "What do you mean?"
+
+Dave lifted an abstracted gaze from the Pullman carpet. "I hardly know
+what I mean, Judge. But you've had hunches, haven't you? Didn't you
+ever KNOW that something you thought was true wasn't true at all? Well,
+I never felt as if I had Frank Law's blood in me."
+
+"This is interesting!" Ellsworth stirred and leaned forward. "Whatever
+made you doubt it, Dave?"
+
+"Um-m. Nothing definite. That's what's so unsatisfactory. But, for
+instance, my mother was Mexican---"
+
+"Spanish."
+
+"All right. Am I Spanish? Have I any Spanish blood in me?"
+
+"She didn't look Spanish. She was light-complexioned, for one thing. We
+both know plenty of people with a Latin strain in them who look like
+Anglo-Saxons. Isn't there anything else?"
+
+"Nothing I can lay my finger on, except some kid fancies and--that
+hunch I spoke about."
+
+Ellsworth sat back with a deep breath. "You were educated in the North,
+and your boyhood was spent at school and college, away from everything
+Mexican."
+
+"That probably accounts for it," Law agreed; then his face lit with a
+slow smile. "By the way, don't tell Mrs. Austin that I'm a sort of
+college person. She thinks I'm a red-neck, and she sends me books."
+
+Ellsworth laughed silently. "Your talk is to blame, Dave. Has she sent
+you The Swiss Family Robinson?"
+
+"No. Mostly good, sad romances with an uplift--stories full of lances
+at rest, and Willie-boys in tin sweaters. Life must have been mighty
+interesting in olden days, there was so much loving and killing going
+on. The good women were always beautiful, too, and the villains never
+had a redeeming trait. It's a shame how human nature has got mixed up
+since then, isn't it? There isn't a 'my-lady' in all those books who
+could bust a cow-pony or run a ranch like Las Palmas. Say, Judge, how'd
+you like to have to live with a perfect lady?"
+
+"Don't try your damned hog-Latin on me," chided the lawyer. "Alaire
+Austin's romance is sadder than any of those novels."
+
+Dave nodded. "But she doesn't cry about it." Then he asked, gravely:
+"Why didn't she pick a real fellow, who'd kneel and kiss the hem of her
+dress and make a man of himself? That's what she wants--love and
+sacrifice, and lots of both. If I were Ed Austin I'd wear her glove in
+my bosom and treat her like those queens in the stories. Incense and
+adoration and---"
+
+"What's the matter with you?" queried the judge.
+
+"I guess I'm lonesome."
+
+"Are you smitten with that girl?"
+
+Dave laughed. "Maybe! Who wouldn't be? Why doesn't she divorce that
+bum--she could do it easy enough--and then marry a chap who could run
+Las Palmas for her?"
+
+"A man about six feet three or four," acidly suggested the judge.
+
+"That's the picture I have in mind."
+
+"You think you could run Las Palmas?"
+
+"I wouldn't mind trying."
+
+"Really?"
+
+"Foolish question number three."
+
+"You must never marry," firmly declared the older man. "You'd make a
+bad husband, Dave."
+
+"She ought to know how to get along with a bad husband, by this time."
+
+Both men had been but half serious. Ellsworth knew his companion's
+words carried no disrespect; nevertheless, he said, gravely:
+
+"If you ever think of marrying I want you to come to me. Promise?"
+
+"I'll do it--on the way back from church."
+
+"No. On the way to church. I'll have something to tell you."
+
+"Tell me now," urged Law.
+
+"There's nothing to tell, yet."
+
+"I'll have no old ruffians kissing my brand-new bride," Dave averred.
+
+The judge's face broadened in a smile. "Thank Heaven 'Young Ed' has the
+insides of a steel range, and so my pet client is safe from your
+mercenary schemes for some years. Just the same, if you ever do think
+of marrying--remember--I want you to come to me--and I'll cure you."
+
+
+
+
+XII
+
+LONGORIO MAKES BOLD
+
+
+Upon her arrival at La Feria Alaire discovered that the Federal
+depredations had been even greater than she had feared. Not only had
+the soldiers taken a great many head of cattle, but they had
+practically cleared the ranch of horses, leaving scarcely enough with
+which to carry on the work.
+
+Alaire's hacienda comprised a hundred thousand acres or more--lacking a
+thorough survey, she had never determined exactly how much land she
+really owned--and the property fronted upon a stream of water. In any
+other country it would have been a garden of riches, but agriculture
+was well-nigh impossible in northern Mexico. For several years now the
+instability of the government had precluded any plan of development,
+and, in consequence, the fields were out of cultivation and cattle
+grazed over the moist bottom lands, belly deep in grass. The entire
+ranch had been given over to pasture, and even now, after Alaire had
+sold off much of her stock because of the war, the task of accurately
+counting what remained required a longer time than she had expected,
+and her visit lengthened.
+
+However, life in the roomy, fortress-like adobe house was pleasant
+enough. Dolores saw to her mistress's wants, and the regular
+inhabitants of La Feria were always extravagantly glad to make their
+employer welcome. They were a simple, mirth-loving, industrious people,
+little concerned over the war, so long as they were unmolested, but
+obviously relieved to see Alaire because of their recent fright at the
+incursion of Longorio's troops.
+
+In the work that now went forward José Sanchez took a prominent part.
+For once in his life he was a person of recognized importance. Not only
+was he the right hand of the owner of La Feria, but the favor of that
+redoubtable general, the hero of a hundred tales, rested upon his
+shoulders like a mantle. José's extravagant praises of the Federal
+commander, together with the daily presence of the military guard,
+forcibly brought home to the ranch-dwellers the fact that war was
+actually going on, and that Luis Longorio was indeed a man of flesh and
+blood, and no myth. This realization caused a ripple of excitement to
+stir the peons' placid lives.
+
+And yet in the midst of his satisfaction Sanchez confessed to one
+trouble. He had expected to find his cousin, Panfilo, here, and the
+fact that nothing whatever had been heard from him filled him with
+great uneasiness. Of course he came to Alaire, who told him of seeing
+Panfilo at the water-hole on the day after her husband had discharged
+him; but that information gave José little comfort, since it proved
+nothing as to his cousin's present whereabouts. Alaire thought best not
+to tell him the full circumstances of that affair. Believing that
+Panfilo would turn up at La Feria in due time, she gave little heed to
+José's dark threats of vengeance for any injury to his relative.
+
+The horse-breaker's concern increased as the days passed, and to the
+lieutenant and members of the guard he repeated his threats. Truly, he
+declared, if any evil had fallen upon his beloved cousin Panfilo, he,
+José, would exact a terrible reckoning, a revenge befitting a man of
+his character and a friend of Luis Longorio.
+
+These soldiers, by the way, were something of a trial to Alaire, for
+they were ever in her way. She could not ride a mile over her own
+pastures without the whole martial squad following at her heels.
+Protest was unavailing; the lieutenant was mulishly stubborn. He had
+been ordered to keep the señora in sight at all times, so he said, and
+that ended the matter as far as he was concerned. His life and the
+lives of his six followers depended entirely upon her safety and
+happiness, for General Longorio was a man of his word.
+
+Of course the lieutenant would not offend for the world--the object of
+his solicitude was at liberty to tread upon his worthless old
+carcass--but orders were orders, especially when they came from a
+certain source. He besought Alaire to exercise forbearance toward him,
+and, above all, to use the extremest caution in regard to her own
+well-being, for if aught befell her, if even a despicable rattlesnake
+should rise out of the grass to sting her--caramba! The teniente, in
+that case, would better destroy himself on the spot. Otherwise he would
+surely find himself, in a short time, with his back to a stone wall and
+his face to a firing-squad. That was the sort of man Longorio was.
+
+The speaker wondered if Mrs. Austin really understood his chief's
+nature; how determined he was; how relentless he could be. General
+Longorio was a remarkable person. Opposition of any sort he could not
+brook. His discipline was rigorous and his punishments were severe;
+being utterly without fear himself, he insisted upon implicit obedience
+in others at whatever cost. For instance, during the battle of San
+Pedro, just south of here, a handful of Rebels had taken refuge in a
+small, one-roomed adobe house, where they resisted all efforts at
+dislodgment. Time and again the Federals had charged, only to meet a
+fire too murderous to face. The slaughter had been terrific. The
+lieutenant, veteran of many revolutions, vowed he had never seen a
+street so full of dead and wounded as the one in front of this house.
+Finally the soldiers had refused to advance again, and their captain
+had sent for a cannon. During the wait Longorio had ridden up.
+
+"'Come! Make haste!' said he, 'That house obstructs my view.'"
+
+Seeing that Alaire was deeply interested in this recital, the old
+lieutenant paused dramatically.
+
+"Well, the capitan explained that an army was insufficient to take that
+house; that it meant death to all who approached. I was not
+present--God be praised!--but others told me what happened. General
+Longorio dismounted and embraced the capitan--he kissed him on the
+cheek, saying:
+
+"'Adios, my dear good friend. I fear I have seen the last of you.'
+
+"Then what? Señora, you would never guess." The speaker shook his head.
+"Longorio took two dynamite grenades, and, laughing like a boy, he ran
+forward before any one knew what he was about. It is nothing but the
+truth, señora, and he a general! This capitan loved him dearly, and so
+his bones turned to rope when the windows of that accursed house began
+to vomit fire and the dust began to fly. They say that the dead men in
+the street rose to their knees and crossed themselves--I only repeat
+what I was told by those who looked on. Anyhow, I have seen things
+quite as remarkable.
+
+"Never was such courage, señora! God must have been moved to
+astonishment and admiration, for He diverted those bullets, every one.
+When our general came to the house he lit the fuses from his cigarette,
+then he cried, 'Viva Potosi!' and hurled one bomb to the roof; the
+other he flung through a window into the very faces of his enemies.
+Those Rebels were packed in there like goats in a corral, and they say
+such a screaming you never heard. Doubtless many of them died from
+sheer terror the rest were blown through each other." The lieutenant
+breathed an admiring oath. "Truly, it must have been a superb
+spectacle."
+
+"General Longorio must be very brave indeed," Alaire agreed.
+
+"But wait! That is not all. After we had taken the town and destroyed
+what Rebel officers we found--"
+
+"You mean--your prisoners?"
+
+"Si. But there were only a few, and doubtless some of them would have
+died from their wounds. Well then, after that General Longorio called
+his old friend--that capitan--out before his troops and with his own
+hand he shot him. Then every fifth man among those who had refused to
+charge he ordered executed. It effected much good, I assure you."
+
+For a moment Alaire and her companion rode in silence, but the teniente
+was not content with this praise of his leader.
+
+"And yet General Longorio has another side to his character," he
+continued. "He can be as mild as the shyest señorita, and he possesses
+the most beautiful sentiments. Women are mad over him. But he is hard
+to please--strangely so. Truly, the lady who captivates his fancy may
+count herself fortunate." The old soldier turned in his saddle and,
+with a grace surprising in one of his rough appearance, removed his hat
+and swept Alaire a bow the unmistakable meaning of which caused her to
+start and to stammer something unintelligible.
+
+Alaire was angry at the fellow's presumption, and vexed with herself
+for showing that she understood his insinuation. She spurred her horse
+into a gallop, leaving him to follow as he could.
+
+It was absurd to take the man's word seriously; indeed, he probably
+believed he had paid her a compliment. Alaire assured herself that
+Longorio's attentions were inspired merely by a temporary extravagance
+of admiration, characteristic of his nationality. Doubtless he had
+forgotten all about her by this time. That, too, was characteristic of
+Latin men. Nevertheless, the possibility that she had perhaps stirred
+him more deeply than she believed was disturbing--one might easily
+learn to fear Longorio. As a suitor he would be quite as embarrassing,
+quite as--dangerous as an enemy, if all reports were true.
+
+Alaire tried to banish such ideas, but even in her own room she was not
+permitted entirely to forget, for Dolores echoed the teniente's
+sentiments.
+
+In marked contrast to José Sanchez's high and confident spirits was the
+housekeeper's conviction of dire calamity. In the presence of these
+armed strangers she saw nothing but a menace, and considered herself
+and her mistress no more nor less than prisoners destined for a fate as
+horrible as that of the two beautiful sisters of whom she never tired
+of speaking. Longorio was a blood-thirsty beast, and he was saving them
+as prey for his first leisure moment--that was Dolores's belief.
+Abandoning all hope of ever seeing Las Palmas again, she gave herself
+up to thoughts of God and melancholy praises of her husband's virtues.
+
+In spite of all this, however, Alaire welcomed the change in her daily
+life. Everything about La Feria was restfully un-American, from the
+house itself, with its bare walls and floors, its brilliantly flowering
+patio, and its primitive kitchen arrangements, to the black-shawled,
+barefooted Indian women and their naked children rolling in the dust.
+Even the timberless mountains that rose sheer from the westward plain
+into a tumbling purple-shadowed rampart were Mexican. La Feria was
+several miles from the railroad; therefore it could not have been more
+foreign had it lain in the very heart of Mexico rather than near the
+northern boundary.
+
+In such surroundings, and in spite of faint misgivings, it was not
+strange that, after a few days, Alaire's unhappiness assumed a vaguely
+impersonal quality and that her life, for the moment, seemed not to be
+her own. Even the thought of her husband, Ed Austin, became indistinct
+and unreal. Then all too soon she realized that the purpose of her
+visit was accomplished and that she had no excuse for remaining longer.
+She was now armed with sufficient facts to make a definite demand upon
+the Federal government.
+
+The lieutenant took charge of the return journey to the railroad, and
+the two women rode to the jingling accompaniment of metal trappings.
+When at last they were safely aboard the north-bound train, Alaire
+mildly teased Dolores about her recent timidity. But Dolores was not to
+be betrayed into premature rejoicing.
+
+"Anything may happen at a moment's notice," she declared. "Something
+tells me that I am to meet a shocking fate. I can hear those ruffianly
+soldiers quarreling over me--it is what comes from good looks." Dolores
+mechanically smoothed the wrinkles from her dress and adjusted her
+hair. "Mark you! I shall kill myself first. I have made up my mind to
+that. But it is a great pity we were not born ugly."
+
+Alaire could not forbear a smile, for she who thus resigned herself to
+the penalties of beauty had never been well favored, and age had
+destroyed what meager attractions she may have once possessed.
+
+Dolores went on after a time. "My Benito will not long remain
+unmarried. He is like all men. More than once I have suspected him of
+making eyes at young women, and any girl in the country would marry him
+just for my fine silver coffee-pot and those spoons. There is my
+splendid silk mantilla, with fringe half as long as your arm, too. Oh,
+I have treasures enough!" She shook her head mournfully. "It is a
+mistake for a wife to lay up pretty things, since they are merely
+temptations to other women."
+
+Alaire tried to reason her out of this mood. "Why should any one molest
+us? Who could wish us harm?" she asked.
+
+"Ha! Did you see that general? He was like a drunken man in your
+presence; it was as if he had laid eyes upon the shining Madonna. I
+could hear his heart beating."
+
+"Nonsense! In the first place, I am an old married woman."
+
+Dolores sniffed. "Vaya! Old, indeed! What does he care for a husband?
+He only cares that you have long, bright hair, redder than rust, and
+eyes like blue flowers, and a skin like milk. An angel could not be so
+beautiful."
+
+"Ah, Dolores, you flatterer! Seriously, though, don't you realize that
+we are Americans, and people of position? An injury to us would bring
+terrible consequences upon General Longorio's head. That is why he sent
+his soldiers with us."
+
+"All the same," Dolores maintained stubbornly, "I wish I had brought
+that shawl and that silver coffee-pot with me."
+
+The homeward journey was a repetition of the journey out; there were
+the same idle crowds, the same displays of filthy viands at the
+stopping-places, the same heat and dust and delays. Longorio's
+lieutenant hovered near, and José, as before, was news-gatherer. Hour
+after hour they crept toward the border, until at last they were again
+laid out on a siding for an indefinite wait.
+
+The occasion for this was made plain when an engine drawing a single
+caboose appeared. Even before it had come to a pause a tall figure in
+spotless uniform leaped to the ground and strode to the waiting
+coaches. It was Luis Longorio. He waved a signal to the conductor, then
+swung aboard the north-bound train.
+
+The general was all smiles as he came down the and bowed low over
+Alaire's hand.
+
+Dolores gasped and stiffened in her seat like a woman of stone.
+
+"God be praised! You are safe and well!" said the new-comer. "I have
+blamed myself for allowing you to take this abominable journey! I have
+been in torment lest something befall you. Every night I have prayed
+that you might be spared all harm. When I received word that you were
+coming I made all speed to meet you."
+
+"Dolores and I are greatly in your debt," Alaire told him.
+
+"But you stayed so long!"
+
+"There was more work than I thought. General, you have ruined me."
+
+Longorio was pained; his face became ineffably sad. "Please! I beg of
+you," he entreated. "I have arranged for reparation of that miserable
+mistake. You shall see what I have done. With your own eyes you shall
+read the furious correspondence I have carried on with the minister.
+Together you and I shall manage a settlement, and you will find that I
+am a friend indeed!"
+
+"I hope so."
+
+"Have I not proved it? Am I not ready to give you my life?" the general
+queried, earnestly. "Fix the damages at your own figure and I shall see
+that you receive justice. If the government will not pay, I will. I
+have means; I am not a poor man. All I possess would be too little to
+buy your happiness."
+
+"You embarrass me. I'm afraid you don't realize what you say." Alaire
+remained cool under the man's protestations. "I have lost more than a
+thousand head of cattle."
+
+"We shall say two, three thousand, and the government will pay,"
+Longorio asserted, brazenly. "I will vouch for your figures, and no one
+will question them, for I am a man of honor."
+
+"No! All I want--"
+
+"It is done. Let us say no more about the affair. Señora, I have
+thought of you every hour; the duties that held me in Nuevo Pueblo were
+like irksome chains. I was in madness. I would have flown to La Feria
+but--I could not."
+
+"My husband will thank you for your great courtesy to me," Alaire
+managed to say.
+
+But the mention of husbands was not agreeable to one of Longorio's
+sensitiveness, and his face betrayed a hint of impatience.
+
+"Yes, yes," he agreed, carelessly. "Señor Austin and I must know each
+other better and become friends."
+
+"That is hardly possible at present. When the war is over--"
+
+"Bah! This war is nothing. I go where I please. You would be surprised
+to greet me at Las Palmas some day soon, eh? When you tell your husband
+what a friend I am he would be glad to see me, would he not?"
+
+"Why--of course. But surely you wouldn't dare--"
+
+"And why not? Las Palmas is close to the river, and my troops are in
+Romero, directly opposite. Mexico is not at war with your country, and
+when I am in citizen's clothes I am merely an ordinary person. I have
+made inquiries, and they tell me Las Palmas is beautiful, heavenly, and
+that you are the one who transformed it. I believe them. You have the
+power to transform all things, even a man's heart and soul. No wonder
+you are called 'The Lone Star.' But wait. You will see how constantly I
+think of you." Longorio drew from his pocket several photographs of the
+Austin ranch-house.
+
+"Where did you get those?" Alaire asked in astonishment.
+
+"Ah! My secret. See! They are badly worn already, for I keep them next
+my bosom."
+
+"We entertain very few guests at Las Palmas," she murmured,
+uncomfortably.
+
+"I know. I know a great deal."
+
+"It would scarcely be safe for you to call; the country is full of
+Candeleristas--"
+
+"Cattle!" said the officer, with a careless shrug. "Did not that great
+poet Byron swim an ocean to see a lovely lady? Well, I, too, am a poet.
+I have beautiful fancies; songs of love run through my mind. Those
+Englishmen know nothing of passion. Your American men are cold. Only a
+Mexican can love. We have fire in our veins, señora."
+
+To these perfervid protestations Dolores listened with growing fright;
+her eyes were wide and they were fixed hypnotically upon the speaker;
+she presented much the appearance of a rabbit charmed by a serpent. But
+to Longorio she did not exist; she was a chattel, a servant, and
+therefore devoid of soul or intelligence, or use beyond that of serving
+her mistress.
+
+Thinking to put an end to these blandishments, Alaire undertook to
+return the general's ring, with the pretense that she considered it no
+more than a talisman loaned her for the time being. But it was a task
+to make Longorio accept it. He was shocked, offended, hurt; he declared
+the ring to be of no value; it was no more than a trifling evidence of
+his esteem. But Alaire was firm.
+
+"Your customs are different to ours," she told him. "An American woman
+is not permitted to accept valuable presents, and this would cause
+disagreeable comment."
+
+At such a thought the general's finest sensibilities were wounded, but
+nothing, it seemed, could permanently dampen his ardor, and he soon
+proceeded to press his attentions with even more vehemence than before.
+He had brought Alaire candies of American manufacture, Mexican
+sweetmeats of the finest variety, a beautiful silken shawl, and at
+midday the grizzled teniente came with a basket of lunch containing
+dainties and fruits and vacuum bottles with hot and cold drinks.
+
+When invited to share the contents, the general was plainly overjoyed,
+but he was so enthralled by his companion's beauty that he could eat
+but little.
+
+It was a most embarrassing situation. Longorio kept Alaire for ever
+upon the defensive, and it sorely taxed her ingenuity to hold the
+conversation in safe channels. As the journey proceeded it transpired
+that the man had made use of his opportunities to learn everything
+about her, even to her life with Ed. His information was extensive, and
+his deductions almost uncanny in their correctness. He told her about
+Austin's support of the Rebel cause and her own daily doings at Las
+Palmas; he intimated that her unhappiness was almost more than he could
+bear.
+
+This intimate knowledge and sympathy he seemed to regard as a bond that
+somehow united them. He was no longer a new acquaintance, but a close
+and loyal friend whose regard was deathless.
+
+Undoubtedly the man had a way with him. He impressed people, and his
+magnetism was potent. Moreover, he knew the knack of holding what
+ground he gained.
+
+It was an odd, unreal ride, through the blazing heat of the long
+afternoon. Longorio cast off all pretense and openly laid siege to the
+red-haired woman's heart--all without offering her the smallest chance
+to rebuff him, the slightest ground for open resentment, so respectful
+and guarded were his advances. But he was forceful in his way, and the
+very intensity of his desires made him incapable of discouragement. So
+the duel progressed--Alaire cool and unyielding, he warm, persistent,
+and tireless. He wove about her an influence as difficult to combat as
+the smothering folds of some flocculent robe or the strands of an
+invisible web, and no spider was ever more industrious.
+
+When the train arrived at its destination his victim was well-nigh
+exhausted from the struggle. He helped her into a coach with the
+gentlest and gravest courtesy, and not until the vehicle rolled away
+did Alaire dare to relax. Through her fatigue she could still hear his
+soft farewell until the morrow, and realized that she had committed
+herself to his further assistance. His palms against hers had been
+warm, his adoring eyes had caressed her, but she did not care. All she
+wished now was to reach her hotel, and then her bed.
+
+After a good night's rest, however, Alaire was able to smile at
+yesterday's adventure. Longorio did not bulk so large now; even these
+few hours had greatly diminished his importance, so that he appeared
+merely as an impulsive foreigner who had allowed a woman to turn his
+head. Alaire knew with what admiration even a moderately attractive
+American woman is greeted in Mexico, and she had no idea that this
+fellow had experienced anything more than a fleeting infatuation. Now
+that she had plainly shown her distaste for his outlaw emotions, and
+convinced him that they awoke in her no faintest response, she was
+confident that his frenzy would run its brief course and die.
+Meanwhile, it was not contrary to the standards of feminine ethics to
+take advantage of the impression she had made upon him and with his
+help push through a fair financial settlement of her loss.
+
+Once back across the river, however, she discovered that there were
+obstacles to a prompt adjustment of her claim. The red tape of her own
+government was as nothing to that of Mexico. There were a thousand
+formalities, a myriad of maddening details to be observed, and they
+called for the services of an advocate, a notary, a jefe politico, a
+jefe de armas--officials without end. All of these worthies were
+patient and polite, but they displayed a malarial indifference to
+delay, and responsibility seemed to rest nowhere. During the day Alaire
+became bewildered, almost lost in the mazes of official procedure, and
+was half minded to telegraph for Judge Ellsworth. But that again meant
+delay, and she was beginning to long for home.
+
+Longorio by no means shared her disappointment. On the contrary, he
+assured her they were making splendid progress, and he was delighted
+with her grasp of detail and her knowledge of business essentials. At
+his word all Nuevo Pueblo bowed and scraped to her, she was treated
+with impressive formality, and even the military guards at the various
+headquarters presented arms when she passed. The general's official
+business waited upon Alaire's convenience, and to spare her the
+necessity of the short ride back to American soil he arranged for her
+an elaborate luncheon in his quarters.
+
+As on the day before, he assumed the privileges of a close friend, and
+treated his guest as a sort of fellow-conspirator working hand in hand
+with him for some holy cause.
+
+
+
+
+XIII
+
+DAVE LAW BECOMES JEALOUS
+
+
+"You can never know what these two days have been for me," the general
+said as he and Alaire lingered over their meal. "They will afford me
+something to think about all my life! It is a delicious comfort to know
+that you trust me, that you do not dislike me. And you do not dislike
+me, eh?"
+
+"Why, of course not. I have a great deal for which to thank you."
+
+General Longorio fingered his wineglass and stared into it. "I am not
+like other men. Would to God I were, for then I could close my eyes
+and--forget. You have your great tragedy--it is old to you; but mine,
+dear lady, is just beginning. I can look forward to nothing except
+unhappiness." He sighed deeply.
+
+"I'm sorry you are unhappy," Alaire parried. "Surely you have every
+pleasant prospect."
+
+"It would seem so. I am young, rich, a hero, I serve my country in
+glorious fashion, but what is all that if there is no pretty one to
+care? Even the meanest peon has his woman, his heart's treasure. I
+would give all I have, I would forego my hope of heaven and doom myself
+to eternal tortures, for one smile from a pair of sweet lips, one look
+of love. I am a man of iron--yes, an invincible soldier--and yet I have
+a heart, and a woman could rule me."
+
+"You say you have a heart." Alaire studied her vis-avis curiously as he
+met her eyes with his mournful gaze. "How is it that I hear such
+strange stories about you, general?"
+
+"What stories?"
+
+"Stories--too terrible to mention. I wonder if they can be true."
+
+"Lies, all of them!" Longorio asserted.
+
+"For instance, they tell me that you shoot your prisoners?"
+
+"Of course!" Then, at her shocked exclamation, he explained: "It is a
+necessity of war. Listen, señora! We have twelve million Indians in
+Mexico and a few selfish men who incite them to revolt. Everywhere
+there is intrigue, and nowhere is there honor. To war against the
+government is treason, and treason is punishable by death. To permit
+the lower classes to rise would result in chaos, black anarchy,
+indescribable outrages against life and property. There is but one way
+to pacify such people--exterminate them! Mexico is a civilized nation;
+there is no greater in the world; but she must be ruled with an iron
+hand. Soldiers make rulers. I am still a young man, and--at present
+there is but one other capable of this gigantic task. For the time
+being, therefore, I permit myself to serve under him, and--I salute
+him. Viva Potosi!" The speaker lifted his glass and drank. "Madero was
+a wicked believer in spells and charms; he talked with the dead. He,
+and those who came after him, fired the peons to revolt and despoiled
+our country, leaving her prone and bleeding. We of the Cientificos have
+set ourselves to stop her wounds and to nourish her to life again. We
+shall drive all traitors into the sea and feed them to the sharks. We
+shall destroy them all, and Mexico shall have peace. But I am not a
+bloodthirsty man. No, I am a poet and a lover at heart. As great a
+patriot as I am, I could be faithless to my country for one smile from
+the woman I adore."
+
+Alaire did not color under the ardent glance that went with this
+declaration. She deliberately changed the subject.
+
+"This morning while we were in the office of the jeje de armas," she
+said, "I saw a poor woman with a baby--she was scarcely more than a
+child herself--whose husband is in prison. She told me how she had come
+all the way from the country and is living with friends, just to be
+near him. Every day she goes to the carcel, but is denied admission,
+and every day she comes to plead with the jefe de armas for her
+husband's life. But he will not see her, and the soldiers only laugh at
+her tears."
+
+"A common story! These women and their babies are very annoying,"
+observed the general.
+
+"She says that her husband is to be shot."
+
+"Very likely! Our prisons are full. Doubtless he is a bad man."
+
+"Can't you do something?"
+
+"Eh?" Longorio lifted his brows in the frankest inquiry.
+
+"That poor girl with her little, bare, brown-eyed baby was pitiful."
+Alaire leaned forward with an earnest appeal in her face, and her host
+smiled.
+
+"So? That is how it is, eh? What is her name?"
+
+"Inez Garcia. The husband's name is Juan."
+
+"Of course. These peladors are all Juans. You would like to appear as
+an angel of mercy, eh? Your heart is touched?"
+
+"Deeply."
+
+"Bastante! There is no more to be said." Longorio rose and went into
+the next room where were certain members of his staff. After a time he
+returned with a paper in his hand, and this he laid before Alaire. It
+was an order for the release of Juan Garcia. "The salvo conducto which
+will permit Juan and his Inez and their Juanito to return to their farm
+is being made out," he explained. "Are you satisfied?"
+
+Alaire looked up wonderingly, "I am deeply grateful. You overwhelm me.
+You are--a strange man."
+
+"Dear lady, I live to serve you. Your wish is my law. How can I prove
+it further?" As he stood beside her chair the fervor of his gaze caused
+her eyes to droop and a faint color to come into her cheeks. She felt a
+sudden sense of insecurity, for the man was trembling; the evident
+desire to touch her, to seize her in his arms, was actually shaking him
+like an ague. What next would he do? Of what wild extravagance was he
+not capable? He was a queer mixture of fire and ice, of sensuality and
+self-restraint. She knew him to be utterly lawless in most things, and
+yet toward her he had shown scrupulous restraint. What possibilities
+were in a man of his electric temperament, who had the strength to
+throttle his fiercest longings?
+
+The strained, throbbing silence that followed Longorio's last words did
+more to frighten the woman than had his most ardent advances.
+
+After a time he lifted Alaire's hand; she felt his lips hot and damp
+upon her flesh; then he turned and went away with the document.
+
+When he reappeared he was smiling. "These Garcias shall know who
+interceded for them. You shall have their thanks," said he.
+
+"No, no! It is enough that the man is free."
+
+"How now?" The general was puzzled. "What satisfaction can there be in
+a good deed unless one receives public credit and thanks for it? I am
+not like that."
+
+He would have lingered indefinitely over the table, but Alaire soon
+rose to go, explaining:
+
+"I must finish my disagreeable task now, so that I can go home
+to-morrow."
+
+"To-morrow!" her host cried in dismay. "No, no! You must wait--"
+
+"My husband is expecting me."
+
+This statement was a blow; it seemed to crush Longorio, who could only
+look his keen distress.
+
+As they stepped out into the street Alaire was afforded that treat
+which Longorio had so thoughtfully arranged for her. There in the
+gutter stood Inez Garcia with her baby in her arms, and beside her the
+ragged figure of a young man, evidently her Juan. The fellow was
+emaciated, his face was gaunt and worn and frightened, his feet were
+bare even of sandals, the huge peaked straw hat which he clutched over
+his breast was tattered, and yet in his eye there was a light.
+
+They had waited patiently, these Garcias, heedful of Longorio's orders,
+and now they burst into a torrent of thanks. They flung themselves to
+their knees and kissed the edge of Alaire's dress. Their instructions
+had been plain, and they followed them to the letter, yet their
+gratitude was none the less genuine for being studied. The little
+mother's hysteria, for instance, could not have been entirely assumed,
+and certainly no amount of rehearsals could have taught the child to
+join his cries so effectively to his parents'. Between them all they
+made such a racket as to summon a crowd, and Dolores, who had also
+awaited her mistress, was so deeply stirred that she wept with them.
+
+General Longorio enjoyed this scene tremendously, and his beaming eyes
+expressed the hope that Alaire was fully satisfied with the moment. But
+the Garcias, having been thoroughly coached, insisted upon rendering
+full measure of thanks, and there seemed to be no way of shutting them
+off until the general ordered them to their feet.
+
+"That is enough!" he declared. "Hombre, you are free, so go about your
+business and fight no more with those accursed rebels."
+
+Juan, of course, was ready at this moment to fight for any one he was
+told to fight for, particularly Longorio himself, and he so declared.
+His life was at the service of the benefactor who had spared him; his
+wife and baby lived only to bless the illustrious general.
+
+"They look very poor," said Alaire, and opened her purse; but Longorio
+would not permit her to give. Extracting a large roll of paper money
+from his own pocket, he tossed it, without counting, to Juan, and then
+when the onlookers applauded he loudly called to one of his officers,
+saying:
+
+"Oiga! Give these good friends of mine two horses, and see that they
+are well cared for. Now, Juan," he addressed the dazed countryman, "I
+have one order for you. Every night of your life you and your pretty
+wife must say a prayer for the safety and happiness of this beautiful
+lady who has induced me to spare you. Do you promise?"
+
+"We promise!" eagerly cried the pair.
+
+"Good! See that you keep your word. On the day that you forget for the
+first time Luis Longorio will come to see you. And then what?" He
+scowled at them fiercely.
+
+"We will not forget," the Garcias chorused.
+
+There was a murmur from the onlookers; some one cried: "VIVA LONGORIO!"
+
+The general bowed smilingly; then, taking Alaire's arm, he waved the
+idlers out of his path with a magnificent gesture.
+
+When, later in the day, Mrs. Austin came to say good-by and thank the
+Mexican for his courtesies, he humbly begged permission to pay his
+respects that evening at her hotel, and she could not refuse.
+
+As the coach went bouncing across the international bridge, Dolores
+said, spitefully: "It will take more than the pardon of poor Juan
+Garcia to unlock Heaven for that bandit. He is the wickedest man I ever
+met--yes, probably the wickedest man in the world."
+
+"He has been kind to us."
+
+"Bah! He has a motive. Do you notice the way he looks at you? It is
+enough to damn him for all eternity."
+
+Upon her arrival at the hotel Alaire received an agreeable surprise,
+for as her vehicle paused, at the curb David Law stepped forward, hat
+in hand.
+
+"What bloodthirsty business brings you to Pueblo?" she queried, when
+they had exchanged greetings.
+
+Law smiled at her. "I came to offer free board and lodging to a poor
+Greaser. But he ain't here. And you, ma'am?"
+
+Alaire briefly outlined the reasons that had taken her to La Feria and
+the duties that had kept her busy since her return, while Dave nodded
+his understanding. When, however, he learned that she was counting upon
+General Luis Longorio's aid in securing justice, his expression
+altered. He regarded her with some curiosity as he inquired:
+
+"Isn't Longorio the very man who robbed you?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+"And now he offers to square himself?"
+
+"Precisely. You don't seem to put much faith in him."
+
+"Mexicans are peculiar people," Law said, slowly. "At least we consider
+them peculiar--probably because they are different to us. Anyhow, we
+don't understand their business methods or their habits of mind; even
+their laughter and their tears are different to ours, but--from my
+experience with them I wouldn't put much confidence in this Longorio's
+word. I say this, and I'm supposed to have a little Mexican blood in
+me."
+
+During this brief conversation they had entered the hotel, and now the
+lobby idlers took quick cognizance of Mrs. Austin's presence. The
+lanky, booted Ranger excited no comment, for men of his type were
+common here; but Alaire was the heroine of many stories and the object
+of a wide-spread curiosity; therefore she received open stares and
+heard low whisperings. Naturally resenting this attention, she gave her
+hand to Law more quickly than she would have done otherwise.
+
+"I hope we shall see each other again," she murmured.
+
+"That's more'n likely; I'm located in your neighborhood now," he
+informed her. "I'm leaving for Jonesville in the morning."
+
+"By train?"
+
+"No'm. I'm goin' to follow the river road if I can get an automobile."
+
+Mindful of the Ranger's courtesy to her on their previous meeting,
+Alaire said: "Won't you go with us? We intend to start early."
+
+"I'd love to, ma'am--but I'll have to make a few inquiries along the
+line."
+
+"Good! It is a large car and"--she smiled at him--"if we have tire
+trouble I may need your help. José, my man, is a splendid
+horse-breaker, but he seems to think a tire tool is some sort of a
+fancy branding-iron. His mechanical knowledge is limited to a
+bridle-bit and a cinch, and I'm almost certain he believes there is
+something ungodly about horseless wagons."
+
+Dave was nearly speechless with delight, and when the mistress of Las
+Palmas had gone up-stairs he felt inclined to pinch himself to see if
+he were dreaming. He had pursued a fruitless quest during the past few
+days, and his resentment had grown as he became certain that Tad Lewis
+had sent him on a wild-goose chase; but the sight of Alaire
+miraculously restored his good spirits, and the prospect of a long,
+intimate ride in her company changed the whole trend of his thoughts.
+His disappointment at not seeing her upon his visit to Las Palmas had
+only served to enhance his memories of their first meeting, and time,
+now, had deepened his interest tenfold. Yes, she was "The Lone Star,"
+the estrella brillante of his empty sky.
+
+When the supper-hour came he managed by carefully watching the
+dining-room to time his meal with Mrs. Austin's. He even ventured to
+hope that they might share the same table, but in this he was
+disappointed. However, from where he sat he could see her profile and
+worship her to his heart's content, and when she favored him with a
+smile and a nod he was happy.
+
+All without his knowledge, Dave realized, this woman had secured an
+amazing hold over him. He had thought a great deal about her, of
+course, but his thoughts had been idle, and it had required this second
+encounter to make him know the truth. Now, however, there could be no
+doubt about his feelings; he was more than romantically interested, the
+mere sight of her had electrified him. The discovery distressed him,
+and he very properly decided that the affair should end here, since it
+could lead to nothing except disappointment.
+
+But who can govern a wayward fancy? One moment Law promised himself to
+see no more of this married woman; the next he wondered how she would
+occupy the evening, and ventured to hope that he might have a chance to
+talk with her.
+
+After supper, however, she was nowhere to be found. When his first
+chagrin had passed he decided that this was exactly as it should be. He
+didn't like to see women make themselves conspicuous in hotels.
+
+At the time of this story relations between the United States and the
+established government of Mexico were at such high tension that a
+hostility had sprung up between the troops fronting each other along
+the Rio Grande, and in consequence their officers no longer crossed the
+boundary, even when off duty. It created a flurry of suppressed
+excitement, therefore, when Luis Longorio, the autocrat of the
+Potosista forces, boldly crossed the bridge, traversed the streets of
+Pueblo, and entered the Hamilton Hotel.
+
+From his seat in the lobby Law heard the general inquire for Mrs.
+Austin, and then saw him ascend in the direction of the parlor. What
+the devil could Longorio want with "The Lone Star" at such an hour? the
+Ranger asked himself. Why should he presume to call upon her unless--he
+was interested? Mexican officers, in these parlous times, were not
+given to social courtesies, and Longorio's reputation was sufficiently
+notorious to render his attentions a cause for gossip under any
+circumstances.
+
+Dave rose and strolled restlessly about the hotel. A half-hour passed
+and Longorio did not reappear; an hour dragged by, and then Dave took
+occasion to go to his room. A glance through the open parlor door
+showed the foreigner in closest conversation with Mrs. Austin. They
+were laughing; they were alone; even Dolores was nowhere to be seen.
+
+When Dave returned to his big rocking-chair he found it uncomfortable;
+he watched the clock anxiously; he chewed several cigars viciously
+before realizing that he was jealous--yes, madly, unreasonably jealous.
+
+So! His divinity was not as unapproachable as he had imagined.
+Doubtless Longorio was mad over her, which explained the fellow's
+willingness to help her exact reparation from his government. Fine
+doings for a respectable married woman! It was wrong, scandalous,
+detestable!
+
+After a time Dave rose impatiently. What had come over him, anyhow? He
+must be crazy to torture himself in this fashion. What went on
+up-stairs certainly was none of his business, and he had better far
+amuse himself. In accordance with this excellent reasoning, he went to
+a picture-show. But he could not become interested. The flat images on
+the screen failed to divert him, and the only faces he saw were those
+of Luis Longorio and the lone mistress of Las Palmas.
+
+Had Dave only known the truth, he would have gained a grim comfort from
+it, for Alaire Austin was not enjoying herself this evening. Her caller
+stayed on interminably and she became restive under the flow of his
+conversation. For some reason or other Longorio was not the romantic
+figure he had been; in his citizen's clothes he was only a dandified
+Mexican gallant like any number of others. The color was gone from the
+picture; this quixotic guerrilla hero, this elegant Ruy Blas, was
+nothing more than a tall, olive-skinned foreigner whose ardor was
+distasteful. Longorio was tiresome.
+
+
+
+
+XIV
+
+JOSE SANCHEZ SWEARS AN OATH
+
+
+On this same evening a scene of no little significance was taking place
+at Las Palmas. Ed Austin was entertaining callers, and these were none
+other than Tad Lewis and Adolfo Urbina.
+
+The progress of events during the last few days had shaped this
+conference, for, as Dave had forecast during his conversation with
+Judge Ellsworth, the local prosecuting attorney saw in the Guzman
+cattle case an opportunity to distinguish himself, and was taking
+action accordingly. He had gathered considerable evidence against
+Urbina, and was exerting himself to the utmost for an indictment. He
+had openly declared that the testimony of Ricardo Guzman and his other
+witnesses would convict the suspect, and the fact that his politics
+were opposed to Ed Austin's complicated matters still further. It was
+the unwelcome news of all this which had brought Tad Lewis and his
+Mexican helper to Las Palmas under cover of darkness. Having gone over
+the circumstances in detail, Lewis concluded:
+
+"We're depending on you, Ed. You got to stand pat."
+
+But Austin was lukewarm. He had experienced a change of heart, and the
+cause appeared when he read aloud a letter that day received from Judge
+Ellsworth, in which the judge told of his meeting with Dave Law, and
+the Ranger's reasons for doubting Ed's word.
+
+"I've got to take water," "Young Ed" told his visitors, "or I'll get
+myself into trouble." Then querulously he demanded of Adolfo: "Why in
+hell did you come here, anyhow? Why didn't you keep to the chaparral?"
+
+Adolfo shrugged. "I thought you were my friend."
+
+"Sure!" Tad agreed. "Urbina's been a friend to you, now you got to
+stick to him. We got to hang together, all of us. My evidence wouldn't
+carry no weight; but there ain't a jury in South Texas that would
+question yours. Adolfo done the right thing."
+
+"I don't see it," Ed declared, petulantly. "What's the use of getting
+me into trouble? There's the river; they can't follow you across."
+
+But Urbina shook his head.
+
+"You know he can't cross," Tad explained. "His people would shoot him
+if he ever went to Mexico."
+
+"Well, he'll be caught if he stays here. You daren't send that damned
+Ranger on another blind trail. If Adolfo can't go south he'll have to
+go north."
+
+"Not on your life," affirmed Lewis. "If he runs it'll prove his guilt
+and look bad for me. I'm the one they're after, and I don't stand any
+too good, as you know. You got to go through with this, Ed."
+
+"I won't do it," Austin asserted, stubbornly. "I won't be dragged into
+the thing. You've no business rustling stock, anyhow. You don't have
+to."
+
+Urbina exhaled a lungful of cigarette smoke and inquired, "You won't
+help me, eh?"
+
+"No, I won't."
+
+"Very well! If I go to prison you shall go, too. I shall tell all I
+know and we shall be companions, you and I."
+
+Austin's temper rose at the threat. "Bah!" he cried, contemptuously.
+"There's nothing against me except running arms, and the embargo is off
+now. It's a joke, anyhow. Nobody was ever convicted, even when the
+embargo was in effect. Why, the government winks at anybody who helps
+the Rebels."
+
+"Oh, that is nothing!" Urbina agreed; "but you would not wish to be
+called a cattle thief, eh?"
+
+"What d'you mean?"
+
+"You knew that the stealing went on."
+
+"Huh! I should say I did. Haven't I lost a lot of horses?"
+
+Lewis interposed, impatiently: "Say! Suppose Adolfo tells what he knows
+about them horses? Suppose he tells how you framed it to have your own
+stock run across, on shares, so's you could get more money to go
+hifalutin' around San Antone without your wife knowing it? I reckon you
+wouldn't care to have that get out."
+
+"You can't prove it," growled "Young Ed."
+
+"Oh! I reckon it can be proved all right," confidently asserted Lewis.
+
+"Nobody'd believe such a thing."
+
+"Folks are ready to believe 'most anything about you. Your wife would
+believe it. Ain't Las Palmas in her name, and don't she give you so
+much a month to spend? If them ain't facts, you lied to me."
+
+"Yes!" Urbina supplemented. "I can swear to all that. And I can swear
+also that you knew about those calves the other day."
+
+"What!" Ed started.
+
+"Why not? We were together; your own people saw us. Well, then, if you
+would steal your wife's horses, why would you not steal your neighbor's
+cattle? The relatives of poor Pino Garza--God rest his soul!--will bear
+me out. I have arranged for that. Suppose I tell the jury that there
+were three of us in that pasture of yours, instead of two? What then? I
+would be lonely in prison without a good compadre to bear me company."
+Urbina grinned in evil triumph.
+
+"This is the damnedest outrage I ever heard of," gasped "Young Ed."
+"It's a fairy story--"
+
+"Prove it," chuckled Lewis. "The prosecuting attorney'd eat it up, Ed.
+It sounds kind of crazy, but you can't ask Adolfo to take to the brush
+and live like a javelin just for your sake, when you could square him
+with a word."
+
+There was a moment or two of silence, during which the visitors watched
+the face of the man whose weakness they both knew. At last Ed Austin
+ventured to say, apologetically:
+
+"I'm willing to do almost anything to help Adolfo, but--they'll make a
+liar of me if I take the stand. Isn't there some other way out?"
+
+"I don't know of any," said Lewis.
+
+"Money'll square anything," Ed urged, hopefully, whereupon Urbina waved
+his cigarette and nodded.
+
+"This Ricardo Guzman is the cause of it all. He is a bad man."
+
+"No doubt of that," Lewis agreed. "He's got more enemies than I have.
+If he was out of the way there wouldn't be nothin' to this case, and
+the country'd be a heap better off, too."
+
+"What about that other witness?" Ed queried.
+
+"If Ricardo were gone--if something should happen to him"--Urbina's
+wicked face darkened--"there would be no other witness. I would see to
+that."
+
+The color receded from Ed Austin's purple cheeks, and he rose abruptly.
+"This is getting too strong for me," he cried. "I won't listen to this
+sort of talk. I won't be implicated in any such doings."
+
+"Nobody's goin' to implicate you," Tad told him. "Adolfo wants to keep
+you out of trouble. There's plenty of people on both sides of the river
+that don't like Guzman any better'n we do. Me an' Adolfo was talkin' it
+over on the way up."
+
+"Well, you can talk it over some more, but I'm going for a drink," Ed
+declared, and left the room, nervously mopping his face. He knew only
+too well the character of his two visitors; he had learned much about
+Tad Lewis during the past few months, and, as for the Mexican, he
+thought the fellow capable of any crime. At this moment Ed bitterly
+regretted his acquaintance with these neighbors, for both men knew more
+about his affairs than he cared to have made public. He was angry and
+resentful at Tad for taking sides against him, and more than a little
+fearful of Adolfo's enmity if he refused assistance. The owner of Las
+Palmas still retained a shred of self-respect, a remnant of pride in
+his name; he did not consider himself a bad man. He was determined now
+to escape from this situation without loss of credit, no matter what
+the price--if escape were possible--and he vowed earnestly to himself
+that hereafter he would take ample pains never to become similarly
+involved.
+
+Austin remained out of the room for some time; when he returned his
+visitors appeared to have reached some determination.
+
+"I reckon we can fix things if you'll help," Lewis announced.
+
+"And that's just what I won't do," Ed impatiently declared. "Do you
+think I'm going to be tangled up in a--murder? I've got nothing against
+Don Ricardo."
+
+"Who said anything about murder? Things ain't like they was when your
+father owned Las Palmas; he done his share of killin', but nowadays
+there's too dam' much law layin' around loose. All you've got to do is
+give me about a thousand dollars."
+
+"What for?" Ed asked, suspiciously.
+
+"So's we can handle ourselves. It's up to you to do something, ain't
+it?"
+
+Austin demurred. "I haven't that much that I can lay hands on," he
+said, sullenly. "I'm broke. And, anyhow, I don't see what good it'll
+do."
+
+"You better dig it up, somehow, just for your own sake."
+
+The two men eyed each other for a moment; then Austin mumbled something
+about his willingness to try, and left the room for a second time. The
+money which Alaire kept on hand for current expenses was locked in her
+safe, but he knew the combination.
+
+It was with an air of resignation, with a childish, half-hearted
+protest, that he counted out the desired amount into Lewis's hand,
+salving his conscience with the statement: "I'm doing this to help
+Adolfo out of his trouble, understand? I hope it'll enable you to
+square things."
+
+"Maybe it will and maybe it won't," sneered Lewis. "Anyhow, I ain't
+scared of tryin'. I got the guts to make a battle, even if you haven't."
+
+Ed Austin was greatly relieved when his unwelcome callers rode away; as
+he composed himself for sleep, an hour later, he refrained from
+analyzing too deeply the motives behind this forced loan, and refused
+to speculate too long upon the purpose to which it might be put. The
+whole occurrence was unfortunate. Ed Austin sincerely hoped he had
+heard the last of it.
+
+José Sanchez made use of the delay at Pueblo to institute further
+inquiries regarding his missing cousin, but nowhere could he find the
+slightest trace. Panfilo had set out to ride to this point and thence
+to La Feria, but the last seen of him had been at the water-hole, one
+day's ride from the home ranch. At that point the earth had opened and
+swallowed him. If he were alive why had he not written to his
+sweetheart, Rosa?
+
+José swore an oath that he would learn the truth if it required his
+whole lifetime, and, if it should turn out that his sainted relative
+had indeed met with foul play--well! José told his friends they could
+judge, by looking at him, the sort of man he was. He proudly displayed
+Longorio's revolver, and called it his cousin's little avenger. The
+weapon had slain many; it had a duty still to perform, so he said.
+
+José intended to confide his purpose to Mrs. Austin, but when it came
+time to start for Las Palmas there was a fourth passenger in the
+automobile, and he was obliged to hold his tongue for the moment.
+
+A motor trip along the lower Rio Grande would prove a novel and not
+altogether agreeable experience to the average automobilist, for there
+are few improved roads and the rest offer many difficulties, not the
+least of which are frequent fords, some deep, some shallow. So it was
+that Alaire considered it necessary to make an early start.
+
+In spite of the unhealthy fancies that Dave Law had taken to bed with
+him, he arose this morning in fine spirits and with a determination to
+put in a happy day. Alaire, too, was in good humor and expressed her
+relief at escaping from everything Mexican.
+
+"I haven't seen a newspaper for ages, and I don't know what is going on
+at Jonesville or anywhere else," she confided.
+
+Dave told her of the latest developments in the Mexican situation, the
+slow but certain increase of tension between the two governments, and
+then of home happenings. When she asked him about his own doings, he
+informed her of the affair which had brought him to Pueblo.
+
+Of course all three of his companions were breathlessly interested in
+the story of Pino Garza's death; Dolores and José did not allow a word
+to escape them.
+
+"So they cut our fence and ran the calves into our pasture to brand!"
+Alaire said. "It's time somebody like you came to Jonesville, Mr. Law."
+
+"Caramba! It required bravery to ride alone into that rincon," José
+declared. "I knew Pino Garza well, and he could shoot like the devil."
+
+"You said your horse saved your life," Mrs. Austin went on. "How do you
+mean?" When Dave had explained, she cried, quickly, "You weren't
+riding--Bessie Belle?"
+
+"Yes. She's buried where she dropped."
+
+"Oh-h!" Alaire's exclamation was eloquent of pity, and Law smiled
+crookedly.
+
+"I've been right lonesome since she went away. 'Most every day I find
+myself stealing sugar for her, the way I used to do. See!" He fumbled
+in the pocket of his coat and produced some broken lumps. "Probably you
+don't understand how a man gets to love his horse. Now we used to talk
+to each other, just like two people. Of course, I did most of the
+talking, but she understood. Why, ma'am, I've awakened in the night to
+find her standing over me and my cheek wet where she'd kissed it. She'd
+leave the nicest grass just to come and visit with me."
+
+Alaire turned a quick glance upon the speaker to find his face set and
+his eyes miserable. Impulsively she laid her hand upon his arm, saying:
+
+"I know how you must feel. Do you know what has always been my dearest
+wish? To be able to talk with animals; and to have them trust me. Just
+think what fun it would be to talk with the wild things and make
+friends of them. Oh, when I was a little girl I used to dream about it!"
+
+Law nodded his vigorous appreciation of such a desire. "Dogs and horses
+sabe more than we give them credit for. I've learned a few bird words,
+too. You remember those quail at the water-hole?"
+
+"Oh yes."
+
+Dave smiled absent-mindedly. "There's a wonderful book about birds--one
+of the keenest satires ever written, I reckon. It's about a
+near-sighted old Frenchman who was cast away on a penguin island. He
+saw the big birds walking around and thought they were human beings."
+
+"How did you happen to read Anatole France?" Alaire asked, with a sharp
+stare of surprise.
+
+The Ranger stirred, but he did not meet her eyes. "Well," said he, "I
+read 'most anything I can get. A feller meets up with strange books
+just like he meets up with strange people."
+
+"Not books like--that." There was a brief silence. "Mr. Law, every now
+and then you say something that makes me think you're a--rank impostor."
+
+"Pshaw!" said he. "I know cowboys that read twice as good as I do."
+
+"You went to school in the East, didn't you?"
+
+"Yes'm."
+
+"Where?" The man hesitated, at which she insisted, "Where?"
+
+Dave reluctantly turned upon her a pair of eyes in the depths of which
+there lurked the faintest twinkle. "Cornell," said he.
+
+Alaire gasped. After a while she remarked, stiffly, "You have a
+peculiar sense of humor."
+
+"Now don't be offended," he begged of her. "I'm a good deal like a
+chameleon; I unconsciously change my color to suit my surroundings.
+When we first met I saw that you took me for one thing, and since then
+I've tried not to show you your mistake."
+
+"Why did you let me send you those silly books? Now that you have begun
+to tell the truth, keep it up. How many of them had you read?"
+
+"We-ll, I hadn't read any of them--lately."
+
+"How disagreeable of you to put it that way!" The car leaped forward as
+if spurred by Alaire's mortification. "I wondered how you knew about
+the French Revolution. 'That Bastilly was some calaboose, wasn't it'?"
+She quoted his own words scornfully. "I dare say you've had a fine
+laugh at my expense?"
+
+"No!" gravely denied the man.
+
+They had come to an arroyo containing a considerable stream of muddy
+water, and Law was forced to get out to plug the carburetor and stop
+the oil-intakes to the crankcase. This done, Alaire ran the machine
+through on the self-starter. When José's "Carambas!" and Dolores's
+shrieks had subsided, and they were again under way, Mrs. Austin, it
+seemed, had regained her good humor.
+
+"You will receive no more of my favorite authors," she told Dave,
+spitefully. "I'll keep them to read myself."
+
+"You like knights and--chivalry and such things, don't you?"
+
+"Chivalry, yes. In the days when I believed in it I used to cry over
+those romances."
+
+"Don't you still believe in chivalry?"
+
+Alaire turned her eyes upon the questioner, and there were no girlish
+illusions in them. "Do you?" she queried, with a faint curl of her lip.
+
+"Why--yes."
+
+She shook her head. "Men have changed. Nowadays they are all selfish
+and sordid. But--I shouldn't generalize, for I'm a notorious man-hater,
+you know."
+
+"It seems to me that women are just as selfish as men--perhaps more
+so--in all but little things."
+
+"Our definitions of 'little things' may differ. What do you call a big
+thing?"
+
+"Love! That's the biggest thing in the world," Law responded, promptly.
+
+"It seems to be so considered. So you think women are selfish in love?"
+He nodded, whereupon she eyed him speculatively. "Let us see. You are a
+man--how far would you go for the woman you loved?"
+
+"The limit!"
+
+Mrs. Austin frowned at this light-seeming answer. "I suppose you mean
+that you would make any sacrifice?"
+
+"Yes; that's it."
+
+"Would you give up the woman herself, if you considered it your duty?"
+
+"No. There couldn't be any duty higher than love--to my way of
+thinking. But you shouldn't take me as a specimen. I'm not a good
+representative of my sex."
+
+"I think you are a very good one," Alaire said, quietly, and Dave
+realized that no flattery was intended. Although he was willing to talk
+further on this subject, Mrs. Austin gave him no opportunity of airing
+his views. Love, it appeared, was a thing she did not care to discuss
+with him on their footing of semi-intimacy.
+
+Despite the rough roads, they made fair time, and the miles of cactus
+and scrawny brush rolled swiftly past. Occasionally a lazy jack-rabbit
+ambled out of his road-side covert and watched them from a safe
+distance; now and then a spotted road-runner raced along the dusty ruts
+ahead of them. The morning sun swung higher, and by midday the metal of
+the automobile had become as hot as a frying-pan. They stopped at
+various goat-ranches to inquire about Adolfo Urbina, and at noon halted
+beside a watercourse for lunch.
+
+Dave was refilling the radiator when he overheard José in conversation
+with Mrs. Austin.
+
+"Nowhere a trace!" the horse-breaker was saying. "No one has seen him.
+Poor Rosa Morales will die of a broken heart."
+
+Alaire explained to her guest: "José is worried about his cousin
+Panfilo. It seems he has disappeared."
+
+"So! You are Panfilo's cousin?" Dave eyed the Mexican with new interest.
+
+"Si!"
+
+"You remember the man?" Alaire went on. "He was with that fellow you
+arrested at the water-hole."
+
+"Oh yes. I remember him." With steady fingers Dave shook some tobacco
+into a cigarette-paper. He felt Alaire's eyes upon him, and they were
+eloquent of inquiry, but he did not meet them.
+
+José frowned. "No one at La Feria has seen him, and in Pueblo there was
+not a word. It is strange."
+
+"Panfilo was in bad company when I saw him." Law finished rolling his
+cigarette and lit it, still conscious of Alaire's questioning gaze. "He
+may have had trouble."
+
+"He was a good man," the horse-breaker asserted. "If he is dead--" The
+Mexican's frown deepened to a scowl.
+
+"What then?"
+
+José significantly patted the gift revolver at his hip. "This little
+fellow will have something to say."
+
+Dave looked him over idly, from head to heel, then murmured: "You would
+do well to go slow, compadre. Panfilo made his own quarrels."
+
+"We were like brothers, and I do not know of any quarrels. But I shall
+find out. It begins to look bad for somebody. After he left that charco
+there is--nothing. Where did he go? Whom did he encounter? Rosa will
+ask me those questions. I am not given to boasting, señor, but I am a
+devilish bad man in my way."
+
+
+
+
+XV
+
+THE TRUTH ABOUT PANFILO
+
+
+Nothing more was said during the luncheon, but when Alaire had finished
+eating and her two employees had begun their meal, she climbed the bank
+of the arroyo ostensibly to find a cool spot. Having succeeded, she
+called to Dave:
+
+"There is a nice breeze up here."
+
+The Ranger's face set; rising slowly, he climbed the bank after her.
+When they stood face to face in the shade of a gnarly oak-tree, Alaire
+asked him point-blank:
+
+"Where is Panfilo Sanchez?"
+
+Dave met her eyes squarely; his own were cold and hard. "He's where he
+dropped at my second shot," said he.
+
+He could hear his companion's sharp inhalation. He did not flinch at
+the look she turned upon him.
+
+"Then--you killed him?"
+
+"Yes'm!"
+
+"God! He was practically unarmed! What do you call--such an act?"
+
+Dave's lips slowly whitened, his face became stony. He closed his eyes,
+then opened them upon hers. "He had it coming. He stole my horse. He
+took a chance."
+
+Mrs. Austin turned away. For a time they were silent and Dave felt
+himself pitilessly condemned.
+
+"Why didn't you tell me at the time?" she asked. "Why didn't you report
+it?"
+
+"I'll report it when you give me permission."
+
+"I--? What--?" She wheeled to face him.
+
+"Think a moment. I can't tell half the truth. And if I tell everything
+it will lead to--gossip."
+
+"Ah! I think I understand. Mr. Law, you can be insulting--"
+
+For the first time the man lost muscular control of his features; they
+twitched, and under their tan his cheeks became a sickly yellow.
+
+"You've no right to say that," he told her, harshly. "You've plumb
+overstepped yourself, ma'am, and--I reckon you've formed quite a wrong
+opinion of me and of the facts. Let me tell you something about that
+killing and about myself, so you'll have it all straight before you
+bring in your verdict. You say Panfilo was unarmed, and you call
+it--murder. He had his six-shooter and he used it; he had the darkness
+and the swiftest horse, too. He intended to ambush me and release his
+companion, but I forced his hand; so it ain't what _I'd_ call murder.
+Now about myself: Panfilo isn't the first man I've killed, and he may
+not be the last, but I haven't lost any sleep over it, and I'd have
+killed him just as quick if I hadn't been an officer. That's the kind
+of man I am, and you may as well know it. I--"
+
+"You are utterly ruthless."
+
+"Yes'm!"
+
+"You left him there without burial."
+
+Law shrugged impatiently. "What's the difference? He's there to stay;
+and he's just as dead under the stars as he'd be under the sand. I'd
+rather lie facing the sky than the grass roots."
+
+"But--you must have known it would get out, sometime. This puts both of
+us in a very bad light."
+
+"I know. But I stood on my cards. I'd have preferred to report it,
+but--I'd keep still again, under the same circumstances. You seem to
+consider that an insult. If it is, I don't know how to compliment you,
+ma'am."
+
+Alaire pondered this statement briefly before saying, "You have a
+strange way of looking at the affair--a strange, careless, unnatural
+way, it seems to me."
+
+"Perhaps that's the fault of my training. I'm not what you would
+consider a nice person; the death of Panfilo Sanchez means nothing
+whatever to me. If you can grasp that fact, you'll see that your own
+reputation weighed heavier in my mind than the lives of a dozen
+Mexicans--or whites, for that matter. People know me for what I am,
+and--that may have had something to do with my decision."
+
+"I go anywhere, everywhere. No one has ever had the effrontery to
+question my actions," Alaire told him, stiffly.
+
+"And I don't aim to give 'em a chance." Dave was stubborn.
+
+There was another interval of silence.
+
+"You heard what José said. What are you going to do?"
+
+Dave made a gesture of indifference. "It doesn't greatly matter. I'll
+tell him the truth, perhaps."
+
+Such an attitude was incomprehensible to Alaire and brought an
+impatient frown to her brow. "You don't seem to realize that he will
+try to revenge himself."
+
+"You might warn him against any such foolishness. José has some sense."
+
+The woman looked up curiously. "Don't you know how to be afraid?
+Haven't you any fear?" she asked.
+
+Dave's gray eyes were steady as he answered: "Yes'm! I'm afraid this
+thing is going to spoil our friendship. I've been desperately afraid,
+all along, that I might have hurt your reputation. Even now I'm afraid,
+on your account, to make public Panfilo Sanchez's death. Yes'm, I know
+what it is to be afraid."
+
+"I presume the law would hold you blameless," she said, thoughtfully.
+
+"If there was any doubt about that it would be another matter entirely.
+A Ranger can get away with a heap more than killing a Mexican. No! It's
+up to you to say what I shall do."
+
+"Let me think it over. José mustn't know to-day, that's certain."
+
+"I'm in your hands."
+
+They returned to the automobile in silence, but as they took their
+seats Dave said:
+
+"You're tired, ma'am. Won't you let me drive?"
+
+"Can you?"
+
+When he smiled his answer, Alaire was only too glad to give up the
+wheel, for her nerves were indeed unsteady and she was grateful for an
+opportunity to think out the best course to pursue in this unexpected
+difficulty. Later, as she listened to Law's inconsequential talk with
+Dolores and José, and watched the way he handled the car, she marveled
+at his composure. She wondered if this man could have a heart.
+
+It became evident to Dave, as the afternoon progressed, that they would
+be very late in arriving at Las Palmas; for although he drove as
+rapidly as he dared over such roads, the miles were long and the going
+heavy. They were delayed, too, by a mishap that held them back for an
+hour or two, and he began to fear that his hostess would feel in duty
+bound to insist upon his spending the night at her home. To accept,
+after his clash with Ed Austin, was of course impossible, and he
+dreaded another explanation at this particular crisis.
+
+That a crisis in their relations had arisen he felt sure. He had tried
+to make plain his attitude of mind toward the killing of Panfilo
+Sanchez, and the wisdom of his course thereafter, but he doubted if
+Alaire understood the one or agreed with the other. Probably she
+considered him inhuman, or, what was worse, cowardly in attempting to
+avoid the consequences of his act. And yet he could not explain his
+full anxiety to protect her good name without confessing to a deeper
+interest in her than he dared. And his interest was growing by leaps
+and bounds. This woman fascinated him; he was infatuated--bewitched by
+her personality. To be near her affected him mentally and physically in
+a way too extraordinary to analyze or to describe. It was as if they
+were so sympathetically attuned that the mere sound of her voice set
+his whole being into vibrant response, where all his life he had lain
+mute. She played havoc with his resolutions, too, awaking in him the
+wildest envy and desire. He no longer thought of her as unattainable;
+on the contrary, her husband's shortcomings seemed providential.
+Absurd, impossible ways of winning her suggested themselves. To risk a
+further estrangement, therefore, was intolerable.
+
+But as if his thoughts were telepathic messages, she did the very thing
+he feared.
+
+"We won't be in before midnight," she said, "but I'll send you to
+Jonesville in the morning."
+
+"Thank you, ma'am--I'll have to go right through."
+
+"I'll get you there in time for business. We've gained a reputation for
+inhospitableness at Las Palmas that I want to overcome." In spite of
+their recent clash, in spite of the fact that this fellow's
+ruthlessness and indifference to human life shocked her, Alaire was
+conscious of her obligation to him, and aware also of a growing
+friendship between them which made the present situation all the more
+trying. Law was likable, and he inspired her with a sense of security
+to which she had long been a stranger. "Mr. Austin ought to know," she
+added, "about this--matter we were discussing, and I want him to meet
+you."
+
+"He has!" Dave said, shortly; and at his tone Alaire looked up.
+
+"So!" She studied his grim face. "And you quarreled?"
+
+"I'd really prefer to go on, ma'am. I'll get to Jonesville somehow."
+
+"You refuse--to stay under his roof?"
+
+"That's about it."
+
+"I'm sorry." She did not ask for further explanation.
+
+Evening came, bringing a grateful coolness, and they drove through a
+tunnel of light walled in by swiftly moving shadows.
+
+The windows of Las Palmas were black, the house silent, when they
+arrived at their journey's end; Dolores was fretful, and her mistress
+ached in every bone. When José had helped his countrywoman into the
+house Alaire said:
+
+"If you insist upon going through you must take the car. You can return
+it to-morrow."
+
+"And--about Panfilo?" Dave queried.
+
+"Wait. Perhaps I'll decide what is best to do in the mean time. Good
+night."
+
+Law took her extended hand. Alaire was glad that he did not fondle it
+in that detestable Mexican fashion of which she had lately experienced
+so much; glad that the grasp of his long, strong fingers was merely
+firm and friendly. When he stepped back into the car and drove off
+through the night she stood for some time looking after him.
+
+Blaze Jones had insisted that Dave live at his house, and the Ranger
+had accepted the invitation; but as it was late when the latter arrived
+at Jonesville, he went to the hotel for a few hours' rest. When he
+drove his borrowed machine up to the Jones house, about breakfast-time,
+both Blaze and Paloma were delighted to see him.
+
+"Say, now! What you doing rolling around in a gasoline go-devil?" the
+elder man inquired, and Law was forced to explain.
+
+"Why, Mrs. Austin must have experienced a change of heart!" exclaimed
+Paloma. "She never gave anybody a lift before."
+
+Blaze agreed. "She's sure poisonous to strangers." Then he looked over
+the car critically. "These automobiles are all right, but whenever I
+want to go somewhere and get back I take a team of hay-burners. Mules
+don't puncture. The first automobile Paloma had nearly scared me to
+death. On the road to Brownsville there used to be a person who didn't
+like me--we'd had a considerable unpleasantness, in fact. One day
+Paloma and I were lickety-splittin' along past his place when we had a
+blow-out. It was the first one I'd ever heard, and it fooled me
+complete--comin' right at that particular turn of the road. I sure
+thought this party I spoke of had cut down on me, so I r'ared up and
+unlimbered. I shot out three window-lights in his house before Paloma
+could explain. If he'd been in sight I'd have beefed him then and
+there, and saved six months' delay. No, gas-buggies are all right for
+people with strong nerves, but I'm tuned too high."
+
+"Father has never learned to drive a car without yelling 'Gee' and
+'Haw,'" laughed Paloma. "And he thinks he has title to the whole road,
+too. You know these Mexicans are slow about pulling their wagons to one
+side. Well, father got mad one day, and when a team refused him the
+right of way he whipped out his revolver and fired."
+
+Blaze smiled broadly. "It worked great. And believe me, them Greasers
+took to the ditch. I went through like a hot wind, but I shot up
+sixty-five ca'tridges between here and town."
+
+"Why didn't Mrs. Austin ask you to stay all night at Las Palmas?" the
+girl inquired of Dave.
+
+"She did."
+
+"Wonderful!" Paloma's surprise was evidently sincere. "I suppose you
+refused because of the way Ed treated you? Well, I'd have accepted just
+to spite him. Tell me, is she nice?"
+
+"She's lovely."
+
+This vehement declaration brought a sudden gleam of interest into the
+questioner's eyes.
+
+"They say she has the most wonderful gowns and jewels, and dresses for
+dinner every night. Well"--Paloma tossed her head--"I'm going to have
+some nice clothes, too. You wait!"
+
+"Now don't you start riggin' yourself up for meals," Blaze said,
+warningly. "First thing I know you'll have me in a full-dress suit,
+spillin' soup on my shirt." Then to his guest he complained, feelingly:
+"I don't know what's come over Paloma lately; this new dressmaker has
+plumb stampeded her. Somebody'd ought to run that feline out of town
+before she ruins me."
+
+"She is a very nice woman," complacently declared the daughter; but her
+father snorted loudly.
+
+"I wouldn't associate with such a critter."
+
+"My! But you're proud."
+
+"It ain't that," Blaze defended himself. "I know her husband, and he's
+a bad hombre. He backed me up against a waterin'-trough and told my
+fortune yesterday. He said I'd be married twice and have many children.
+He told me I was fond of music and a skilled performer on the organ,
+but melancholy and subject to catarrh, Bright's disease, and ailments
+of the legs. He said I loved widows, and unless I was poisoned by a
+dark lady I'd live to be eighty years old. Why, he run me over like a
+pet squirrel lookin' for moles, and if I'd had a gun on me I'd have
+busted him for some of the things he said. 'A dark lady!' That's his
+wife. I give you warnin', Paloma, don't you ask her to stay for meals.
+People like them are dangerous."
+
+"You're too silly!" said Paloma. "Nobody believes in such things."
+
+"They don't, eh? Well, he's got all of Jonesville walkin' around
+ladders, and spittin' through crossed fingers, and countin' the spots
+on their nails. He interprets their dreams and locates lost articles."
+
+"Maybe he can tell me where to find Adolfo Urbina?" Dave suggested.
+
+"Humph! If he can't, Tad Lewis can. Say, Dave, this case of yours has
+stirred up a lot of feelin' against Tad. The prosecutin' attorney says
+he'll sure cinch him and Urbina, both. One of Lewis's men got on a
+bender the other night and declared Adolfo would never come to trial."
+
+"What did he mean?"
+
+"It may have been mescal talk, but witnesses sometimes have a way of
+disappearin'. I wouldn't put anything past that gang."
+
+Not long after breakfast Don Ricardo Guzman appeared at the Jones house
+and warmly greeted his two friends. To Dave he explained:
+
+"Last night I came to town, and this morning I heard you had returned,
+so I rode out at once. You were unsuccessful?"
+
+"Our man never went to Pueblo."
+
+"Exactly. I thought as much."
+
+"He's probably safe across the river."
+
+But Ricardo thought otherwise. "No. Urbina deserted from this very
+Colonel Blanco who commands the forces at Romero. He would scarcely
+venture to return to Federal territory. However, I go to meet Blanco
+to-day, and perhaps I shall discover something."
+
+"What takes you over there?" Blaze inquired.
+
+"Wait until I tell you. Señor David, here, brings me good fortune at
+every turn. He honors my poor thirsty rancho with a visit and brings a
+glorious rain; then he destroys my enemies like a thunderbolt. No
+sooner is this done than I receive from the Federals an offer for fifty
+of my best horses. Caramba! Such a price, too. They are in a great
+hurry, which looks as if they expected an attack from the Candeleristas
+at Matamoras. I hope so. God grant these traitors are defeated. Anyhow,
+the horses have gone, and to-day I go to get my money, in gold."
+
+"Who's going with you?" asked Law.
+
+Ricardo shrugged. "Nobody. There is no danger."
+
+Blaze shook his head. "They know you are a red-hot Rebel. I wouldn't
+trust them."
+
+"They know, also, that I am an American, like you gentlemen," proudly
+asserted Guzman. "That makes a difference. I supported the
+Liberator--God rest his soul!--and I secretly assist those who fight
+his assassins, but so does everybody else. I am receiving a fine price
+for those horses, so it is worth a little risk. Now, señor," he
+addressed himself to the Ranger, "I have brought you a little present.
+Day and night my boys and I have worked upon it, for we know the good
+heart you have. It was finished yesterday. See!" Ricardo unwrapped a
+bundle he had fetched, displaying a magnificent bridle of plaited
+horsehair. It was cunningly wrought, and lavishly decorated with silver
+fittings. "You recognize those hairs?" he queried. "They came from the
+mane and tail of your bonita."
+
+"Bessie Belle!" Law accepted the handsome token, then held out his hand
+to the Mexican. "That was mighty fine of you, Ricardo. I--You couldn't
+have pleased me more."
+
+"You like it?" eagerly demanded the old man. "That is good. I am repaid
+a thousandfold. Your sentiment is like a woman's. But see! I am famous
+for this work, and I have taught my boys to use their fingers, too.
+That mare will always guide you now, wherever you go. And we handled
+her gently, for your sake."
+
+Dave nodded. "You're a good man, Ricardo. We're going to be friends."
+
+Guzman's delight was keen, his grizzled face beamed, and he showed his
+white teeth in a smile. "Say no more. What is mine is yours--my house,
+my cattle, my right hand. I and my sons will serve you, and you must
+come often to see us. Now I must go." He shook hands heartily and rode
+away, waving his hat.
+
+"There's a good Greaser," Blaze said, with conviction, and Dave agreed,
+feelingly:
+
+"Yes! I'd about go to hell for him, after this." Then he took the
+bridle in for Paloma to admire.
+
+
+
+
+XVI
+
+THE RODEO
+
+
+It was with a feeling of some reluctance that Dave drove up to Las
+Palmas shortly after the lunch hour, for he had no desire to meet
+"Young Ed." However, to his relief, Austin did not appear, and inasmuch
+as Alaire did not refer to her husband in any way, Dave decided that he
+must be absent, perhaps on one of his notorious sprees.
+
+The mistress of the big ranch was in her harness, having at once
+assumed her neglected duties. She came to welcome her caller in a short
+khaki riding-suit; her feet were encased in tan boots; she wore a
+mannish felt hat and gauntlet gloves, showing that she had spent the
+morning in the saddle. Dave thought she looked exceedingly capable and
+business-like, and not less beautiful in these clothes; he feasted his
+eyes covertly upon her.
+
+"I expected you for luncheon," she smiled; and Dave could have kicked
+himself. "I'm just going out now. If you're not in too great a hurry to
+go home you may go with me."
+
+"That would be fine," he agreed.
+
+"Come, then I have a horse for you." As she led the way back toward the
+farm buildings she explained: "I'm selling off a bunch of cattle.
+Benito is rounding them up and cutting out the best ones."
+
+"You keep them, I reckon."
+
+"Always. That's how I improve the grade. You will see a splendid herd
+of animals, Mr. Law--the best in South Texas. I suppose you're
+interested in such things."
+
+"I'd rather watch a good herd of stock than the best show in New York,"
+he told her.
+
+When they came to the corrals, an intricate series of pens and chutes
+at the rear of the outbuildings, Law beheld two thoroughbred horses
+standing at the hitching-rail.
+
+"I'm proud of my horses, too," said Alaire.
+
+"You have reason to be." With his eyes alight Dave examined the fine
+points of both animals. He ran a caressing hand over them, and they
+recognized in him a friend.
+
+"These beauties were raised on Kentucky blue grass. Brother and sister,
+aren't they?"
+
+"Yes. Montrose and Montrosa are their names. The horse is mine, the
+mare is yours." Seeing that Dave did not comprehend the full import of
+her words, she added: "Yours to keep, I mean. You must make another
+Bessie Belle out of her."
+
+"MINE? Oh--ma'am'" Law turned his eyes from Alaire to the mare, then
+back again. "You're too kind. I can't take her."
+
+"You must."
+
+Dave made as if to say something, but was too deeply embarrassed.
+Unable to tear himself away from the mare's side, he continued to
+stroke her shining coat while she turned an intelligent face to him,
+showing a solitary white star in the center of her forehead.
+
+"See! She is nearly the same color as Bessie Belle."
+
+"Yes'm! I--I want her, ma'am; I'm just sick from wanting her,
+but--won't you let me buy her?"
+
+"Oh, I wouldn't sell her." Then, as Dave continued to yearn over the
+animal, like a small boy tempted beyond his strength, Alaire laughed.
+"I owe you something, Mr. Law, and a horse more or less means very
+little to me."
+
+He yielded; he could not possibly continue his resistance, and in his
+happy face Alaire took her reward.
+
+The mare meanwhile was doubtfully nosing her new master, deciding
+whether or not she liked him; but when he offered her a cube of sugar
+her uncertainties disappeared and they became friends then and there.
+He talked to her, too, in a way that would have won any female heart,
+and it was plain to any one who knew horses that she began to consider
+him wholly delightful. Now, Montrosa was a sad coquette, but this man
+seemed to say, "Rosa, you rogue, if you try your airs with me I will
+out-flirt you." Who could resist such a person? Why, the touch of his
+hands was positively thrilling. He was gentle, but masterful, and--he
+had a delicious smell. Rosa felt that she understood him perfectly, and
+was enraptured to discover that he understood her. There was some
+satisfaction in knowing such a man.
+
+"You DO speak their language," Alaire said, after she had watched them
+for a few minutes. "You have bewitched the creature." Dave nodded
+silently, and his face was young. Then half to herself the woman
+murmured, "Yes, you have a heart."
+
+"I beg pardon?"
+
+"Nothing. I'm glad you like her."
+
+"Do you mind if I call her something else than Rosa, just to myself?"
+
+"Why, she's yours! Don't you like the name?"
+
+"Oh yes! But--see!" Dave laid a finger upon Montrosa's forehead. "She
+wears a lone star, and I'd like to call her that--The Lone Star."
+
+Alaire smiled in tacit assent; then when the two friends had completely
+established their intimacy she mounted her own horse and led the way to
+the round-up.
+
+Dave's unbounded delight filled the mistress of Las Palmas with the
+keenest pleasure. He laughed, he hummed snatches of songs, he kept up a
+chatter addressed as much to the mare as to his companion, and under it
+Montrosa romped like a tomboy. It was gratifying to meet with such
+appreciation as this; Alaire felt warm and friendly to the whole world,
+and decided that out of her abundance she must do more for other people.
+
+Of course Dave had to tell of Don Ricardo's thoughtful gift, and
+concluded by saying, "I think this must be my birthday, although it
+doesn't fit in with the calendar."
+
+"Don Ricardo has his enemies, but he is a good-hearted old man."
+
+"Yes," Dave agreed. Then more gravely: "I'm sorry I let him go across
+the river." There was a pause. "If anybody harms him I reckon I'll have
+a feud on my hands, for I'm a grateful person."
+
+"I believe it. I can see that you are loyal."
+
+"I was starved on sentiment when I was little, but it's in me bigger
+than a skinned ox. They say gratitude is an elemental, primitive
+emotion--"
+
+"Perhaps that's why it is so rare nowadays," said Alaire, not more than
+half in jest.
+
+"You find it rare?" Dave looked up keenly. "Well, you have certainly
+laid up a store of it to-day."
+
+Benito and his men had rounded up perhaps three thousand head of cattle
+when Alaire and her companion appeared, and they were in the process of
+"cutting out." Assembled near a flowing well which gave life to a
+shallow pond, the herd was held together by a half-dozen horsemen who
+rode its outskirts, heading off and driving back the strays. Other men,
+under Benito's personal direction, were isolating the best animals and
+sending them back to the pasture. It was an animated scene, one fitted
+to rouse enthusiasm in any plainsman, for the stock was fat and
+healthy; there were many calves, and the incessant, rumbling complaint
+of the herd was blood-stirring. The Las Palmas cowboys rode like
+centaurs, doubling, dodging, yelling, and whirling their ropes like
+lashes; the air was drumming to swift hoof-beats, and over all was the
+hoarse, unceasing undertone from countless bovine throats. Out near the
+grub-wagon the remuda was grazing, and thither at intervals came the
+perspiring horsemen to change their mounts.
+
+Benito, wet, dusty, and tired, rode up to his employer to report
+progress.
+
+"Dios! This is hot work for an old man. We will never finish by dark,"
+said he, whereupon Law promptly volunteered his services.
+
+"Lend me your rope, Benito, till I get another caballo."
+
+"Eh? That Montrosa is the best cutting horse on Las Palmas."
+
+But Dave shook his head vigorously. "I wouldn't risk her among those
+gopher-holes." He slid out of his seat and, with an arm around the
+mare's neck, whispered into her ear, "We won't have any broken legs and
+broken hearts, will we, honey girl?" Rosa answered by nosing the
+speaker over with brazen familiarity; then when he had removed her
+equipment and turned away, dragging her saddle, she followed at his
+heels like a dog.
+
+"Diablo! He has a way with horses, hasn't he?" Benito grinned, "Now
+that Montrosa is wilder than a deer."
+
+Alaire rode into the herd with her foreman, while Dave settled his loop
+over a buckskin, preparatory to joining the cowboys.
+
+The giant herd milled and eddied, revolving like a vast pool of deep,
+swift water. The bulls were quarrelsome, the steers were stubborn, and
+the wet cows were distracted. Motherless calves dodged about in
+bewilderment. In and out of this confusion the cowboys rode, following
+the animals selected for separation, forcing them out with devious
+turnings and twistings, and then running them madly in a series of
+breakneck crescent dashes over flats and hummocks, through dust and
+brush, until they had joined the smaller herd of choice animals which
+were to remain on the ranch. It was swift, sweaty, exhausting work, the
+kind these Mexicans loved, for it was not only spectacular, but held an
+element of danger. Once he had secured a pony Dave Law made himself one
+of them.
+
+Alaire sat her horse in the heart of the crowding herd, with a sea of
+rolling eyes, lolling tongues, and clashing horns all about her, and
+watched the Ranger. Good riding she was accustomed to; the horses of
+Las Palmas were trained to this work as bird dogs are trained to
+theirs; they knew how to follow a steer and, as Ed Austin boasted,
+"turn on a dime with a nickel to spare." But Law, it appeared, was a
+born horseman, and seemed to inspire his mount with an exceptional
+eagerness and intelligence. In spite of the man's unusual size, he rode
+like a feather; he was grace and life and youth personified. Now he sat
+as erect in his saddle as a swaying reed; again he stretched himself
+out like a whip-lash. Once he had begun the work he would not stop.
+
+All that afternoon the cowboys labored, and toward sundown the depleted
+herd was driven to the water. It moved thither in a restless, thirsty
+mass; it churned the shallow pond to milk, and from a high knoll, where
+Alaire had taken her stand, she looked down upon a vast undulating
+carpet many acres in extent formed by the backs of living creatures.
+The voice of these cattle was like the bass rumble of the sea, steady,
+heavy-droning, ceaseless.
+
+Then through the cool twilight came the drive to the next pasture, and
+here the patience of the cowboys was taxed to the utmost, for as the
+stronger members of the herd forged ahead, the wearied, worried,
+littlest members fell behind. Their joints were limber, and their legs
+unsteady; one and all were orphaned, too, for in that babel of sound no
+untrained ears could catch a mother's low. A mile of this and the whole
+rear guard was composed of plaintive, wet-eyed little calves who made
+slower and slower progress. Some of them were stubborn and risked all
+upon a spirited dash back toward the homes they were leaving and toward
+the mothers who would not answer. It took hard, sharp riding to run
+them down, for they fled like rabbits, bolting through prickly-pear and
+scrub, their tails bravely aloft, their stiff legs flying. Others, too
+tired and thirsty to go farther, lay down and refused to budge, and
+these had to be carried over the saddlehorn until they had rested. Some
+hid themselves cunningly in the mesquite clumps or burrowed into the
+coarse sagauista grass.
+
+But now those swarthy, dare-devil riders were as gentle as women; they
+urged the tiny youngsters onward with harmless switches or with
+painless blows from loose-coiled riatas; they picked them up in their
+arms and rode with them.
+
+Once through the gate and safe inside the restraining pasture fence,
+the herd was allowed to settle down. Then began a patient search by
+outraged mothers, a series of mournful quests that were destined to
+continue far into the night; endless nosings and sniffings and
+caressings, which would keep up until each cow had found her own, until
+each calf was butting its head against maternal ribs and gaining that
+consolation which it craved.
+
+A new moon was swinging in the sky as Alaire and Dave rode back toward
+Las Palmas. The dry, gray grass was beginning to jewel with dew; the
+paths were ribbons of silver between dark blots of ink where the bushes
+grew. Behind rose the jingle of spurs and bridles, the creak of
+leather, the voices of men. It was an hour in which to talk freely, an
+environment suited to confidences, and Dave Law was happier than he had
+been for years. He closed his eyes to the future, he stopped his ears
+to misgivings; with a song in his heart he rode at the stirrup of the
+woman he adored.
+
+How or when Alaire Austin came to feel that this man loved her she
+never knew. Certainly he gave no voice to his feeling, save, perhaps,
+by some unconscious tone or trick of speech; rather, the knowledge came
+to her intuitively as the result of some subconscious interchange of
+thought, some responsive vibration, which only a psychologist could
+analyze. However it was, Alaire knew to-night that she was dear to her
+companion, and, strange to say, this certainty did not disturb her.
+Inasmuch as the thing existed, why deny its right to exist? she asked
+herself. Since it was in no wise dishonorable, how could it be wrong,
+provided it went no further? Alaire had been repelled by Luis
+Longorio's evident love for her, but a similar emotion in this man's
+breast had quite the opposite effect. She was eager for friendship,
+hungry for affection, starved for that worship which every woman lives
+upon. Having a wholesome confidence in her own strength of character,
+and complete faith in Law's sense of honor, she was neither alarmed nor
+offended.
+
+For the first time in years she allowed her intimate thoughts free
+expression, and spoke of her hopes, her interests, and her efforts;
+under the spell of the moonlight she even confided something about
+those dreams that kept her company and robbed her world of its
+sordidness. Dave Law discovered that she lived in a fanciful land of
+unrealities, and the glimpse he gained of it was delightful.
+
+Supper was waiting when they arrived at Las Palmas, and Dolores
+announced that "Young Ed" had telephoned from the Lewis ranch that he
+would not be home. Yielding to a sudden impulse, Alaire said to her
+companion:
+
+"You must dine with me. Dolores will show you to a room. I will be
+ready in half an hour."
+
+Dave hesitated, but it was not in human nature to refuse. Later, as he
+washed himself and combed his hair, he had a moment of misgivings; but
+the next instant he asked himself wherein he was doing wrong. Surely
+there was no law which denied him the right to love, provided he kept
+that love a secret. The inner voice did not argue with him; yet he was
+disquieted and restless as he paced the big living-room, waiting for
+his hostess.
+
+The Austin ranch-house offered a contrast to the majority of Texas
+country homes. "Young Ed" had built almost a mansion for his bride, and
+in the latter years Alaire had remodeled and changed it to suit her own
+ideas. The verandas were wide, the rooms large and cool and open;
+polished floors, brilliant grass mats, and easy wicker furniture gave
+it a further airiness. The place was comfortable, luxurious; yet it was
+a home and it had an atmosphere.
+
+Not for many years had Dave Law been a guest amid such surroundings,
+and as the moments dragged on he began to feel more and more out of
+place. With growing discomfort he realized that the mistress of this
+residence was the richest woman in all this part of Texas, and that he
+was little better than a tramp. His free life, his lack of care and
+responsibility, had bred in him a certain contempt for money;
+nevertheless, when through the door to the dining-room he saw Alaire
+pause to give a final touch to the table, he was tempted to beat an
+ignominious retreat, for she was a radiant vision in evening dress. She
+was stately, beautiful; her hair was worn high, her arms were bare
+underneath a shimmer of lace, her gown exposed a throat round and
+smooth and adorable. In reality, she was simply clad; but to the
+Ranger's untrained eye she seemed regal, and his own rough clothes
+became painfully conspicuous by contrast.
+
+Alaire knew how to be a gracious and winning hostess; of course she did
+not appear to notice her guest's embarrassment. She had rather welcomed
+the thought that this man cared for her, and yet, had she deliberately
+planned to dampen his feeling, she could hardly have succeeded better
+than by showing him the wide disparity in their lives and situations.
+Dave was dismayed; he felt very poor and ridiculous. Alaire was no
+longer the woman he had ridden with through the solitudes; her very
+friendliness seemed to be a condescension.
+
+He did not linger long after they had dined, for he wished to be alone,
+where he could reach an understanding with himself. On the steps he
+waited just a moment for Alaire to mention, if she chose, that subject
+which they had still left open on the night before. Reading his
+thought, she said:
+
+"You are expecting me to say something about Panfilo Sanchez."
+
+"Yes."
+
+"I have thought it over; in fact, I have been thinking about it all
+day; but even yet I don't know what to tell you. One moment I think the
+truth would merely provoke another act of violence; the next I feel
+that it must be made public regardless of consequences. As for its
+effect upon myself--you know I care very little what people say or
+think."
+
+"I'm sorry I killed the fellow--I shouldn't have done it, but--one sees
+things differently out in the rough and here in the settled country.
+Laws don't work alike in all places; they depend a good deal
+upon--geography. There are times when the theft of a crust of bread
+would warrant the punishment I gave Panfilo. I can't help but feel that
+his conduct, under the circumstances, called for--what he got. He
+wasn't a good man, in spite of what José says; Anto confessed to me
+that they were planning all sorts of deviltry together."
+
+"That is hardly an excuse." Alaire smiled faintly.
+
+"Oh, I know!" Dave agreed. "But, you see, I don't feel the need of one.
+The sentimental side of the affair, which bothers you, doesn't affect
+me in the least."
+
+Alaire nodded. "You have made me understand how you look at things, and
+I must confess that I tolerate actions that would have shocked me
+before I came to know this country. Panfilo is dead and gone--rightly
+or wrongly, I don't know. What I dread now is further consequences."
+
+"Don't weaken on my account."
+
+"No! I'm not thinking of the consequences to you or to me. You are the
+kind of man who can protect himself, I'm sure; your very ability in
+that direction frightens me a little on José's account. But"--she
+sighed and lifted her round shoulders in a shrug--"perhaps time will
+decide this question for us."
+
+Dave laughed with some relief. "I think you've worried yourself enough
+over it, ma'am," he said; "splitting hairs as to what's right and
+what's wrong, when it doesn't matter much, in either case. Suppose you
+continue to think it over at your leisure."
+
+"Perhaps I'd better. And now"--Alaire extended her hand--"won't you and
+Montrosa come to see me once in a while? I'm very lonesome."
+
+"We'd love to," Dave declared. He had it on his lips to say more, but
+at that moment an eager whinny and an impatient rattle of a bridle-bit
+came from the driveway, and he smiled. "There's her acceptance now."
+
+"Oh no! She merely heard your voice, the fickle creature."
+
+Alaire watched her guest until he had disappeared into the shadows,
+then she heard him talking to the mare. Benito's words at the rodeo
+recurred to her, and she wondered if this Ranger might not also have a
+way with women.
+
+The house was very still and empty when she re-entered it.
+
+
+
+
+XVII
+
+THE GUZMAN INCIDENT
+
+
+Ricardo Guzman did not return from Romero. When two days had passed
+with no word from him, his sons became alarmed and started an
+investigation, but without the slightest result. Even Colonel Blanco
+himself could not hazard a guess as to Guzman's fate; the man had
+disappeared, it seemed, completely and mysteriously. Meanwhile, from
+other quarters of the Mexican town came rumors that set the border
+afire.
+
+Readers of this story may remember the famous "Guzman incident," so
+called, and the complications that resulted from it, for at the time it
+raised a storm of indignation as the crowning atrocity of the Mexican
+revolution, serving further to disturb the troubled waters of diplomacy
+and threatening for a moment to upset the precariously balanced
+relations of the two countries.
+
+At first the facts appeared plain: a citizen of the United States had
+been lured across the border and done to death by Mexican soldiers--for
+it soon became evident that Ricardo was dead. The outrage was a casus
+belli such as no self-respecting people could ignore; so ran the
+popular verdict. Then when that ominous mailed serpent which lay coiled
+along the Rio Grande stirred itself, warlike Americans prepared
+themselves to hear of big events.
+
+A motive for Ricardo Guzman's murder was not lacking, for it was
+generally known that President Potosi had long resented Yankee enmity,
+particularly as that enmity was directed at him personally. A
+succession of irritating diplomatic skirmishes, an unsatisfactory
+series of verbal sparring matches, had roused the old Indian's anger,
+and it was considered likely that he had adopted this means of
+permanently severing his relations with Washington.
+
+Of course, the people of Texas were delighted that the long-delayed
+hour had struck; accordingly, when the State Department seemed
+strangely loath to investigate the matter, when, in fact, it manifested
+a willingness to allow Don Ricardo ample time in which to come to life
+in preference to putting a further strain upon international relations,
+they were both surprised and enraged. Telegraph wires began to buzz;
+the governor of the state sent a crisply sarcastic message to the
+national capital, offering to despatch a company of Rangers after
+Guzman's body just to prove that he was indeed dead and that the
+Mexican authorities were lying when they professed ignorance of the
+fact.
+
+This offer not only caught the popular fancy north of the Rio Grande,
+but it likewise had an effect on the other side of the river, for on
+the very next day General Luis Longorio set out for Romero to
+investigate personally the rancher's disappearance.
+
+Now, throughout all this public clamor, truth, as usual, lay hidden at
+the bottom of its well, and few even of Ricardo's closest friends
+suspected the real reason for his murder.
+
+Jonesville, of course, could think or talk of little else than this
+outrage, and Blaze Jones, as befitted its leading citizen, was loudest
+in his criticism of the government's weak-kneed policy.
+
+"It makes me right sore to think I'm an American," he confided to Dave.
+"Why, if Ricardo had been an Englishman the British consul at Mexico
+City would have called on Potosi the minute the news came. He'd have
+stuck a six-shooter under the President's nose and made him locate Don
+Ricardo, or pay an indemnity and kiss the Union Jack." Blaze's
+conception of diplomacy was peculiar. "If Potosi didn't talk straight
+that British consul would have bent a gun-bar'l over the old ruffian's
+bean and telephoned for a couple hundred battle-ships. England protects
+her sons. But we Americans are cussed with notions of brotherly love
+and universal peace. Bah! We're bound to have war, Dave, some day or
+other. Why not start it now?"
+
+Dave nodded his agreement. "Yes. We'll have to step in and take the
+country over, sooner or later. But--everybody has the wrong idea of
+this Guzman killing. The Federal officers in Romero didn't frame it up."
+
+"No? Who did?"
+
+"Tad Lewis."
+
+Jones started. "What makes you think that?"
+
+"Listen! Tad was afraid to let Urbina come to trial--you remember one
+of his men boasted that the case would never be heard? Well, it won't.
+Ricardo's dead and the other witness is gone. Now draw your own
+conclusions."
+
+"Gone? You mean the fellow who saw Urbina and Garza together?"
+
+"Yes. He has disappeared, too--evidently frightened away."
+
+Jones was amazed. "Say, Dave," he cried, "that means your case has
+blown up, eh?"
+
+"Absolutely. Lewis has been selling 'wet' stock to the Federals, and he
+probably arranged with some of them to murder Ricardo. At any rate,
+that's my theory."
+
+Blaze cursed eloquently. "I'd like to hang it on to Tad; I'd sure clean
+house down his way if I was positive."
+
+"I sent a man over to Romero," Dave explained further. "He tells me
+Ricardo is dead, all right; but nobody knows how he died, or why.
+There's a new grave in the little cemetery above the town, but nobody
+knows who's buried in it. There hasn't been a death in Romero lately."
+The speaker watched his friend closely. "Ricardo's family would like to
+have his body, and I'd like to see it myself. Wouldn't you? We could
+tell just what happened to him. If he really faced a firing-squad, for
+instance--I reckon Washington would have something to say, eh?"
+
+"What are you aimin' at?" Blaze inquired.
+
+"If we had Ricardo's body on this side it would put an end to all the
+lies, and perhaps force Colonel Blanco to make known the real facts. It
+might even mean a case against Tad Lewis. What do you think of my
+reasoning?"
+
+"It's eighteen karat. What d'you say we go over there and get Ricardo?"
+
+Dave smiled. "That's what I've been leading up to. Will you take a
+chance?"
+
+"Hell, yes!"
+
+"I knew you would. All we need is a pair of Mexicans to--do the work. I
+liked Ricardo; I owe him something."
+
+"Suppose we're caught?"
+
+"In that case we'll have to run for it, and--I presume I'll be
+discharged from the Ranger service."
+
+"I ain't very good at runnin'--not from Mexicans." Blaze's eyes were
+bright and hard at the thought. "It's more'n possible that, if they
+discover us, we can start a nice little war of our own."
+
+That evening Dave managed to get his Ranger captain by long-distance
+telephone, and for some time the two talked guardedly. When Dave rang
+off they had come to a thorough understanding.
+
+It had been an easy matter for José Sanchez to secure a leave of
+absence from Las Palmas, especially since Benito was not a little
+interested in the unexplained disappearance of Panfilo and work was
+light at this time. Benito did not think it necessary to mention the
+horse-breaker's journey to his employer; so that Alaire knew nothing
+whatever about the matter until José himself asked permission to see
+her on a matter of importance.
+
+The man had ridden hard most of the previous night, and his excitement
+was patent. Even before he spoke Alaire realized that Panfilo's fate
+was known to him, and she decided swiftly that there must be no further
+concealment.
+
+"Señora! A terrible thing!" José burst forth. "God knows, I am nearly
+mad with grief. It is about my sainted cousin. It is strange,
+unbelievable! My head whirls--"
+
+Alaire quieted him, saying in Spanish, "Calm yourself, José, and tell
+me everything from the beginning."
+
+"But how can I be calm? Oh, what a crime! What a misfortune! Well,
+then, Panfilo is completely dead. I rode to that tanque where you saw
+him last, and what do you think? But--you know?"
+
+Alaire nodded. "I--suspected."
+
+José's dark face blazed; he bent forward eagerly. "What did you
+suspect, and why? Tell me all. There is something black and hellish
+here, and I must know about it quickly."
+
+"Suppose you tell me your story first," Alaire answered, "and remember
+that you are excited."
+
+The Mexican lowered his voice. "Bueno! Forgive me if I seem half
+crazed. Well, I rode to that water-hole and found--nothing. It is a
+lonely place; only the brush cattle use it; but I said to myself,
+'Panfilo drank here. He was here. Beyond there is nothing. So I will
+begin.' God was my helper, señora. I found him--his bones as naked and
+clean as pebbles. Caramba! You should have heard me then! I was like a
+demon! I couldn't think, I couldn't reason. I rode from that accursed
+spot as if Panfilo's ghost pursued me and--I am here. I shall rouse the
+country; the people shall demand the blood of my cousin's assassin. It
+is the crime of a century."
+
+"Wait! When you spoke to me last I didn't dream that Panfilo was dead,
+but since then I have learned the truth, and why he was killed. You
+must let me tell you everything, José, just as it happened; then--you
+may do whatever you think best. And you shall have the whole truth."
+
+It was a trying situation; in spite of her brave beginning, Alaire was
+tempted to send the Mexican on to Jonesville, there to receive an
+explanation directly from David Law himself; but such a course she
+dared not risk. José was indeed half crazed, and at this moment quite
+irresponsible; if he met Dave, terrible consequences would surely
+follow. Accordingly, it was with a peculiar, apprehensive flatter in
+her breast that Alaire realized the crisis had come. Heretofore she had
+blamed Law, but now, oddly enough, she found herself interested in
+defending him. As calmly as she could she related all that had led up
+to the tragedy, while José listened with eyes wide and mouth open.
+
+"You see, I had no suspicion of the truth," she concluded. "It was a
+terrible thing, and Mr. Law regrets it deeply. He would have made a
+report to the authorities, only--he feared it might embarrass me. He
+will repeat to you all that I have said, and he is ready to meet the
+consequences."
+
+José was torn with rage, yet plainly a prey to indecision; he rolled
+his eyes and cursed under his breath. "These Rangers!" he muttered.
+"That is the kind of men they are. They murder honest people."
+
+"This was not murder," Alaire cried, sharply. "Panfilo was aiding a
+felon to escape. The courts will not punish Mr. Law."
+
+"Bah! Who cares for the courts? This man is a Gringo, and these are
+Gringo laws. But I am Mexican, and Panfilo was my cousin. We shall see."
+
+Alaire's eyes darkened. "Don't be rash, José," she exclaimed,
+warningly. "Mr. Law bears you no ill-will, but--he is a dangerous man.
+You would do well to make some inquiries about him. You are a good man;
+you have a long life before you." Reading the fellow's black look, she
+argued: "You think I am taking his part because he is my countryman,
+but he needs no one to defend him. He will make this whole story public
+and face the consequences. I like you, and I don't wish to see you come
+to a worse end than your cousin Panfilo."
+
+José continued to glower. Then, turning away, he said, without meeting
+his employer's eyes, "I would like to draw my money."
+
+"Very well. I am sorry to have you leave Las Palmas, for I have
+regarded you as one of my gente." José's face remained stony. "What do
+you intend to do? Where are you going?"
+
+The fellow shrugged. "Quien sabe! Perhaps I shall go to my General
+Longorio. He is in Romero, just across the river; he knows a brave man
+when he sees one, and he needs fellows like me to kill rebels. Well,
+you shall hear of me. People will tell you about that demon of a José
+whose cousin was murdered by the Rangers. Yes, I have the heart of a
+bandit."
+
+Alaire smiled faintly. "You will be shot," she told him. "Those
+soldiers have little to eat and no money at all."
+
+But José's bright eyes remained hostile and his expression baffling. It
+was plain to Alaire that her explanation of his cousin's death had
+carried not the slightest conviction, and she even began to fear that
+her part in the affair had caused him to look upon her as an accessory.
+Nevertheless, when she paid him his wages she gave him a good horse,
+which José accepted with thanks but without gratitude. As Alaire
+watched him ride away with never a backward glance she decided that she
+must lose no time in apprising the Ranger of this new condition of
+affairs.
+
+She drove her automobile to Jonesville that afternoon, more worried
+than she cared to admit. It was a moral certainty, she knew, that José
+Sanchez would, sooner or later, attempt to take vengeance upon his
+cousin's slayer, and there was no telling when he might become
+sufficiently inflamed with poisonous Mexican liquor to be in the mood
+for killing. Then, too, there were friends of Panfilo always ready to
+lend bad counsel.
+
+Law was nowhere in town, and so, in spite of her reluctance, Alaire was
+forced to look for him at the Joneses' home. As she had never called
+upon Paloma, and had made it almost impossible for the girl to visit
+Las Palmas, the meeting of the two women was somewhat formal. But no
+one could long remain stiff or constrained with Paloma Jones; the girl
+had a directness of manner and an honest, friendly smile that simply
+would not be denied. Her delight that Alaire had come to see her
+pleased and shamed the elder woman, who hesitatingly confessed the
+object of her visit.
+
+"Oh, I thought you were calling on me." Paloma pouted her pretty lips.
+"Dave isn't here. He and father--have gone away." A little pucker of
+apprehension appeared upon her brow.
+
+"I must get word to him at once."
+
+Miss Jones shook her head. "Is it very important?"
+
+It needed no close observation to discover the concern in Paloma's
+eyes; Alaire told her story quickly. "Mr. Law must be warned right
+away," she added, "for the man is capable of anything."
+
+Paloma nodded. "Dave told us how he had killed Panfilo--" She
+hesitated, and then cried, impulsively: "Mrs. Austin, I'm going to
+confess something--I've got to tell somebody or I'll burst. I was
+walking the floor when you came. Well, Dad and Dave have completely
+lost their wits. They have gone across the river--to get Ricardo
+Guzman's body."
+
+"What?" Alaire stared at the girl uncomprehendingly.
+
+"They are going to dig him up and bring him back to prove that he was
+killed. Dave knows where he's buried, and he's doing this for Ricardo's
+family--some foolish sentiment about a bridle--but Dad, I think, merely
+wants to start a war between the United States and Mexico."
+
+"My dear girl, aren't you dreaming?"
+
+"I thought I must be when I heard about it. Dad wouldn't have told me
+at all, only he thought I ought to know in case anything happens to
+him." Paloma's breath failed her momentarily. "They'll be killed. I
+told them so, but Dave seems to enjoy the risk. He said Ricardo had a
+sentimental nature--and, of course, the possibility of danger delighted
+both him and Dad. They're perfect fools."
+
+"When did they go? Tell me everything."
+
+"They left an hour ago in my machine, with two Mexicans to help them.
+They intend to cross at your pumping-plant as soon as it gets dark, and
+be back by mid-night--that is, if they ever get back."
+
+"Why, it's--unbelievable."
+
+"It's too much for me. Longorio himself is in Romero, and he'd have
+them shot if he caught them. We'd never even hear of it." Paloma's face
+was pale, her eyes were strained and tragic. "Father always has been a
+trial to me, but I thought I could do something with Dave." She made a
+hopeless gesture, and Alaire wondered momentarily whether the girl's
+anxiety was keenest for the safety of her father or--the other?
+
+"Can't we prevent them from going?" she inquired. "Why, they are
+breaking the law, aren't they?"
+
+"Something like that. But what can we do? It's nearly dark, and they'll
+go, anyhow, regardless of what we say."
+
+"Mr. Law is a Ranger, too!"
+
+The girl nodded. "Oh, if it's ever discovered he'll be ruined. And
+think of Dad--a man of property! Dave declares Tad Lewis is at the
+bottom of it all and put the Federals up to murder Ricardo; he thinks
+in this way he can force them into telling the truth. But Dad is just
+looking for a fight and wants to be a hero!"
+
+There was a moment of silence. Then Alaire reasoned aloud: "I presume
+they chose our pumping-plant because it is directly opposite the Romero
+cemetery. I could have Benito and some trusty men waiting on this side.
+Or I could even send them over--"
+
+"No, no! Don't you understand? The whole thing is illegal."
+
+"Well, we could be there--you and I."
+
+Paloma agreed eagerly. "Yes! Maybe we could even help them if they got
+into trouble."
+
+"Come, then! We'll have supper at Las Palmas and slip down to the river
+and wait."
+
+Paloma was gone with a rush. In a moment she returned, ready for the
+trip, and with her she carried a Winchester rifle nearly as long as
+herself.
+
+"I hope you aren't afraid of firearms," she panted. "I've owned this
+gun for years."
+
+"I am rather a good shot," Alaire told her.
+
+Paloma closed her lips firmly. "Good! Maybe we'll come in handy, after
+all. Anyhow, I'll bet those Mexicans won't chase Dad and Dave very far."
+
+José Sanchez was true to his declared purpose. With a horse of his own
+between his knees, with money in his pocket and hate in his heart, he
+left Las Palmas, and, riding to the Lewis crossing, forded the Rio
+Grande. By early afternoon he was in Romero, and there, after some
+effort, he succeeded in finding General Longorio.
+
+Romero, at this time the southern outpost of Federal territory,
+standing guard against the Rebel forces in Tamaulipas, is a sun-baked
+little town sprawling about a naked plaza, and, except for the presence
+of Colonel Blanco's detachment of troops, it would have presented much
+the same appearance as any one of the lazy border villages. A scow
+ferry had at one time linked it on the American side with a group of
+'dobe houses which were sanctified by the pious name of Sangre de
+Cristo, but of late years more advantageous crossings above and below
+had come into some use and Romero's ferry had been abandoned. Perhaps a
+mile above Sangre de Cristo, and directly opposite Romero's weed-grown
+cemetery, stood the pumping-plant of Las Palmas, its corrugated iron
+roof and high-flung chimney forming a conspicuous landmark.
+
+Luis Longorio had just awakened from his siesta when José gained
+admittance to his presence. The general lay at ease in the best bed of
+the best house in the village; he greeted the new-comer with a smile.
+
+"So, my brave José, you wish to become a soldier and fight for your
+country, eh?"
+
+"Yes, my general."
+
+Longorio yawned and stretched lazily. "Body of Christ! This is a hard
+life. Here am I in this goatherd's hovel, hot, dirty, and half starved,
+and all because of a fellow I never saw who got himself killed. You
+would think this Ricardo was an Englishman instead of a Gringo, for the
+fuss that is made. Who was he? Some great jefe?
+
+"A miserable fellow. I knew him well. Then he is indeed dead?"
+
+"Quite dead, I believe," Longorio said, carelessly; then turning his
+large, bright eyes upon the visitor, he continued, with more interest,
+"Now tell me about the beautiful señora, your mistress."
+
+José scowled. "She's not my mistress. I am no longer of her gente. I
+have a debt of blood to wipe out."
+
+Longorio sat up in his bed; the smile left his face. "My José", he
+said, quietly, "if you harm her in the least I shall bury you to the
+neck in an ant's nest and fill your mouth with honey. Now, what is this
+you are telling me?"
+
+José, uncomfortably startled by this barbarous threat, told as
+connectedly as he knew how all about his cousin's death and his reasons
+for leaving Las Palmas.
+
+"Ah-h!" Longorio relaxed. "You gave me a start. At first I thought you
+came with a message from her--but that was too much to expect; then I
+feared you meant the lady some evil. Now I shall tell you a little
+secret: I love your señora! Yes, I love her madly, furiously; I can
+think of nothing but her. I came to this abominable village more to see
+her than to annoy myself over the death of Ricardo Guzman. I must see
+my divinity; I must hear her blessed voice, or I shall go mad. Why do I
+tell you this? Because I have decided that you shall lead me to her
+to-night." The general fell silent for a moment, then, "I intend to
+have her some day, José, and--perhaps you will be my right hand. See, I
+make you my confidant because you will not dare to anger me or--Well,
+my little friend, you must understand what fate would befall you in
+that case. I can reach across the Rio Grande."
+
+Amazement and then fear were depicted in José's face as he listened; he
+asserted his loyalty vehemently.
+
+"Yes, yes, I know you love me," the general agreed, carelessly. "But
+what is far more to the point, I intend to pay well for your services.
+Perhaps I shall also arrange so that you may have a reckoning with the
+murderer of your cousin. What is his name?"
+
+It was José's opportunity to make an impression, and he used it to the
+full, telling all that he knew of the killing of Panfilo, and
+describing Law with the eloquence of hatred.
+
+Longorio listened for a time, and then held up his hand. "Enough. For
+my sake, too, you shall kill him, for you have made me jealous."
+
+"Impossible!" José raised protesting palms. He was sure the general was
+wrong. Señora Austin was above suspicion of any kind.
+
+"And yet this man met her in Pueblo and rode with her to Las Palmas? He
+comes to see her frequently, you say?" The general bent his bright,
+keen eyes upon the visitor.
+
+"Yes. She gave him the finest horse at Las Palmas, too, and--" A new
+thought presented itself to José. "Ho! By the way, they were alone at
+the water-hole when my cousin Panfilo was shot. Now that I think of it,
+they were alone together for a day and a night. I begin to wonder--"
+
+Longorio breathed an oath and swung his long legs over the edge of the
+bed. "You have poisoned my mind. A whole day and night, eh? That is
+bad. What happened? What kind of a fool is her husband? I cannot bear
+to think of this! See, I am beside myself. Caramba! I live in paradise;
+I come flying on the wings of the wind, only to learn that my blessed
+divinity has a lover. If only my excellent Blanco had shot this fellow
+Law instead of that Guzman! If only I could lay hands upon him here in
+Mexico! Ha! There would be something to print in the American papers."
+He began to dress himself feverishly, muttering, as he did so: "I will
+permit no one to come between us. ... The thought kills me. ... You
+bring me bad news, José, and yet I am glad you came. I accept your
+offer, and you shall be my man henceforth; ... but you shall not go out
+to be shot by those rebels. No, you shall return to Las Palmas to be my
+eyes and my ears, and, when the time comes, you shall be my hands, too.
+... I will avenge your cousin Panfilo for you, my word on that. Yes,
+and I will make you a rich man."
+
+José listened hungrily to these promises. He was relieved at the change
+in his plans, for, after all, a soldier's life offered few attractions,
+and--the food at Las Palmas was good. The general promised him fine
+wages, too. Truly, it was fortunate that he had come to Romero.
+
+"Now we have settled this," José's new employer declared, "run away and
+amuse yourself until dark. Then we will take a little journey by way of
+the old ferry."
+
+"It is not altogether safe," ventured José. "That country over there is
+alive with refugees."
+
+"I will take some men with me," said Longorio. "Now go and let me
+think."
+
+
+
+
+XVIII
+
+ED AUSTIN TURNS AT BAY
+
+
+Had it not been for her fears, Paloma Jones would have taken her visit
+to the Austin ranch as an unmixed enjoyment. To her Alaire had always
+been an ideally romantic figure. More than once, in her moments of
+melancholy, Paloma had envied Mrs. Austin's unhappiness and yearned to
+bear a similar sorrow--to be crossed in love and to become known as a
+woman of tragedy. To have one's life blasted, one's happiness slain by
+some faithless lover, impressed the girl as interesting, thrilling.
+Moreover, it was a misfortune calculated to develop one's highest
+spiritual nature. Surely nothing could be more sadly satisfying than to
+live alone with regretful memories and to have the privilege of
+regarding the world as a vain show. Unfortunately, however, Paloma was
+too healthy and too practical to remain long occupied with such
+thoughts. She was disgustingly optimistic and merry; misanthropy was
+entirely lacking in her make-up; and none of her admirers seemed the
+least bit inclined to faithlessness. On the contrary, the men she knew
+were perfect nuisances in their earnestness of purpose, and she could
+not manage to fall in love with any one sufficiently depraved to
+promise her the slightest misery. Paloma felt that she was hopelessly
+commonplace.
+
+Now that she had an opportunity of becoming better acquainted with the
+object of her envy, she made the most of it. She soon found, however,
+that Alaire possessed anything but an unhappy disposition, and that to
+pity her was quite impossible. Mrs. Austin was shy and retiring,
+certainly, at first, but, once the ice was broken, she was delightfully
+frank, friendly, and spirited.
+
+Paloma's curiosity was all-consuming, and she explored every phase of
+her new friend's life with interest and delight. She even discovered
+that imaginary world of Alaire's, and learned something about those
+visionary people who bore her company.
+
+"It must be lots of fun," said Paloma.
+
+"Yes. Sometimes my dream-people are very real, Why--I can actually see
+them. Then I realize I have been too much alone."
+
+"You ought to have children," the girl declared, calmly.
+
+"I have. Yes! Imaginary kiddies--and they are perfect dears, too."
+
+"Are they ever naughty?"
+
+"Oh, indeed they are! And I have to punish them. Then I feel terribly.
+But they're much nicer than flesh-and-blood children, for they have no
+bad traits whatever, and they're so amazingly intelligent."
+
+Such exchanges of confidence drew the women into fairly close relations
+by the time they had arrived at Las Palmas, but the thought of what had
+brought them together had a sobering effect, and during their hasty
+supper they discussed the situation in all its serious phases.
+
+In offering to lend a hand in this difficulty, Alaire had acted largely
+upon impulse, and now that she took time to think over the affair more
+coolly, she asked herself what possible business of hers it could be.
+How did this effort to secure Don Ricardo's body concern her? And how
+could she hope or expect to be of help to the men engaged in the
+hazardous attempt? With Paloma, of course, it was different: the girl
+was anxious on her father's account, and probably concerned more deeply
+than was Alaire for the safety of Dave Law. Probably she and Dave had
+an understanding--it would be natural. Well, Paloma was a nice girl and
+she would make a splendid wife for any man.
+
+For her part, Paloma was troubled by no uncertainty of purpose; it did
+not seem to her at all absurd to go to her father's assistance, and she
+was so eager to be up and away that the prospect of a long evening's
+wait made her restless.
+
+As usual, Ed Austin had not taken the trouble to inform his wife of his
+whereabouts; Alaire was relieved to find that he was out, and she
+decided that he had probably stayed at Tad Lewis's for supper.
+
+The women were seated on the porch after their meals when up the
+driveway rode two horsemen. A moment later a tall figure mounted the
+steps and came forward with outstretched hand, crying, in Spanish:
+
+"Señora! I surprise you. Well, I told you some day I should give myself
+this great pleasure. I am here!"
+
+"General Longorio! But--what a surprise!" Alaire's amazement was naive;
+her face was that of a startled school-girl. The Mexican warmly kissed
+her fingers, then turned to meet Paloma Jones. As he bowed the women
+exchanged glances over his head. Miss Jones looked frankly frightened,
+and her expression plainly asked the meaning of Longorio's presence. To
+herself, she was wondering if it could have anything to do with that
+expedition to the Romero cemetery. She tried to compose herself, but
+apprehension flooded her.
+
+Alaire, meanwhile, her composure recovered, was standing slim and
+motionless beside her chair, inquiring smoothly: "What brings you into
+Texas at such a time, my dear general? This is quite extraordinary."
+
+"Need you ask me?" cried the man. "I would ride through a thousand
+perils, señora. God in his graciousness placed that miserable village
+Romero close to the gates of Heaven. Why should I not presume to look
+through them briefly? I came two days ago, and every hour since then I
+have turned my eyes in the direction of Las Palmas. At last I could
+wait no longer." A courtly bow at the conclusion of these words robbed
+the speech of its audacity and tinged it with the licensed extravagance
+of Latin flattery. Nevertheless, Paloma gasped and Alaire stirred
+uncomfortably. The semi-darkness of the veranda was an invitation to
+even more daring compliments, and, therefore, as she murmured a polite
+word of welcome, Alaire stepped through the French window at her back
+and into the brightly lighted living-room. Paloma Jones followed as if
+in a trance.
+
+Longorio's bright eyes took a swift inventory of his surroundings; then
+he sighed luxuriously.
+
+"How fine!" said he. "How beautiful! A nest for a bird of paradise!"
+
+"Don't you consider this rather a mad adventure?" Alaire insisted.
+"Suppose it should become known that you crossed the river?"
+
+Longorio snapped his fingers. "I answer to no one; I am supreme. But
+your interest warms my heart; it thrills me to think you care for my
+safety. Thus am I repaid for my days of misery."
+
+"You surely did not"--Paloma swallowed hard--"come alone?"
+
+"No. I have a duty to my country. I said, 'Luis, you are a brave man,
+and fear is a stranger to you, but, nevertheless, you must have regard
+for the Fatherland'; so I took measures to protect myself in case of
+eventualities."
+
+"How?"
+
+"By bringing with me some of my troopers. Oh, they are peaceable
+fellows!" he declared, quickly; "and they are doubtless enjoying
+themselves with our friend and sympathizer, Morales."
+
+"Where?" asked Alaire.
+
+"I left them at your pumping-plant, señora." Paloma Jones sat down
+heavily in the nearest chair. "But you need have no uneasiness. They
+are quiet and orderly; they will molest nothing; no one would believe
+them to be soldiers. I take liberties with the laws and the customs of
+your country, dear lady, but--you would not care for a man who allowed
+such considerations to stand in his way, eh?"
+
+Alaire answered, sharply: "It was a very reckless thing to do, and--you
+must not remain here."
+
+"Yes, yes!" Paloma eagerly agreed. "You must go back at once."
+
+But Longorio heard no voice except Alaire's. In fact, since entering
+the living-room he had scarcely taken his eyes from her. Now he drew
+his evenly arched brows together in a plaintive frown, saying, "You are
+inhospitable!" Then his expression lightened. "Or is it," he asked--"is
+it that you are indeed apprehensive for me?"
+
+Alaire tried to speak quietly. "I should never forgive myself if you
+came to harm here at my ranch."
+
+Longorio sighed. "And I hoped for a warmer welcome--especially since I
+have done you another favor. You saw that hombre who came with me?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+"Well, you would never guess that it is your José Sanchez, whom I
+prevailed upon to return to your employ. But it is no other; and he
+comes to beg your forgiveness for leaving. He was distracted at the
+news of his cousin's murder, and came to me--"
+
+"His cousin was not murdered."
+
+"Exactly! I told him so when I had learned the facts. A poor fellow
+this Panfilo--evidently a very bad man, indeed--but José admired him
+and was harboring thoughts of revenge. I said to him: 'José, my boy, it
+is better to do nothing than to act wrongly. Since it was God's will
+that your cousin came to a bad end, why follow in his footsteps? You
+will not make a good soldier. Go back to your beautiful employer, be
+loyal to her, and think no more about this unhappy affair.' It required
+some argument, I assure you, but--he is here. He comes to ask your
+forgiveness and to resume his position of trust."
+
+"I am glad to have him back if he feels that way. I have nothing
+whatever to forgive him."
+
+"Then he will be happy, and I have served you. That is the end of the
+matter." With a graceful gesture Longorio dismissed the subject. "Is it
+to be my pleasure," he next inquired, "to meet Señor Austin, your
+husband?"
+
+"I am afraid not."
+
+"Too bad. I had hoped to know him and convince him that we Federales
+are not such a bad people as he seems to think. We ought to be friends,
+he and I. Every loyal Mexican, in these troublesome times, desires the
+goodwill and friendship of such important personages as Señor Austin.
+This animosity is a sad thing."
+
+Under this flow of talk Paloma stirred uneasily, and at the first
+opportunity burst out: "It's far from safe for you to remain here,
+General Longorio. This neighborhood is terribly excited over the death
+of Ricardo Guzman, and if any one learned--"
+
+"So! Then this Guzman is dead?" Longorio inquired, with interest.
+
+"Isn't he?" blurted Paloma.
+
+"Not so far as I can learn. Only to-day I made official report that
+nothing whatever could be discovered about him. Certainly he is nowhere
+in Romero, and it is my personal belief that the poor fellow was either
+drowned in the river or made way with for his money. Probably the truth
+will never be known. It is a distressing event, but I assure you my
+soldiers do not kill American citizens. It is our boast that Federal
+territory is safe; one can come or go at will in any part of Mexico
+that is under Potosista control. I sincerely hope that we have heard
+the last of this Guzman affair."
+
+Longorio had come to spend the evening, and his keen pleasure in Alaire
+Austin's company made him so indifferent to his personal safety that
+nothing short of a rude dismissal would have served to terminate his
+visit. Neither Alaire nor her companion, however, had the least idea
+how keenly he resented the presence of Paloma Jones. Ed Austin's
+absence he had half expected, and he had wildly hoped for an evening,
+an hour, a few moments, alone with the object of his desires. José's
+disclosures, earlier in the day, had opened the general's eyes; they
+had likewise inflamed him with jealousy and with passion, and
+accordingly he had come prepared to force his attentions with
+irresistible fervor should the slightest opportunity offer. To find
+Alaire securely chaperoned, therefore, and to be compelled to press his
+ardent advances in the presence of a third party, was like gall to him;
+the fact that he made the most of his advantages, even at the cost of
+scandalizing Paloma, spoke volumes for his determination.
+
+It was a remarkable wooing; on the one hand this half-savage man,
+gnawed by jealousy, heedless of the illicit nature of his passion, yet
+held within the bounds of decorum by some fag-end of respectability;
+and on the other hand, a woman, bored, resentful, and tortured at the
+moment by fear about what was happening at the river-bank.
+
+Alaire, too, had a further cause for worry. Of late Ed Austin had grown
+insultingly suspicious. More than once he had spoken of Dave Law in a
+way to make his wife's face crimson, and he had wilfully misconstrued
+her recital of Longorio's attentions. Fearing, therefore, that in spite
+of Paloma Jones's presence Ed would resent the general's call, Alaire
+strained her ears for the sound of his coming.
+
+It was late when Austin arrived. Visitors at Las Palmas were unusual at
+any time; hence the sound of strange voices in the brightly lighted
+living-room at such an hour surprised him. He came tramping in, booted
+and spurred, a belligerent look of inquiry upon his bloated features.
+But when he had met his wife's guests his surprise turned to black
+displeasure. His own sympathies in the Mexican struggle were so
+notorious that Longorio's presence seemed to him to have but one
+possible significance. Why Paloma Jones was here he could not imagine.
+
+Thus far Alaire's caller had succeeded in ignoring Miss Jones, and now,
+with equal self-assurance, he refused to recognize Ed's hostility. He
+remained at ease, and appeared to welcome this chance of meeting
+Austin. Yet it soon became evident that his opinion of his host was far
+from flattering; beneath his politeness he began to show an amused
+contempt, which Alaire perceived, even though her husband did not. Luis
+Longorio was the sort of man who enjoys a strained situation, and one
+who shows to the best advantage under adverse conditions. Accordingly,
+Ed's arrival, instead of hastening his departure, merely served to
+prolong his stay.
+
+It was growing very late now, and Paloma was frantic. Profiting by her
+first opportunity, she whispered to Alaire "For God's sake, send him
+away."
+
+Alaire's eyes were dark with excitement, "Yes," said she. "Talk to him,
+and give me a chance to have a word alone with Ed."
+
+The opportunity came when Austin went into the dining-room for a drink.
+Alaire excused herself to follow him. When they were out of sight and
+hearing her husband turned upon her with an ugly frown.
+
+"What's that Greaser doing here?" he asked, roughly.
+
+"He called to pay his respects. You must get him away."
+
+"_I_ must?" Ed glowered at her. "Why don't you? You got him here in my
+absence. Now that I'm home you want me to get rid of him, eh? What's
+the idea?"
+
+"Don't be silly. I didn't know he was coming and--he must be crazy to
+risk such a thing."
+
+"Crazy?" Ed's lip curled. "He isn't crazy. I suppose he couldn't stay
+away any longer. By God, Alaire--"
+
+Alaire checked this outburst with a sharp exclamation: "Don't make a
+scene! Don't you understand he holds over fifty thousand dollars' worth
+of La Feria cattle? Don't you understand we can't antagonize him?"
+
+"Is that what he came to see you about?"
+
+"Yes." She bit her lip. "I'll explain everything, but--you must help me
+send him back, right away." Glancing at the clock, Alaire saw that it
+was drawing on toward midnight; with quick decision she seized her
+husband by the arm, explaining feverishly: "There is something big
+going on to-night, Ed! Longorio brought a guard of soldiers with him
+and left them at our pump-house. Well, it so happens that Blaze Jones
+and Mr. Law have gone to the Romero cemetery to get Ricardo Guzman's
+body."
+
+"WHAT?" Austin's red face paled, his eyes bulged.
+
+"Yes. That's why Paloma is here. They crossed at our pumping-station,
+and they'll be back at any time, now. If they encounter Longorio's
+men--You understand?"
+
+"God Almighty!" Austin burst forth. "Ricardo Guzman's body!" He wet his
+lips and swallowed with difficulty. "Why--do they want the body?"
+
+"To prove that he is really dead and--to prove who killed him." Noting
+the effect of these words, Alaire cried, sharply, "What's the matter,
+Ed?"
+
+But Austin momentarily was beyond speech. The decanter from which he
+was trying to pour himself a drink played a musical tattoo upon his
+glass; his face had become ashen and pasty.
+
+"Have they got the body? Do they know who shot him?" he asked, dully.
+
+"No, no!" Alaire was trembling with impatience. "Don't you understand?
+They are over there now, and they'll be back about midnight. If
+Longorio had come alone, or if he had left his men at Sangre de Cristo,
+everything would be all right. But those soldiers at Morales's house
+will be up and awake. Why, it couldn't have happened worse!" "How many
+men has he got?" Austin nodded in the direction of the front room.
+
+"I don't know. Probably four or five. What ails you?"
+
+"That--won't do. They won't--fight on this side of the river.
+They--they'd hold them off."
+
+"Who? What are you talking about?"
+
+Something in her husband's inexplicable agitation, something in the
+hunted, desperate way in which his eyes were running over the room,
+alarmed Alaire.
+
+Ed utterly disregarded her question. Catching sight of the telephone,
+which stood upon a stand in the far corner of the room, he ran to it
+and, snatching the receiver, violently oscillated the hook.
+
+"Don't do that!" Alaire cried, following him. "Wait! It mustn't get
+out."
+
+"Hello! Give me the Lewis ranch--quick--I've forgotten the number."
+With his free hand Ed held his wife at a distance, muttering harshly:
+"Get away now! I know what I'm doing. Get away--damn you!" He flung
+Alaire from him as she tried to snatch the instrument out of his hands.
+
+"What do you want of Lewis?" she panted.
+
+"None of your business. You keep away or I'll hurt you."
+
+"Ed!" she cried, "Are you out of your mind? You mustn't--"
+
+Their voices were raised now, heedless of the two people In the
+adjoining room.
+
+"Keep your hands off, I tell you. Hello! Is that you, Tad?" Again
+Austin thrust his wife violently aside. "Listen! I've just learned that
+Dave Law and old man Jones have crossed over to dig up Ricardo's body.
+Yes, to-night! They're over there now--be back inside of an hour."
+
+Alaire leaned weakly against the table, her frightened eyes fixed upon
+the speaker. Even yet she could not fully grasp the meaning of her
+husband's behavior and tried to put aside those fears that were
+distracting her. Perhaps, after all, she told herself, Ed was taking
+his own way to--
+
+"Yes! They aim to discover how he was killed and all about it. Sure! I
+suppose they found out where he was buried. They crossed at my
+pumping-plant, and they'll be back with the body to-night, if they
+haven't already--" The speaker's voice broke, his hand was shaking so
+that he could scarcely retain his hold upon the telephone. "How the
+hell do I know?" he chattered. "It's up to you. You've got a machine--"
+
+"ED!" cried the wife. She went toward him on weak, unsteady feet, but
+she halted as the voice of Longorio cut in sharply:
+
+"What's this I hear? Ricardo Guzman's body?" Husband and wife turned.
+The open double-door to the living-room framed the tall figure of the
+Mexican general.
+
+
+
+
+XIX
+
+RANGERS
+
+
+Longorio stared first at the huddled, perspiring man beside the
+telephone and then at the frightened woman. "Is that the truth?" he
+demanded, harshly.
+
+"Yes," Austin answered. "They are bringing the body to this side. You
+know what that means."
+
+"Did you know this?" The general turned upon Alaire. Of the four he was
+the least excited.
+
+From the background Paloma quavered: "You told us Ricardo was not dead,
+so--it is all right. There is no--harm done."
+
+A brief silence ensued, then Longorio shrugged. "Who knows? Let us hope
+that he suffered no harm on Mexican soil. That would be serious,
+indeed; yes, very serious, for I have given my word to your government.
+This--David Law--" he pronounced the name carefully, but with a
+strange, foreign accent--"he is a reckless person to defy the border
+regulations. It is a grave matter to invade foreign territory on such a
+mission." Longorio again bent his brilliant eyes upon Alaire. "I see
+that you are concerned for his safety. You would not desire him to come
+to trouble, eh? He has done you favors; he is your friend, as I am.
+Well"--a mirthless smile exposed his splendid white teeth--"we must
+think of that. Now I will bid you good night."
+
+"Where are you going?" demanded Miss Jones.
+
+"To the river, and then to Romero. I may be needed, for those men of
+mine are stupid fellows and there is danger of a misunderstanding. In
+the dark anything may happen. I should like to meet this David Law; he
+is a man of my own kind." Turning to "Young Ed," he said: "There is
+reason for haste, and a horse moves slowly. Would you do me the favor,
+if you have an automobile--"
+
+"No! I won't!" Ed declared. "I don't want to see the Rio Grande
+to-night. I won't be involved--"
+
+"But you are already involved. Come! There is no time to waste, and I
+have something to say to you. You will drive me to the river, and my
+horse will remain here until I return for him."
+
+There was no mistaking the command in Longorio's tone; the master of
+Las Palmas rose as if under compulsion. He took his hat, and the two
+men left the room.
+
+"Oh, my God!" Paloma gasped. "They'll be in time, and so will the Lewis
+gang."
+
+"Quick! Ed will take his runabout--we'll follow in my car." Alaire fled
+to make herself ready. A few moments later she looked out from her
+window and saw the headlights of Ed's runabout flash down the driveway
+to the road; then she and Paloma rushed to the garage where the
+touring-car stood.
+
+"They'll never expect us to follow them"--Alaire tried to speak
+hopefully--"and we'll drive without lights. Maybe we'll get there in
+time, after all." As the machine rolled out through the gate she
+elaborated the half-formed plan that had come to her: "The brush is
+thick along the river; we can leave the car hidden and steal up to the
+pump-house. When we hear the boat coming maybe we can call out in time
+to warn your father."
+
+"The moon is rising," Paloma half sobbed. "They'll be sure to see us.
+Do you think we're ahead of Tad Lewis?"
+
+"Oh yes. He hasn't had time to get here yet, but--he'll come fast when
+he starts. This is the only plan I can think of."
+
+Alaire drove as swiftly as she dared, following the blurred streak of
+gray that was the road, and taking the bumps with utter recklessness.
+Already the yellow rim of the moon was peering over the horizon to her
+right, and by its light she found the road that turned abruptly toward
+the Rio Grande, a mile or more distant. The black mud from the last
+heavy rain had hardened; the ruts in this side road were deep, and the
+car leaped and plunged, flinging its occupants from side to side. Ahead
+loomed the dark ridge of the river thickets, a dense rampart of
+mesquite, ebony, and coma, with here and there a taller alamo or
+hackberry thrusting itself skyward. But even before they were sheltered
+from the moonlight Paloma saw the lights of another automobile
+approaching along the main-traveled highway behind them--the lights,
+evidently, of Tad Lewis's machine. A moment later Alaire's car drove
+into the black shadows, but, fearing to switch on her headlights, she
+felt her way cautiously between the walls of foliage until at her right
+another opening showed, like a narrow arroyo, diverging from the one
+they followed. Into this she swerved, regardless of the fact that it
+was half grown up with brush. Thorny branches swept the sides of the
+machine; rank, dew-soaked grass rose to the height of the tonneau. The
+car came to a jolting pause, then the motor ceased its purring, and the
+two women sat motionless, listening for the rattle of the on-coming
+machine. It had been a short, swift, exciting ride. "Young Ed's"
+runabout could not be many minutes ahead of them.
+
+Alaire knew the Tad Lewis car, an old-style, cheap affair, which
+advertised its mechanical imperfections by a loud clashing of gears and
+a noisy complaint of loose parts; therefore, when the leafy cañon walls
+behind her hiding-place were brilliantly illuminated and a car stole
+silently past at low speed, she seized Paloma by the arm and whispered:
+
+"That's not Lewis."
+
+"Who is it? It can't be Ed."
+
+"No, he and Longorio are ahead of us. It's another motor entirely."
+
+The women got out, then breasted the high grass and brambles between
+their hiding-place and the pump-house road. As soon as they were back
+in the trail they made all possible speed, speculating meanwhile upon
+the mystery of the unknown car. Emerging into the clearing which
+surrounded the power-plant, they discovered the machine in question
+standing dark and deserted in the shadows. Evidently the driver,
+whoever he was, well knew what he was about, and had not blundered upon
+this place by accident. A hundred yards away they could now see the
+ghostly Rio Grande, its saffron surface faintly silvered by the low
+moon; lights gleamed from the windows of Morales's house. In the
+distance the vague outlines of the Mexican shore were resolving
+themselves, and far beyond winked the evidence that some belated
+citizens of Romero were still awake.
+
+Paloma had brought with her the long-barreled Winchester rifle, and
+this she clutched nervously as she and Alaire stood whispering.
+Conditions were favorable for an approach to the pump-house itself, for
+two ridges of earth, perhaps eight feet high, thrown up like parallel
+furrows from a giant plow, marked the beginning of the irrigation
+ditch, and in the shadow of these the women worked their way forward,
+unobserved. They had nearly reached their goal when out into the
+clearing behind them, with metallic rattle and clang, burst another
+automobile, and Paloma whispered, excitedly:
+
+"There's the Lewis outfit at last."
+
+In the Lewis car were several men. They descended hurriedly, and when
+one of them ran around the front of the car to turn off its lights both
+women saw that he carried a rifle. Evidently Tad Lewis had come
+prepared for desperate measures.
+
+A small door gave entrance to the boiler-room, and into the lock of
+this Mrs. Austin fitted a key; the next moment she and Paloma were
+safely inside. They found themselves in utter darkness now, with a
+smooth brick floor beneath their feet and a strong odor of oil and
+burnt fuel in their nostrils.
+
+Alaire was agreeably surprised in Paloma Jones, for, although the girl
+was wrought to a pitch of hysterical excitement, she had, nevertheless,
+retained her wits; nor had she faltered in the slightest. It was
+evident that the fighting blood of her father was aroused in her, for
+she said, calmly:
+
+"When it gets light enough to shoot, I'm going to get Tad Lewis."
+
+"Don't act too quickly," cautioned Alaire. "Perhaps your father and
+Dave have come and gone. Anyhow, we can warn them just as well by
+firing into the air."
+
+In reply to this suggestion Paloma merely muttered something under her
+breath.
+
+The brief night ride had given Alaire time in which to recover from her
+first apprehensions, and now she was surprised at her own coolness.
+Ed's behavior had shocked and horrified her; she was still half
+paralyzed at his treachery; nevertheless, her mind was clear, and she
+was determined to avert a tragedy if possible. She knew only too well
+what would happen when Blaze Jones and Dave Law encountered the Lewis
+gang; the presence of Longorio's soldiers merely made more certain the
+outcome of that meeting. The general was furious; it was plain that he
+would not tolerate this expedition, the avowed purpose of which was to
+prove him a liar. It would make but little difference, therefore,
+whether the quest for Ricardo Guzman's body had been successful or not:
+even the fact that this was American soil would not deter Longorio from
+violent action, for the Rio Grande was no real boundary, and this part
+of Texas was as truly Mexican as that other river-bank which lay two
+hundred yards distant.
+
+A confusion of such thoughts were racing through Alaire's mind as she
+felt her way out of the boiler-room and into that part of the building
+where the pumping machinery stood. Dusty, cobwebbed windows let in a
+faint ghost-glow of moonlight, but prevented clear observation of
+anything outside; Alaire's fumbling fingers found the latch of the
+front door and began to lift it, when some one spoke, just outside the
+building.
+
+"What did you discover?" inquired a voice which neither woman
+recognized. Paloma clutched blindly for her companion; the two
+eavesdroppers stood rooted in their tracks. The pounding of their
+hearts sounded loudly. Since the building was little more than a wooden
+shell, they could plainly hear the answer:
+
+"The house is full of Greasers. I can't tell who they are."
+
+A third man spoke, this time in Spanish. "That was Tad Lewis who just
+came, señor."
+
+There followed some whispered words indistinguishable to the listeners,
+then a rustle of bodies moving through the tall grass and weeds.
+
+Paloma placed her lips close to Alaire's ear. "Who are those people?"
+she breathed.
+
+"I don't know. They must be the ones who came in that strange
+automobile."
+
+Paloma chattered viciously: "Everybody in Texas is here. I wish we'd
+thought to scatter tacks behind us."
+
+Cautiously they swung the door back and looked out. The open space
+along the river-bank was leveled by the moonlight; from Morales's
+house, to their right, came the sound of voices. The women waited.
+
+A few moments, then a number of men appeared. Paloma judged there were
+at least a dozen, but she was too excited to count them. As they came
+straggling toward the pump-house one of them called back:
+
+"Morales! Put out your damned lights," Both women recognized Tad Lewis
+as the speaker.
+
+Alaire had stubbornly refused to charge her husband with any active
+share in this evil business, but her faith in Ed suddenly vanished when
+she heard him say:
+
+"Hush! You're making too much noise. You'd better scatter out, too, for
+there's no telling where they'll land." Alaire leaned weakly against
+the door. "I'm going to leave, and let you-all attend to the rest," he
+was saying. But Tad Lewis halted him as he turned from the group.
+
+"Where are you going, Ed? You left your car back yonder by the road. I
+almost ran into it."
+
+"Eh? What are you talking about? My car is over by Morales's house."
+
+"Señor Austin is in a great hurry," sneered some one in Spanish. "Once
+more he leaves all of the fighting to his friends."
+
+"That's Adolfo Urbina," panted Paloma. "I know him." Stung by this open
+charge of cowardice, Austin began a voluble defense, but in the midst
+of it General Longorio addressed him, sharply:
+
+"You will stay here, señor. Nobody leaves this place."
+
+"I told you I wouldn't be a party to the business," Ed declared, hotly.
+"You forced me to come in the first place--"
+
+"Yes! And now I force you to stay."
+
+Longorio's stand appeared to please Lewis, who chimed in with the
+words: "That's right, Ed. You've got to stick, for once in your life."
+
+"What do you mean, you nearly ran into my car back yonder?" Austin
+asked, after a moment.
+
+"Ain't that your machine yonder by the thicket?" inquired Lewis. "If it
+ain't, whose is it?" As no one answered, he started in the direction he
+had indicated; but at that moment a man came running from the
+riverbank, crying, softly:
+
+"Look out! They come."
+
+"I'm going to shoot," Paloma Jones gasped, but Alaire, who once again
+heard the sound of whispering in the shadows just outside their
+hiding-place, managed to restrain her companion. It was well that she
+succeeded, for even as Paloma raised her weapon a man passed swiftly by
+the crack of the half-open door and scarcely ten feet beyond the muzzle
+of the rifle. He was followed by three others.
+
+The first of the new-comers, acting as spokesman for his party, stepped
+out into the moonlight and cried, loudly: "Hello, men! What's goin' on
+here?" It was an American voice; it had a broad, slow, Texas drawl.
+
+The group of plotters turned, there was a startled murmur, then Tad
+Lewis answered:
+
+"Hello! Who are you? What do you want?"
+
+"I reckon we must have got off the road," announced the stranger. Then
+he peered out across the river: "Say! Ain't that a skiff coming
+yonder?" he inquired.
+
+"Well, it don't look like a steamboat." Lewis laughed, disagreeably.
+"We're havin' a little party of our own. I reckon you fellows had
+better beat it. Understand?"
+
+The outposts that had been sent to cover the bank in both directions
+were now coming in. Through the stillness of the night there sounded
+the thump of oar-locks. Seeing that the stranger did not seem to take
+his hint, Lewis raised his voice menacingly:
+
+"That's your road back yonder. It's a right good road, and I'd advise
+you to travel it, fast."
+
+But this suggestion was also ignored; in fact, it appeared to amuse the
+man addressed, for he, too, laughed. He turned, and the women noticed
+that he carried a short saddle-gun. They saw, also, that at least one
+of the men at his back was similarly armed.
+
+"Now, what's the hurry?" The stranger was chuckling. Suddenly he raised
+his voice and called, loudly: "Hello, Dave! Is that you-all?"
+
+The answer floated promptly back: "Hello, Cap! Sure it's us."
+
+"Have you got him?"
+
+It was Blaze Jones's voice which answered this time: "You bet!"
+
+Paloma Jones was trembling now. She clung to Alaire, crying,
+thankfully: "It's the Rangers! The Rangers!" Then she broke away and
+ran out into the moonlight, trailing her absurd firearm after her.
+
+"Now, boys," the Ranger captain was saying, "I know 'most every one of
+you, and we ain't going to have the least bit of trouble over this
+thing, are we? I reckon you-all are friends of Ricardo Guzman, and you
+just couldn't wait to find out about him, eh?"
+
+Alaire, who had followed Paloma, was close enough now to recognize the
+two Guzman boys as members of the Ranger party. Lewis and his men had
+drawn together at the first alarm; Longorio's Mexicans had gathered
+about their leader. The entire situation had changed in a moment, and
+the Ranger captain was in control of it.
+
+Soon Dave Law and Blaze Jones came up over the river-bank; they paused,
+stricken with surprise at finding a score of people where they had
+expected no more than four.
+
+Blaze was the first to speak. "What the hell?" he cried. He peered
+near-sightedly from one to the other; then his huge bulk shook with
+laughter: "Say, do my glasses magnify, or is this an Odd-Fellows
+meetin'?"
+
+"Dad! Oh, Dad!" Paloma scurried to him and flung herself into his arms.
+
+"Lord of mercy, kid!" the father exclaimed. "Why, you'd ought to be
+home and abed, long ago. You'll catch your death of cold. Is that gun
+loaded."
+
+Dave Law was even more amazed than his companion. His first glimpse of
+the waiting figures had warned him that something had gone wrong, and,
+therefore, he did not stop to ask himself how Tad Lewis and Longorio
+could have learned of this affair, or what could have brought Alaire
+and Ed Austin to the scene. Recovering from his first surprise, he took
+a position beside his superior officer.
+
+Captain Evans did not seem at all troubled by the disparity in numbers.
+One Ranger, or two at the most, had always been sufficient to quell a
+Texan disturbance; now that there were three of them, he felt equal to
+an invasion of Mexican soil, if necessary. In consequence he relaxed
+his watchful vigilance, and to Dave he drawled:
+
+"We've got most of the leading citizens of the county, and I reckon
+somebody in the outfit will be able to identify Guzman."
+
+"There's no trouble about that, sir. We found him. Pedro and Raoul can
+make sure." The sons of Ricardo Guzman stepped forward promptly, and
+Law waved them toward the boat landing, where the two helpers were
+waiting with Ricardo's remains.
+
+Despite the Ranger captain's easy assumption of command, the strain of
+the situation had not subsided, and Longorio drew swift attention to
+himself when he said:
+
+"It is fortunate that I chanced to learn of this matter. You have done
+me a great service, Señor Law, for I came to Romero purposely to
+examine into the death of this unfortunate man. But I could learn
+nothing; nobody knew anything whatever about the matter, and so I
+became convinced that it amounted to little. Now--behold! I discover
+that I was deceived. Or--perhaps there still may be a mistake."
+
+Blaze Jones thrust his daughter aside and advanced toward the speaker.
+"There's no mistake," he declared, belligerently. "I don't make
+mistakes when I go grave-robbin'. Don Ricardo was shot by your men. He
+had five thousand dollars on him, or he should have had, and he was an
+American citizen. Your Colonel Blanco covered the body, but he'll have
+a hell of a job coverin' the facts. It's time we came to a showdown
+with your murderin' outfit, and I aim to see if we've got a government
+in this country."
+
+"Heaven guided my hand," devoutly breathed the general. "It is
+regrettable that you used this means when a word to me would have
+served the purpose, for--it is no trivial matter to desecrate a Mexican
+graveyard. My country, too, has a government. An officer of the State
+of Texas, under arms, has crossed the Rio Grande. What does that mean?"
+
+Captain Evans had a sense of humor; Longorio's ominous words amused
+him. "Say, general, it ain't the first time," he chortled. "And you're
+an officer, too, ain't you? You're in Texas at this minute, and I'll
+bet if I frisked you I'd find that you was under arms." The Mexican
+understood English sufficiently well to grasp the significance of these
+words. After a moment's consideration, therefore, he modified his
+threatening tone.
+
+"But my mission was friendly. I had no criminal purpose," he said,
+mildly. "However--perhaps one offense condones the other. At any rate,
+we must have no international complications. There is a more practical
+side to the matter: if Don Ricardo Guzman met his death in Mexico there
+will be a rigid investigation, I assure you."
+
+Evans agreed. "That's fair! And I'll make a bargain with you: you keep
+still and so'll we. We never aimed for this affair to get out, anyhow.
+I reckon these men"--he indicated Lewis and his followers--"ain't
+liable to talk much."
+
+The two Guzman boys, greatly moved, returned to announce that they had
+indeed identified their father's body, and Longorio could not well
+refuse to accept their evidence.
+
+"Very well," said he. "I am indebted to you. Since there is nothing
+more to be said, apparently, I will return to Romero." With a bow to
+Mrs. Austin, who had silently watched the play of these opposing
+motives, he turned away, and Tad Lewis followed him.
+
+But Dave Law had recognized Adolfo Urbina in the crowd, and, stepping
+forward, disarmed him, saying:
+
+"Adolfo, there's a warrant for you, so I'll just take you in."
+
+For a moment Adolfo was inclined to resist, but, thinking better of it,
+he yielded with bad grace, bitterly regretting the curiosity which had
+prompted him to remain to the end of this interesting affair.
+
+Tad Lewis gave him some comfort. "Never mind, Adolfo," he said. "They
+can't prove anything on you, and I'll go your bail. Ed Austin knows
+where you was the day that stock was stole." He and his two remaining
+men moved toward their automobile, and a moment later the vehicle went
+clattering away up the thicket road.
+
+So ended the attempt to foil the return of Ricardo Guzman's body to
+Texas soil.
+
+When Alaire came to look for her husband he was gone.
+
+
+
+
+XX
+
+SUPERSTITIONS AND CERTAINTIES
+
+
+The sensation caused by Ricardo Guzman's disappearance was as nothing
+to that which followed the recovery of his body. By the next afternoon
+it was known from Mexico to the Canadian border that the old ranchman
+had been shot by Mexican soldiers in Romero. It was reported that a
+party of Americans had invaded foreign soil and snatched Ricardo's
+remains from under the nose of General Longorio. But there all reliable
+information ceased. Just how the rescue had been effected, by whom it
+had been done, what reasons had prompted it, were a mystery. With the
+first story the newspapers printed a terse telegram, signed by Captain
+Evans and addressed to the Governor of Texas, which read:
+
+"Ranger force crossed Rio Grande and brought back the body of Ricardo
+Guzman."
+
+This message created tremendous enthusiasm, for the Texas Rangers have
+ever stood for prompt and decisive action; but two hours after the
+publication of this despatch there came a sharp inquiry from
+Washington, and on the heels of that the State House at Austin denied
+the receipt of any such message.
+
+When this denial was in turn made public, the newspapers demanded to
+know who had performed this sensational exploit. One rumor had it that
+the sons of Ricardo Guzman had risked their lives to insure their
+father Christian burial. This was amplified by a touching pen-picture
+of the rancher's weeping family waiting at the bank of the Rio Grande,
+and an affecting account of the grief of the beautiful Guzman girls. It
+mattered not that there were no daughters.
+
+In other quarters the expedition was credited to members of a secret
+order to which Ricardo had belonged; from a third source came a
+statement that the Guzman family had hired a band of Mexicans to exhume
+the body, so that proof of death might be sufficient to satisfy an
+insurance company in which the rancher had held a policy. Even at
+Jonesville there were conflicting rumors.
+
+But, whatever the facts of the rescue, it was generally recognized that
+the result had been to bring on a crisis in the affairs of the two
+nations. People declared that since the outrage was now proven the next
+move was the duty of the State Department at Washington. Therefore,
+when several days passed and nothing was done, a wide-spread feeling of
+indignation grew. What mattered these diplomatic communications between
+the two governments? it was asked. Why wait for another investigation
+by General Longorio?
+
+Strong influences, however, were at work to prevent that very outcome
+for which the people of Texas prayed. During the delay there arose a
+report that Ricardo Guzman had borne an evil reputation, and that he
+had been so actively associated with the Rebel cause as to warrant
+punishment by the Federal government. Moreover, a legal question as to
+his American citizenship was raised--a question which seemed to have
+important bearing upon the case.
+
+Public interest is short-lived; few living men can hold it more than a
+day or two, and it reckons no dead man worthy of more than an obituary
+notice. Other Mexican offenses, equally grave, had failed to stir the
+Administration to definite action; the death of this obscure border
+ranchman did not seem to weigh very heavily in Washington. Thus in the
+course of time the Guzman incident was in a fair way of being
+officially forgotten and forgiven.
+
+Of course the people of Texas did not forget, nor did those who had
+personally known Ricardo forgive. Dave Law, for instance, felt bitter
+over the matter, for he had counted upon prompt and definite results. A
+little pressure, properly applied, would have wrung the truth from
+Colonel Blanco and fastened some measure of guilt upon the men who had
+actually arranged the murder. Dave did not doubt Tad Lewis's part in
+it, but there was only one source from which pressure could be brought,
+and when this failed he found his further efforts blocked. There
+remained to him only the consolation of knowing that he had in a
+measure squared his account with old Ricardo.
+
+But there were several persons who felt intense relief at the course
+events had taken, and among these was Alaire Austin. In the days
+following that midnight expedition she had had ample time in which to
+meditate upon her husband's actions, "Young Ed" had taken advantage of
+the confusion to slip out of the crowd and escape in his roadster, and
+when Alaire arrived at Las Palmas she had found that he was gone,
+leaving behind no word as to when he would return. It seemed probable
+that he had fled to San Antonio, there to remain until interest in the
+Guzman matter had abated. If Ed was relieved to escape the immediate
+consequences of his connection with the affair, his wife was no less
+thankful for his absence, since it left her free to think and to plan.
+Their relations were becoming constantly more difficult; she realized
+that it was impossible for her to go on in this way much longer. Before
+leaving Ed had again rifled the safe, thus disregarding for a second
+time his explicit agreement with his wife. Of course, he was welcome to
+whatever money he needed, even in excess of his allowance; but his act
+showed his weak sense of honor and strengthened Alaire's conviction
+that he was in every way rapidly deteriorating. As yet she could not
+believe him really wicked at heart--he had many qualities which were
+above the average--nor could she convince herself that he had been
+criminally involved in Tad Lewis's schemes. And yet, what other
+explanation could there be? Ed's behavior had been extraordinary; his
+evident terror at news of Dave Law's expedition, his conversation with
+Tad Lewis over the telephone, his subsequent actions at the river, all
+seemed to indicate that he had some vital interest in maintaining the
+mystery of Guzman's death. What could it be?
+
+Suspicions like these were extremely disturbing. In spite of herself
+Alaire began to think more seriously about that separation which Ed had
+so frequently offered her. Her whole nature, it is true, recoiled at
+the thought of divorce; it was a thing utterly repugnant to her
+sentiment and her creed--a thing that stood for notoriety, gossip,
+scandal. Deep in her heart she felt that divorce was wicked, for
+marriage to her had always meant a sacred and unbreakable bond. And yet
+there seemed to be no alternative. She wished Ed would go away--leave
+her quietly and for ever, so that she might live out her empty life in
+seclusion--but that, of course, he would never do.
+
+Such longings were not strangers to Alaire; they were old and
+persistent enemies; but of late the prospect of a loveless, childless
+future was growing more and more unbearable. Even her day dreams failed
+to give their customary relief; those imaginary figures with whom she
+took counsel were strangely unresponsive.
+
+She had told Paloma Jones about her dream-children, but she had not
+confessed the existence of another and a far more intimate creature of
+her brain--one who occupied the place Ed Austin should have held. There
+was such a person, however, and Alaire called him her dream husband.
+Now this man's physical aspect was never long the same; it altered
+according to her changing ideals or to the impression left by new
+acquaintances; nevertheless, he was in some ways the most real and the
+most tangible of all her pale romantic fancies. No one who has watched
+a solitary child at play can doubt that it sees and hears playmates
+invisible to others. Alaire Austin, in the remotest depths of her
+being, was still a child. Of late her prince had assumed new
+characteristics and a new form. He was no longer any one of the many
+shapes he had been; he was more like the spirit of the out-of-doors--a
+strong-limbed, deep-chested, sun-bronzed creature, with a strain of
+gipsy blood that called to hers. He was moody, yet tender, roughly
+masculine, and yet possessed of the gentleness and poetry of a girl. He
+was violent tempered; he was brave; he rode a magnificent bay mare that
+worshiped him, as did all animals.
+
+During one of these introspective periods Alaire telephoned Dave Law,
+arguing to herself that she must learn more about her husband's
+connection with the Lewis gang. Dave arrived even sooner than she had
+expected. She made him dine with her, and they spent the evening on the
+dim-lit gallery. In the course of their conversation Alaire discovered
+that Dave, too, had a hidden side of his nature; that he possessed an
+imagination, and with it a quaint, whimsical, exploratory turn of mind
+which enabled him to talk interestingly of many things and many places.
+On this particular evening he was anything but the man of iron she had
+known--until she ventured to speak of Ed. Then he closed up like a
+trap. He was almost gruff in his refusal to say a word about her
+husband.
+
+Because of Ed's appropriation of the ranch cash, Alaire found it
+necessary a few days later to go to the bank, and, feeling the need of
+exercise, she rode her horse Montrose. When her errands had been
+attended to, she suddenly decided to call on Paloma Jones. It was years
+since she had voluntarily done such a thing; the very impulse surprised
+her.
+
+Paloma, it happened, was undergoing that peculiar form of feminine
+torture known as a "fitting"; but insecurely basted, pinned, and tucked
+as she was, she came flying down to the gate to meet her visitor.
+
+Alaire was introduced to Mrs. Strange, the dressmaker, a large,
+acidulous brunette, with a mouthful of pins; and then, when Paloma had
+given herself once more into the seamstress's hands, the two friends
+gossiped.
+
+Since Mrs. Strange was the first capable dressmaker who had ever come
+to Jonesville, Paloma had closed her eyes and plunged with reckless
+extravagance. Now the girl insisted upon a general exhibition of her
+new wardrobe, a sort of grand fashion review, for the edification of
+her caller, in the course of which she tried on all her dresses.
+
+Paloma was petite and well proportioned, and the gowns were altogether
+charming. Alaire was honest in her praise, and Paloma's response was
+one of whole-hearted pleasure. The girl beamed. Never before had she
+been so admired, never until this moment had she adored a person as she
+adored Mrs. Austin, whose every suggestion as to fit and style was
+acted upon, regardless of Mrs. Strange.
+
+"I don't know what Dad will say when he gets the bill for these
+dresses," Paloma confessed.
+
+"Your father is a mighty queer man," Mrs. Strange observed. "I haven't
+so much as laid eyes on him."
+
+Paloma nodded. "Yes. And he's getting more peculiar all the time; I
+can't make out what ails him."
+
+"Where is he now?" asked Alaire.
+
+"Heaven knows! Out in the barn or under the house." Taking advantage of
+the dressmaker's momentary absence from the room, Paloma continued in a
+whisper: "I wish you'd talk to Dad and see what you make of him. He's
+absolutely--queer. Mrs. Strange seems to have a peculiar effect on him.
+Why, it's almost as if--"
+
+"What?"
+
+"Well, I suppose I'm foolish, but--I'm beginning to believe in spells.
+You know, Mrs. Strange's husband is a sort of--necromancer."
+
+"How silly!"
+
+There was no further opportunity for words, as the woman reappeared at
+that instant; but a little later Alaire went in search of Blaze, still
+considerably mystified. As she neared the farm buildings she glimpsed a
+man's figure hastily disappearing into the barn. The figure bore a
+suspicious resemblance to Blaze Jones, yet when she followed he was
+nowhere to be seen. Now this was curious, for Texas barns are less
+pretentious than those of the North, and this one was little more than
+a carriage-house and a shelter for agricultural implements.
+
+"Mr. Jones!" Alaire called. She repeated Blaze's name several times;
+then something stirred. The door of a harness closet opened cautiously,
+and out of the blackness peered Paloma's father. He looked more owlish
+than ever behind his big, gold-rimmed spectacles. "What in the world
+are you doing in there?" she cried.
+
+Blaze emerged, blinking. He was dusty and perspiring.
+
+"Hello, Miz Austin!" he saluted her with a poor assumption of
+breeziness. "I was fixin' some harness, but I'm right glad to see you."
+
+Alaire regarded him quizzically. "What made you hide?" she asked.
+
+"Hide? Who, me?"
+
+"I saw you dodge in here like a--gopher."
+
+Blaze confessed. "I reckon I've got the willies. Every woman I see
+looks like that dam' dressmaker."
+
+"Paloma was telling me about you. Why do you hate her so?"
+
+"I don't know's I hate her, but her and her husband have put a jinx on
+me. They're the worst people I ever see, Miz Austin."
+
+"You don't really believe in such things?"
+
+Blaze dusted off a seat for his visitor, saying: "I never did till
+lately, but now I'm worse than a plantation nigger. I tell you there's
+things in this world we don't sabe. I wish you'd get Paloma to fire
+her. I've tried and failed. I wish you'd tell her those dresses are
+rotten."
+
+"But they're very nice; they're lovely; and I've just been
+complimenting her. Now what has this woman done to you?"
+
+It seemed impossible that a man of Blaze Jones's character could
+actually harbor crude superstitions, and yet there was no mistaking his
+earnestness when he said:
+
+"I ain't sure whether she's to blame, or her husband, but misfortune
+has folded me to herself."
+
+"How?"
+
+"Well, I'm sick."
+
+"You don't look it."
+
+"I don't exactly feel it, either, but I am. I don't sleep good, my
+heart's actin' up, I've got rheumatism, my stomach feels like I'd
+swallowed something alive--"
+
+"You're smoking too much," Alaire affirmed, with conviction.
+
+But skepticism aroused Blaze's indignation. With elaborate sarcasm he
+retorted: "I reckon that's why my best team of mules run away and
+dragged me through a ten-acre patch of grass burrs--on my belly, eh?
+It's a wonder I wasn't killed. I reckon I smoked so much that I give a
+tobacco heart to the best three-year-old bull in my pasture! Well, I
+smoked him to death, all right. Probably it was nicotine poisonin' that
+killed twenty acres of my cotton, too; and maybe if I'd cut out Bull
+Durham I'd have floated that bond issue on the irrigation ditch. But I
+was wedded to cigarettes, so my banks are closin' down on me. Sure!
+That's what a man gets for smokin'."
+
+"And do you attribute all these misfortunes to Paloma's dressmaker?"
+
+The man nodded gloomily. "That ain't half! Everything goes wrong. I'm
+scared to pack a weapon for fear I'll injure myself. Why, I've carried
+a bowie-knife in my bootleg ever since I was a babe in arms, you might
+say; but the other day I jabbed myself with it and nearly got
+blood-poisonin'. The very first time I ever laid eyes on this man and
+his wife a great misfortune overtook me, and ever since they come to
+Jonesville I've had a close squeeze to make a live of it. This fellow
+Strange, with his fortune-tellin' and his charms and his conjures, has
+hocus-pocussed the whole neighborhood. He's gettin' rich off of the
+Mexicans. He knows more secrets than a priest; he tells 'em whether
+their sweethearts love 'em, whether a child is goin' to be a boy or a
+girl, and how to invest their money."
+
+"He is nothing more than a circus fakir, Mr. Jones."
+
+"Yes'm! Just the same, these Greasers'd vote him into the legislature
+if he asked 'em. Why, he knows who fetched back Ricardo Guzman's body!
+He told me so."
+
+"Really?" Alaire looked up quickly, then the smile left her face. After
+a moment she said, "Perhaps he could tell me something that I want to
+know?"
+
+"Now don't you get him started," Blaze cautioned, hastily, "or he'll
+put a spell on you like he did on me."
+
+"I want to know what Ed had to do with the Guzman affair."
+
+Blaze shook his head slowly. "Well, he's mixed up somehow with Lewis.
+Dave thinks Tad was at the bottom of the killin', and he hoped to prove
+it on him; but our government won't do anything, and he's stumped for
+the time bein'. I don't know any more about Ed's dealin's than you do,
+Miz Austin: all I know is that I got a serpent in my household and I
+can't get shed of her. I've got a lapful of troubles of my own. I've
+ordered Paloma to let that woman go, but, pshaw! It's like a bowlegged
+man drivin' a shoat--there ain't any headin' Paloma off when her mind's
+made up. You mark what I say, that female spider'll sew venom into
+those dresses. I never seen a woman with a mustache that was any good.
+Look here!" Blaze drew a well-thumbed pack of playing-cards from his
+pocket. "Shuffle 'em, and I'll prove what I say. If I don't turn up a
+dark woman three times out of five I'll eat that saddle-blanket, dry."
+
+Alaire shuffled the deck, and Blaze cut the cards. Sure enough, he
+exposed the queen of spades.
+
+"What did I tell you? There's the bearded lady herself! Now I'll
+shuffle and you cut."
+
+Alaire smilingly followed directions; she separated the deck into three
+piles, after which Jones interpreted the oracle.
+
+"You got a good fortune, Miz Austin. There's a light man comin' to your
+house, danger, and--marriage. You're goin' to marry a light man."
+
+Alaire's laughter rang out unaffectedly. "Now you see how utterly
+absurd it is."
+
+"Maybe it is, and maybe it ain't." From another pocket Jones drew a
+small volume entitled The Combination Fortune-Teller and Complete
+Dictionary of Dreams. Alaire reached to take it, and the book dropped
+to the floor; then, as she stooped, Blaze cried: "Wait! Hit it three
+times on the floor and say, 'Money! Money! Money!'"
+
+As Alaire was running over the pages of the book, one of Blaze's
+ranch-hands appeared in the door to ask him a question. When the fellow
+had gone his employer rose and tiptoed after him; then he spat through
+his crossed fingers in the direction the man had taken.
+
+"Now what does that mean?" Alaire inquired.
+
+"Didn't you see? He's cross-eyed."
+
+"This is too occult for me," she declared, rising. "But--I'm interested
+in what you say about Mr. Strange. If the Mexicans tell him so much,
+perhaps he can tell me something. I do hope you have no more
+misfortunes."
+
+"You stay to supper," Blaze urged, hospitably. "I'll be in as soon as
+that tarantula's gone."
+
+But Alaire declined. After a brief chat with Paloma she remounted
+Montrose and prepared for the homeward ride. At the gate, however, she
+met Dave Law on his new mare, and when Dave had learned the object of
+her visit to Jonesville he insisted upon accompanying her.
+
+"You have enough money in those saddle-bags to tempt some of our very
+best citizens," he told her. "If you don't mind, I'll just be your
+bodyguard."
+
+"Very well," she smiled; "but to make perfectly sure of our safety,
+cross your fingers and spit."
+
+"Eh?" Seeing the amusement in her eyes, he declared: "You've been
+talking to Blaze. Well, last night I dreamed I was eating chestnuts,
+and he told me I was due for a great good fortune. You see, there's
+something in it, after all."
+
+"And you must be the 'light man' I discovered in the cards. Blaze
+declared you were coming to my house." They jogged along side by side,
+and Law thanked his lucky stars for the encounter.
+
+"Did Blaze tell you how he came to meet the Stranges?"
+
+"No. He only said they had brought him bad luck from the start."
+
+Dave grinned; then, in treacherous disregard of his promise to Jones,
+he recounted the tale of that disastrous defeat on the beach at
+Galveston. When he had finished the story, which he ingeniously
+elaborated, Alaire was doubled over her saddle. It was the first
+spontaneous laugh she had had for days, and it seemed to banish her
+worries magically. Alaire was not of a melancholy temperament; gaiety
+was natural to her, and it had required many heartaches, many
+disappointments, to darken her blithe spirit.
+
+Nor was Dave Law a person of the comic type; yet he was a
+gloom-dispeller, and now that Alaire was beginning to know him better
+she felt a certain happy restfulness in his company.
+
+The ride was long, and the two proceeded leisurely, stopping now and
+then to talk or to admire the banks of wild flowers beside the road. No
+country is richer in spring blooms than is South Texas. The cactus had
+nearly done blooming now, and its ever-listening ears were absurdly
+warted with fruit; gorgeous carpets of bluebonnets were spread beside
+the ditches, while the air above was filled with thousands of yellow
+butterflies, like whirling, wind-blown petals of the prickly-pear
+blossom. Montrose and Montrosa enjoyed the journey also; it was just
+the mode of traveling to please equine hearts, for there were plenty of
+opportunities to nibble at the juicy grass and to drink at the little
+pools. Then, too, there were mad, romping races during which the riders
+laughed and shouted.
+
+It was Law who finally discovered that they had somehow taken the wrong
+road. The fact that Alaire had failed to notice this gave him a sudden
+thrill. It aroused in his mind such a train of dizzy, drunken
+speculations that for some time following the discovery he jogged
+silently at his companion's side.
+
+It was early dusk when they reached Las Palmas; it was nearly midnight
+when Dave threw his leg across his saddle and started home.
+
+Alaire's parting words rang sweetly in his ears: "This has been the
+pleasantest day I can remember."
+
+The words themselves meant little, but Dave had caught a wistful
+undertone in the speaker's voice, and fancied he had seen in her eyes a
+queer, half-frightened expression, as of one just awakened.
+
+José Sanchez had beheld Dave Law at the Las Palmas table twice within a
+few days. He spent this evening laboriously composing a letter to his
+friend and patron, General Luis Longorio.
+
+
+
+
+XXI
+
+AN AWAKENING
+
+
+Time was when Phil Strange boasted that he and his wife had played
+every fair-ground and seaside amusement-park from Coney Island to
+Galveston. In his battered wardrobe-trunks were parts of old costumes,
+scrapbooks of clippings, and a goodly collection of lithographs, some
+advertising the supernatural powers of "Professor Magi, Sovereign of
+the Unseen World," and others the accomplishments of "Mlle. Le Garde,
+Renowned Serpent Enchantress." In these gaudy portraits of "Magi the
+Mystic" no one would have recognized Phil Strange. And even more
+difficult would it have been to trace a resemblance between Mrs.
+Strange and the blond, bushy-headed "Mlle. Le Garde" of the posters.
+Nevertheless, the likenesses at one time had been considered not too
+flattering, and Phil treasured them as evidences of imperishable
+distinction.
+
+But the Stranges had tired of public life. For a long time the wife had
+confessed to a lack of interest in her vocation which amounted almost
+to a repugnance. Snake-charming, she had discovered, was far from an
+ideal profession for a woman of refinement. It possessed unpleasant
+features, and even such euphemistic titles as "Serpent Enchantress" and
+"Reptilian Mesmerist" failed to rob the calling of a certain odium, a
+suggestion of vulgarity in the minds of the more discriminating. This
+had become so distressing to Mrs. Strange's finer sensibilities that
+she had voiced a yearning to forsake the platform and pit for something
+more congenial, and finally she had prevailed upon Phil to make a
+change.
+
+The step had not been taken without misgivings, but a benign Providence
+had watched over the pair. Mrs. Strange was a natural seamstress, and
+luck had directed her and Phil to a community which was not only in
+need of a good dressmaker, but peculiarly ripe for the talents of a
+soothsayer. Phil, too, had intended to embrace a new profession; but he
+had soon discovered that Jonesville offered better financial returns to
+a man of his accepted gifts than did the choicest of seaside
+concessions, and therefore he had resumed his old calling under a
+slightly different guise. Before long he acknowledged himself well
+pleased with the new environment, for his wife was far happier in
+draping dress goods upon the figures of her customers than in hanging
+python folds about her own, and he found his own fame growing with
+every day. His mediumistic gifts came into general demand. The country
+people journeyed miles to consult him, and Blaze Jones's statement that
+they confided in the fortune-teller as they would have confided in a
+priest was scarcely an exaggeration. Phil did indeed become the
+repository for confessions of many sorts.
+
+Contrary to Blaze's belief, however, Strange was no Prince of Darkness,
+and took little joy in some of the secrets forced upon him. Phil was a
+good man in his way--so conscientious that certain information he
+acquired weighed him down with a sense of unpleasant responsibility.
+Chancing to meet Dave Law one day, he determined to relieve himself of
+at least one troublesome burden.
+
+But Dave was not easily approachable. He met the medium's allusions to
+the occult with contemptuous amusement, nor would he consent to a
+private "reading," Strange grew almost desperate enough to speak the
+ungarnisned truth.
+
+"You'd better pay a little attention to me," he grieved; "I've got a
+message to you from the 'Unseen World.'"
+
+"Charges 'collect,' I reckon," the Ranger grinned.
+
+Strange waved aside the suggestion. "It came unbidden and I pass it on
+for what it's worth." As Dave turned away he added, hastily, "It's
+about a skeleton in the chaparral, and a red-haired woman."
+
+Dave stopped; he eyed the speaker curiously. "Go on," said he.
+
+But a public street, Strange explained, was no place for psychic
+discussions. If Dave cared to come to his room, where the surroundings
+were favorable to thought transference, and where Phil's spirit control
+could have a chance to make itself felt, they would interrogate the
+"Unseen Forces" further. Dave agreed. When they were alone in the
+fortune-telling "parlor," he sat back while the medium closed his eyes
+and prepared to explore the Invisible. After a brief delay Phil began:
+
+"I see a great many things--that woman I told you about, and three men.
+One of 'em is you, the other two is Mexicans. You're at a water-hole in
+the mesquite. Now there's a shooting scrape; I see the body of a dead
+man." The speaker became silent; evidently his cataleptic vision was
+far from perfect. But he soon began to drone again. "Now I behold a
+stranger at the same water-hole. He's alone--he's looking for
+something. He rides in circles. He's off his horse and bending
+over--What? A skeleton! Yes, it's the skeleton of one of them other
+Mexicans." Strange's voice became positively sepulchral as his spirit
+control took fuller possession of his earthly shell and as his visions
+resolved themselves into clearer outline. "See! He swears an oath to
+avenge. And now--the scene changes. Everything dissolves. I'm in a
+mansion; and the red-haired woman comes toward me. Over her head floats
+that skeleton--"
+
+Dave broke in crisply. "All right! Let's get down to cases. What's on
+your mind, Strange?"
+
+The psychic simulated a shudder--a painful contortion, such as any one
+might suffer if rudely jerked out of the spirit world.
+
+"Eh? What was I--? There! You've broke the connection," he declared.
+"Did I tell you anything?"
+
+"No. But evidently you can."
+
+"I'm sorry. They never come back."
+
+"Rot!"
+
+Phil was hurt, indignant. With some stiffness he explained the danger
+of interrupting a seance of this sort, but Law remained obdurate.
+
+"You can put over that second-sight stuff with the Greasers," he
+declared, sharply, "but not with me. So, José Sanchez has been to see
+you and you want to warn me. Is that it?"
+
+"I don't know any such party," Strange protested. He eyed his caller
+for a moment; then with an abrupt change of manner he complained: "Say,
+Bo! What's the matter with you? I've got a reputation to protect, and I
+do things my own way. I'm getting set to slip you something, and you
+try to make me look like a sucker. Is that any way to act?"
+
+"I prefer to talk to you when your eyes are open. I know all about--"
+
+"You don't know nothing about anything," snapped the other. "José's got
+it in for Mrs. Austin."
+
+"You said you didn't know him."
+
+"Well, I don't. He's never been to see me in his life, but--his
+sweetheart has. Rosa Morales comes regular."
+
+"Rosa! José's sweetheart!"
+
+"Yes. Her and José have joined out together since you shot Panfilo, and
+they're framing something."
+
+"What, for instance?"
+
+The fortune-teller hesitated. "I only wish I knew," he said, slowly.
+"It looks to me like a killing."
+
+Dave nodded. "Probably is. José would like to get me, and of course the
+girl--"
+
+"Oh, they don't aim to get you. You ain't the one they're after."
+
+"No? Who then?"
+
+"I don't know nothing definite. In this business, you understand, a
+fellow has to put two and two together. Sometimes I have to make one
+and two count four. I have to tell more'n I'm told; I have to shoot my
+game on the wing, for nobody tells me any more'n they dast. All the
+same, I'm sure José ain't carving no epitaph for you. From what I've
+dug out of Rosa, he's acting for a third party--somebody with pull and
+a lot of coin--but who it is I don't know. Anyhow, he's cooking trouble
+for the Austins, and I want to stand from under."
+
+Now that the speaker had dropped all pretense, he answered Dave's
+questions without evasion and told what he knew. It was not much, to
+Dave's way of thinking, but it was enough to give cause for thought,
+and when the men finally parted it was with the understanding that
+Strange would promptly communicate any further intelligence on this
+subject that came his way.
+
+On the following day Dave's duties called him to Brownsville, where
+court was in session. He had planned to leave by the morning train; but
+as he continued to meditate over Strange's words he decided that,
+before going, he ought to advise Alaire of the fellow's suspicions in
+order that she might discharge José Sanchez and in other ways protect
+herself against his possible spite. Since the matter was one that could
+not well be talked over by telephone, Dave determined to go in person
+to Las Palmas that evening. Truth to say, he was hungry to see Alaire.
+By this time he had almost ceased to combat the feeling she aroused in
+him, and it was in obedience to an impulse far stronger than friendly
+anxiety that he hired a machine and, shortly after dark, took the river
+road.
+
+The Fates are malicious jades. They delight in playing ill-natured
+pranks upon us. Not content with spinning and measuring and cutting the
+threads of our lives to suit themselves, they must also tangle the
+skein, causing us to cut capers to satisfy their whims.
+
+At no time since meeting Alaire had Dave Law been more certain of his
+moral strength than on this evening; at no time had his grip upon
+himself seemed firmer. Nor had Alaire the least reason to doubt her
+self-control. Dave, to be sure, had appealed to her fancy and her
+interest; in fact, he so dominated her thoughts that the imaginary
+creature whom she called her dream-husband had gradually taken on his
+physical likeness. But the idea that she was in any way enamoured of
+him had never entered her mind; that she could ever be tempted to yield
+to him, to be false to her ideals of wifehood, was inconceivable. In
+such wise do the Fates amuse themselves.
+
+Alaire had gone to her favorite after-dinner refuge, a nook on one of
+the side-galleries, where there was a wide, swinging wicker couch; and
+there in a restful obscurity fragrant with unseen flowers she had
+prepared to spend the evening with her dreams.
+
+She did not hear Dave's automobile arrive. Her first intimation of his
+presence came with the sound of his heel upon the porch. When he
+appeared it was almost like the materialization of her uppermost
+thought--quite as if a figure from her fancy had stepped forth full
+clad.
+
+She rose and met him, smiling. "How did you know I wanted to see you?"
+she inquired.
+
+Dave took her hand and looked down at her, framing a commonplace reply.
+But for some reason the words lay unspoken upon his tongue. Alaire's
+informal greeting, her parted lips, the welcoming light in her eyes,
+had sent them flying. It seemed to him that the dim half-light which
+illumined this nook emanated from her face and her person, that the
+fragrance which came to his nostrils was the perfume of her breath, and
+at the prompting of these thoughts all his smothered longings rose as
+if at a signal. As mutinous prisoners in a jail delivery overpower
+their guards, so did Dave's long-repressed emotions gain the upper hand
+of him now, and so swift was their uprising that he could not summon
+more than a feeble, panicky resistance.
+
+The awkwardness of the pause which followed Alaire's inquiry
+strengthened the rebellious impulses within him, and quite
+unconsciously his friendly grasp upon her fingers tightened. For her
+part, as she saw this sudden change sweep over him, her own face
+altered and she felt something within her breast leap into life. No
+woman could have failed to read the meaning of his sudden agitation,
+and, strange to say, it worked a similar state of feeling in Alaire.
+She strove to control herself and to draw away, but instead found that
+her hand had answered his, and that her eyes were flashing recognition
+of his look. All in an instant she realized how deathly tired of her
+own struggle she had become, and experienced a reckless impulse to cast
+away all restraint and blindly meet his first advance. She had no time
+to question her yearnings; she seemed to understand only that this man
+offered her rest and security; that in his arms lay sanctuary.
+
+To both it seemed that they stood there silently, hand in hand, for a
+very long time, though in reality there was scarcely a moment of
+hesitation on the part of either. A drunken, breathless instant of
+uncertainty, then Alaire was on Dave's breast, and his strength, his
+ardor, his desire, was throbbing through her. Her bare arms were about
+his neck; a sigh, the token of utter surrender, fluttered from her
+throat. She raised her face to his and their lips melted together.
+
+For a time they were all alone in the universe, the center of all
+ecstasy. Dave was whispering wild incoherencies as Alaire lay in his
+embrace, her limbs relaxed, her flesh touching his, her body clinging
+to his.
+
+"Dream-man!" she murmured.
+
+As consciousness returns after a swoon, so did realization return to
+Alaire Austin. Faintly, uncertainly at first, then with a swift, strong
+effort she pushed herself out of Dave's reluctant arms. They stood
+apart, frightened. Dave's gaze was questioning. Alaire began to tremble
+and to struggle with her breath.
+
+"Are we--mad?" she gasped. "What have we done?"
+
+"There's no use fighting. It was here--it was bound to come out. Oh,
+Alaire--!"
+
+"Don't!" She shook her head, and, avoiding his outstretched hands, went
+to the edge of the veranda and leaned weakly against a pillar, with her
+head in the crook of her arm. Dave followed her, but the words he spoke
+were scarcely intelligible.
+
+Finally she raised her face to his: "No! It is useless to deny it--now
+that we know. But I didn't know, until a moment ago."
+
+"I've known, all the time--ever since the first moment I saw you," he
+told her, hoarsely. "To me you're all there is; nothing else matters.
+And you love me! God! I wonder if I'm awake."
+
+"Dream-man," she repeated, more slowly. "Oh, why did you come so late?"
+
+"So late?"
+
+"Yes. We must think it out, the best way we can, I--wonder what you
+think of me?"
+
+"You must know. There's no need for excuses; there's nothing to
+explain, except the miracle that such great happiness could come to a
+fellow like me."
+
+"Happiness? It means anything but that. I was miserable enough before,
+what shall I do now?"
+
+"Why, readjust your life," he cried, roughly. "Surely you won't
+hesitate after this?"
+
+But Alaire did not seem to hear him. She was staring out into the night
+again. "What a failure I must be!" she murmured, finally. "I suppose I
+should have seen this coming, but--I didn't. And in his house, too!
+This dress is his, and these jewels--everything!" She held up her hands
+and stared curiously at the few rings she wore, as if seeing them for
+the first time. "How does that make you feel?"
+
+Dave stirred; there was resentment in his voice when he answered: "Your
+husband has sacrificed his claim to you, as everybody knows. To my mind
+he has lost his rights. You're mine, mine! By God!" He waved a vigorous
+gesture of defiance. "I'll take you away from him at any cost. I'll see
+that he gives you up, somehow. You're all I have."
+
+"Of course the law provides a way, but you wouldn't, couldn't,
+understand how I feel about divorce." The mere mention of the word was
+difficult and caused Alaire to clench her hands. "We're both too shaken
+to talk sanely now, so let's wait--"
+
+"There's something you must understand before we go any further," Dave
+insisted. "I'm poor; I haven't a thing I can call my own, so I'm not
+sure I have any right to take you away from all this." He turned a
+hostile eye upon their surroundings. "Most people would say that I've
+simply wasted my life. Perhaps I have--that depends upon the way you
+look at it and upon what you consider worth while--anyhow, all I can
+offer you is love--" He broke off momentarily as if his breath had
+suddenly failed him. "Greater love, it seems to me, than any woman ever
+had."
+
+"Money means so little, and it's so easy to be happy without it,"
+Alaire told him. "But I'm not altogether poor. Of course, everything
+here is Ed's, but I have enough. All my life I've had everything except
+the very thing you offer--and how I've longed for that! How I've envied
+other people! Do you think I'll be allowed, somehow, to have it?"
+
+"Yes! I've something to say about that. You gave me the right when you
+gave me that kiss."
+
+Alaire shook her head. "I'm not sure. It seems easy now, while you are
+here, but how will it seem later? I'm in no condition at this minute to
+reason. Perhaps, as you say, it is all a dream; perhaps this feeling I
+have is just a passing frenzy."
+
+Dave laughed softly, confidently. "It's too new yet for you to
+understand, but wait. It is frenzy, witchery--yes, and more. To-morrow,
+and every day after, it will grow and grow and grow! Trust me, I've
+watched it in myself."
+
+"So you cared for me from the very first?" Alaire questioned. It was
+the woman's curiosity, the woman's hunger to hear over and over again
+that truth which never fails to thrill and yet never fully satisfies.
+
+"Oh, even before that, I think! When you came to my fire that evening
+in the chaparral I knew every line of your face, every movement of your
+body, every tone of your voice, as a man knows and recognizes his
+ideal. But it took time for me to realize all you meant to me."
+
+Alaire nodded. "Yes, and it must have been the same with me." She met
+his eyes frankly, but when he reached toward her she held him away.
+"No, dear. Not yet, not again, not until we have the right. It would be
+better for us both if you went away now."
+
+"No, no! Oh, I have so much to say! I've been dumb all my life, and
+you've just opened my lips."
+
+"Please! After I've decided what to do--once I feel that I can control
+myself better--I'll send for you. But you must promise not to come
+until then, for you would only make it harder."
+
+It required all Dave's determination to force himself to obey her wish,
+and the struggle nearly kept him from recalling the original object of
+his visit. Remembering, he tried to tell Alaire what he had learned
+from Phil Strange; but so broken and so unconvincing was his recital
+that he doubted if she understood in the least what he was talking
+about.
+
+At last he took her hand and kissed her wrist, just over her pulse, as
+if to speed a message to her heart, then into her rosy palm he
+whispered a tender something that thrilled her.
+
+She stood white, motionless, against the dim illumination of the porch
+until he had gone, and not until the last sound of his motor had died
+away did she stir. Then she pressed her own lips to the palm he had
+caressed and walked slowly to her room.
+
+
+
+
+XXII
+
+WHAT ELLSWORTH HAD TO SAY
+
+
+On his way to Brownsville the next morning Dave found himself still
+somewhat dazed by his sudden happiness; the more he thought of it the
+more wonderful it seemed. During the day he went through his court
+duties like a man in a trance. Such joy as this was unbelievable; he
+felt as if he must tell the world about it. He well understood Alaire's
+repugnance to divorce, but he was sure that he could overcome it, if
+indeed her own truer understanding of herself did not relieve him of
+that necessity; for at this moment his desires were of a heat
+sufficient to burn away all obstacles, no matter how solid. It seemed,
+therefore, that the future was all sunshine.
+
+He had no opportunity of speaking with Judge Ellsworth until court
+adjourned. Then the judge took him by the arm, with that peculiarly
+flattering assumption of intimacy of which he was master, and led the
+way toward his office, inquiring meanwhile for news of Jonesville.
+Dave's high spirits surprised him and finally impelled him to ask the
+cause. When Dave hinted unmistakably at the truth, Ellsworth exclaimed,
+with a sharp stare of curiosity:
+
+"See here! You haven't forgotten what I told you that night on the
+train?"
+
+"What? Yes, I had forgotten."
+
+"You promised to tell me if you thought seriously about marriage."
+
+"Very well, then; I'm telling you now."
+
+"Do you mean that, Dave?"
+
+"Of course I do. But don't look at me as if I'd confessed to arson or
+burglary. Listen, Judge! If you have good taste in jewelry, I'll let
+you help me select the ring."
+
+But Judge Ellsworth continued to stare, and then muttered uncertainly:
+"You're such a joker--"
+
+Dave assumed a show of irony. "Your congratulations overwhelm me. You
+look as if you were about to begin the reading of the will."
+
+"I want to hear about this right away." Ellsworth smiled faintly. "Can
+you come to my office tonight, where we can be alone?"
+
+Dave agreed to the appointment and went his way with a feeling of
+amusement. Old folks are usually curious, he reflected; and they are
+prone to presume upon the privileges that go with age. In this
+instance, however, it might be well to make a clean breast of the
+affair, since Ellsworth was Alaire's attorney, and would doubtless be
+selected to secure her divorce.
+
+The judge was waiting when Dave called after supper, but for some time
+he maintained a flow of conversation relating to other things than the
+one they had met to discuss. At last, however, he appeared to summon
+his determination; he cleared his throat and settled himself in his
+chair--premonitory signs unusual in a man of Ellsworth's poise and
+self-assurance.
+
+"I reckon you think I'm trying to mix up in something that doesn't
+concern me," he began; "and perhaps I am. Maybe you'll make me wish I'd
+minded my own business--that's what usually happens. I remember once,
+out of pure chivalry, trying to stop a fellow from beating his wife. Of
+course they both turned on me--as they always do. I went to the
+hospital for a week, and lost a profitable divorce case. However, we
+try to do our duty as we see it."
+
+This was anything but a promising preamble; Dave wondered, too, at his
+friend's obvious nervousness.
+
+"So you've found the girl, eh?" the judge went on.
+
+"Yes."
+
+"Are you accepted? I mean, have you asked her to marry you?"
+
+"Of course I have. That's about the first thing a fellow does."
+
+Ellsworth shuffled the papers on his desk with an abstracted gaze, then
+said, slowly, "Dave--I don't think you ought to marry."
+
+"So you told me once before. I suppose you mean I'm poor and a failure."
+
+"Oh no! All men are failures until they marry. I'm thinking of what
+marriage means; of the new duties it brings, of the man's duty to
+himself, to the woman, and to society; I'm thinking of what lies inside
+of the man himself."
+
+"Um-m! That's pretty vague."
+
+"I've studied you a long time, Dave, and with a reason. I've studied
+heredity, too, and--you mustn't marry."
+
+Law stirred in his chair and smiled whimsically. "I've done some
+studying along those lines, too, and I reckon I know myself pretty
+well. I've the usual faults, but--"
+
+Ellsworth interrupted. "You don't know yourself at all, my boy. There's
+just the trouble. I'm the only man--living man, that is--who knows
+you." For the first time he looked directly at his caller, and now his
+lids were lifted until the eyes peered out bright, hard, and piercing;
+something in his face startled Dave. "I was your father's attorney and
+his friend. I know how he lived and how he died. I know--what killed
+him?"
+
+"You mean, don't you, that you know who killed him?"
+
+"I mean just what I say."
+
+Dave leaned forward, studying the speaker curiously. "Well, come
+through. What's on your mind?" he demanded, finally.
+
+"The Guadalupes had to kill him, Dave."
+
+"Had to? HAD to? Why?"
+
+"Don't you know? Don't you know anything about your family history?"
+Dave shook his head. "Well, then--he was insane."
+
+"Insane?"
+
+"Yes; violently."
+
+"Really, I--Why--I suppose you know what you're talking about, but it
+sounds incredible."
+
+"Yes, it must to you--especially since you never knew the facts. Very
+few people did know then, even at the time, for there were no
+newspapers in that part of Mexico; you, of course, were a boy at school
+in the United States. Nevertheless, it's true. That part of the story
+which I didn't know at the time I learned by talking with General
+Guadalupe and others. It was very shocking."
+
+Dave's face was a study; his color had lessened slightly; he wet his
+lips. "This is news, of course," said he, "but it doesn't explain my
+mother's death. Who killed her, if not the Guadalupes?"
+
+"Can't you guess? That's what I meant when I said they had to kill
+Frank Law." Ellsworth maintained his fixity of gaze, and when Dave
+started he nodded his head. "It's God's truth. The details were
+too--dreadful. Your father turned his hand against the woman he loved
+and--died a wife-killer. The Guadalupes had to destroy him like a mad
+dog. I'm sorry you had to learn the truth from me, my boy, but it seems
+necessary that I tell you. When I knew Frank Law he was like any other
+man, quick-tempered, a little too violent, perhaps, but apparently as
+sane as you or I, and yet the thing was there."
+
+Dave rose from his chair and bent over the desk. "So THAT'S what you've
+been driving at," he gasped. "That's what you meant when you said I
+shouldn't marry." He began to tremble now; his voice became hoarse with
+fury. "Now I understand. You're trying to tell me that--maybe I've got
+it in me, eh? Hell! YOU'RE crazy, not I. I'm all right. I reckon I
+know."
+
+"HE didn't know," Ellsworth said, quietly. "I doubt if he even
+suspected."
+
+Dave struck the desk violently with his clenched fist. "Bosh! You're
+hipped on this heredity subject. Crazy! Why, you doddering old fool--"
+With an effort he calmed himself, realizing that he had shouted his
+last words. He turned away and made a circuit of the room before
+returning to face his friend. "I didn't mean to speak to you like that,
+Judge. You pulled this on me too suddenly, and I'm--upset. But it
+merely proves my own contention that I'm not Frank Law's son at all.
+I've always known it."
+
+"How do you know it?"
+
+"Don't you suppose I can tell?" In spite of himself Dave's voice rose
+again, but it was plain from the lawyer's expression that to a man of
+his training no mere conviction unsupported by proof had weight. This
+skepticism merely kept Dave's impatience at a white heat. "Very well,
+then," he argued, angrily, "let's say that I'm wrong and you're right.
+Let's agree that I am his son. What of it? What makes you think I've
+inherited--the damned thing? It isn't a disease. Me, insane? Rot!" He
+laughed harshly, took another uncertain turn around the room, then sank
+into his chair and buried his face in his hands.
+
+Ellsworth was more keenly distressed than his hearer imagined; when
+next he spoke his voice was unusually gentle. "It IS a disease, Dave,
+or worse, and there's no way of proving that you haven't inherited it.
+If there is the remotest possibility that you have--if you have the
+least cause to suspect--why, you couldn't marry and--bring children
+into the world, now could you? Ask yourself if you've shown any
+signs--?"
+
+"Oh, I know what you mean. You've always said I go crazy when
+I'm--angry. Well, that's true. But it's nothing more than a villainous
+temper. I'm all right again afterward."
+
+"I wasn't thinking so much of that. But are you sure it's altogether
+temper?" the judge insisted. "You don't merely lose control of
+yourself; you've told me more than once that you go completely out of
+your mind; that you see red and want to kill and--"
+
+"Don't you?"
+
+"I never felt the slightest desire to destroy, no matter how angry I
+chanced to be. I've always asserted that murderers, homicides,
+suicides, were irresponsible; that they were sick here." Ellsworth
+touched his forehead. "I can't see how any sane man can take his own or
+another's life, no matter what the provocation. But I'm not a doctor,
+and that's an extreme view, I know. Anyhow, you'll agree that if you
+have Frank Law's blood in your veins it won't do to marry."
+
+"I haven't got it," the younger man groaned, his gaze turned sullenly
+downward. "Even granting that I have, that's no sign I'd ever--run
+amuck the way he did."
+
+"You told me just now that you don't know your family history?"
+
+"Yes. What little I've heard isn't very pretty nor very much to the
+family's credit. They were a bad lot, I believe."
+
+"Frank Law had two brothers and a sister, had he not?"
+
+"Yes. One of my uncles was a tough hombre. I'm told he notched his gun
+pretty well."
+
+"He was about the worst man of his day. He was shot in Dodge City on
+one of his rampages."
+
+Dave raised shocked and curious eyes. "You think he was crazy?"
+
+"Most of those old-time gunmen would be so considered nowadays. Some
+unbelievable stories are told about that uncle of yours. The other one
+disappeared mysteriously."
+
+"I believe so. He just walked away from his wife and family and
+business one day and was never heard of again."
+
+Ellsworth seemed to consider this admission significant. "Now the
+sister, your aunt?"
+
+"I think she's somewhere in the East; I never saw her."
+
+"She is; she's an inmate of an institution the name and address of
+which I have here." Ellsworth thrust his finger into the loose pile of
+documents before him. Avoiding his caller's eyes he continued: "You
+can't very well ignore such a family history, Dave. I've never traced
+it back beyond the last generation, but you probably could if you
+tried."
+
+In a voice hardly his own, Dave articulated: "God! This is--hideous."
+
+"It is. I'd like to believe that you don't belong to the Laws, but I
+can't put much faith in that childhood fancy of yours. Run it down;
+convince yourself. But first go to the girl, whoever she is, and tell
+her the facts. If she's the right sort--"
+
+"No, no!" The words were wrung from Dave's lips. "She knows too well
+how heredity acts; she's had one experience."
+
+"Eh? You say she knows--Who is she, Dave? Don't tell me you
+mean--Alaire?"
+
+Dave nodded.
+
+"Damnation!" Ellsworth leaped to his feet and, striding around the
+desk, seized his caller roughly by the shoulder. "What are you telling
+me? Good God, Alaire! A married woman! So you--cut under Ed Austin,
+eh?" Momentarily Ellsworth lost control of himself; his eyes blazed and
+his fingers tightened painfully. "What damnable trick have you played
+on that girl? Tell me before I choke you."
+
+For once Dave Law's passion failed to ignite at the heat of another's
+anger; he only sat limp and helpless in the judge's grasp. Finally he
+muttered: "I played square enough. It's one of those things that just
+happen. We couldn't help ourselves. She'll come to you for her divorce."
+
+The lawyer uttered a shocking oath. "Then it's no mere romantic
+infatuation on her part?"
+
+"Oh no!"
+
+Ellsworth loosed his grip. He turned away and began to pace the office
+floor, shaking his head. "This is--unfortunate. Alaire, of all
+people--as if she didn't have enough to bear." He turned fiercely upon
+the cowering figure in the chair, saying: "I'll tell her the whole
+truth myself, before she goes any further."
+
+"No! Oh, please! Let me, in my own way." Dave writhed and sank his face
+in his hands once more. After a while he said, "I'm waiting for you to
+tell me it's all a nightmare."
+
+"Humph!" The judge continued his restless pacing. "I was sorry for you
+when you came in here, and it took all my strength to tell you; but now
+you don't matter at all. I was prepared to have you go ahead against my
+advice, but--I'll see you damned first."
+
+"You have damned me."
+
+When Ellsworth saw the haggard face turned to his he ceased his walk
+abruptly. "I'm all broken up, Dave," he confessed in a gentler tone
+than he had used heretofore. "But you'll thank me some day."
+
+Law was no longer the big, strong, confident fellow who had entered the
+office such a short time before. He had collapsed; he seemed to have
+shrunk; he was pitifully appealing. Although there were many things he
+would have said, many questions upon his tongue, he could not voice
+them now, and it was with extreme difficulty that he managed to follow
+the judge's words at all.
+
+After a time he rose and shook Ellsworth's hand limply, mechanically;
+then he shambled out of the office. Like a sick man, he stumbled down
+the stairs and into the street. When he entered his hotel the clerk and
+some of the idlers in the lobby looked at him queerly, but he did not
+see them.
+
+All that night Dave walked the floor of his room or sat hunched up on
+the edge of his bed, staring at the wall and fighting the fears that
+preyed upon him.
+
+He had faith enough in Alaire to believe that she would marry him
+regardless of the facts; her kiss, that one delirious moment when he
+had held her to his breast, had taught him much, and it was, in fact,
+this very certainty which made his struggle so hard. After all, why
+not? he asked himself a thousand times. Ellsworth's fears were surely
+exaggerated. Who could say that Frank Law had passed on his heritage?
+There was at least a chance that he had not, and it would require more
+than a remote possibility, more evidence than Ellsworth could summon,
+to dismay Alaire. Suppose it should transpire that he was somehow
+defective? What then? The signs of his mental failing would give ample
+warning. He could watch himself carefully and study his symptoms. He
+could lead the life of a sentinel perpetually on guard. The thing might
+never come--or at the worst it probably would not manifest itself until
+he was further along in years. That, it seemed, was the family history,
+and in such a case Dave was assured of half a life at least. Ellsworth
+was altogether too fearful. Yes, and he was too officious by far. This
+was something that did not concern him.
+
+But such reasoning naturally brought little comfort. Dave's fears would
+not be put down. In common with most men of splendid physique, he had a
+vague contempt for those less perfect; disease or deformity had never
+failed to awaken his pity, and he had often argued that defective human
+beings, like unhealthy stock, should not be allowed to mate and to
+perpetuate their weaknesses. This eugenic conviction had helped to ease
+his conscience somewhat during his acquaintance with Alaire, for he had
+told himself that Ed Austin, by reason of his inherited vices, had
+sacrificed all right to love and marriage. These thoughts came home now
+to roost. What was Ed's evil heritage compared to his own? It was as
+vinegar to vitriol.
+
+And yet shining through all Dave's distress, like a faint, flickering
+beacon in a storm, was that old doubt of his parentage; and to this he
+finally began to pin his hopes. In the day or two that followed his
+interview with Ellsworth, it afforded him almost the only comfort he
+knew; for in the end he had to face the truth; he could not marry if he
+were really Frank Law's son.
+
+Those were dark hours for Dave. He discharged his duties automatically,
+taking no interest whatever in his work; his nights he spent in morose
+meditation. Unable to sleep, he tramped the hot streets in an effort to
+fight off his growing nervousness. He became irritable, despondent; his
+eyes took on the look of an invalid's; his face aged and grayed.
+Physically, too, he grew very tired, for no burden is heavier to bear
+than that of doubt and indecision.
+
+One afternoon Ellsworth entered his office to find Dave waiting for
+him. The young man began in a shaky, husky voice:
+
+"I can't stand it, Judge. I'm going to pieces, fast."
+
+"You do look bad."
+
+"Yes. I don't sleep. I'm so irritable I can't get along up at the
+courthouse. I'm licked. The worst of it is, I don't know whether it's
+all imagination, or whether you really stirred up that devilish
+sleeping thing in me. Anyhow, something has got me. All I can do is
+study and analyze and watch and imagine--I sit all night
+thinking--thinking, until everything gets queer and distorted. If I
+were sane before, you've about unbalanced me with your damnable
+suggestions."
+
+"A few nights of sleep will make you feel better," Ellsworth said,
+gravely.
+
+"I tried drugs, but they made me worse. God! Then my fancies WERE sick.
+No, I'm going to get out."
+
+"Where? How?"
+
+"I'm going north to look up the members of my family and learn who I
+really am. I resigned from the Ranger force to-day. That's no place for
+a fellow with a--homicidal mania."
+
+"Dave! You're taking this thing too absolutely and too hard," Ellsworth
+declared.
+
+But Dave went on, unheeding. "Another reason why I want to get away now
+is that Alaire will expect me to come to her when she sends for me
+and--I wouldn't dare trust myself."
+
+"Have you told her--written her?"
+
+"Not yet, and I sha'n't until I trace out the last doubt in my own
+mind."
+
+In an effort to cheer, Ellsworth put his arm about the sufferer's
+shoulders. "I'm sure you'll do the right thing, Dave," he said. "Maybe,
+after all, your instinct is true and you're not Frank Law's boy. I hope
+so, for this thing weighs me down as it weighs you; but you mustn't let
+it whip you. Don't give in, and meanwhile, above all things, try to get
+some sleep."
+
+Dave nodded and mumbled something; then he slouched out, leaving the
+lawyer overcome by a great pity. Ellsworth had seen men, stunned by a
+court sentence, turn away from the bar with that same dumb, fixed look
+of hopelessness in their eyes. Impulsively he cursed the sense of duty
+that had prompted him to interfere.
+
+
+
+
+XXIII
+
+THE CRASH
+
+
+The several days following Dave's unexpected call at Las Palmas Alaire
+spent in a delightful reverie. She had so often wrestled with the
+question of divorce that she had begun to weary of it; and now, when
+she tried to summon energy to consider it anew, she found herself, as
+usual, reasoning in a circle and arriving at no decision. She gave up
+trying, at length, and for the time being rested content in the
+knowledge that she loved and was loved. In her heart she knew well
+enough what her ultimate course would be: sooner or later events would
+force her action. Yielding to a natural cowardice, therefore, she
+resigned herself to dreamy meditations and left the future to take care
+of itself. A week passed while she hugged her thoughts to her breast,
+and then one evening she rode home to learn that Ed had returned from
+San Antonio.
+
+But Ed was ill, and he did not appear at dinner. It had been years
+since either had dared invade the other's privacy, and now, inasmuch as
+her husband did not send for her, Alaire did not presume to offer her
+services as nurse. As a matter of fact, she considered this quite
+unnecessary, for she felt sure that he was either suffering the
+customary after-effects of a visit to the city or else that he lacked
+the moral courage to undertake an explanation of his hurried flight
+from the ranch. In either event she was glad he kept to his room.
+
+Heretofore their formal relations had made life at least tolerable to
+Alaire, but now she experienced a feeling of guilt at finding herself
+under the same roof with him. Oddly enough, it seemed to her that in
+this she wronged Dave and not her husband; for she reasoned that,
+having given her love to one man, her presence in the same house with
+another outraged that love.
+
+When Austin made his appearance, on the day following his return, his
+bleared eyes, his puffy, pasty cheeks, his shattered nerves, showed
+plainly enough how he had spent his time. Although he was jumpy and
+irritable, he seemed determined by an assumption of high spirits and
+exaggerated friendliness to avert criticism. Since Alaire spared him
+all reproaches, his efforts seemed to meet with admirable success. Now
+Ed's opinion of women was not high, for those with whom he habitually
+associated were of small intelligence; and, seeing that his wife
+continued to manifest a complete indifference to his past actions, he
+decided that his apprehensions had been groundless. If Alaire
+remembered the Guzman affair at all, or if she had suspected him of
+complicity in it, time had evidently dulled her suspicions, and he was
+a little sorry he had taken pains to stay away so long.
+
+Before many days, however, he discovered that this indifference of hers
+was not assumed, and that in some way or other she had changed. Ed was
+accustomed, when he returned exhausted from a debauch, to seeing in his
+wife's eyes a strained misery; he had learned to expect in her bearing
+a sort of pitying, hopeless resignation. But this time she was not in
+the least depressed. On the contrary, she appeared happier, fresher,
+and younger than he had seen her for a long time. It was mystifying.
+When, one morning, he overheard her singing in her room, he was
+shocked. Over this phenomenon he meditated with growing amazement and a
+faint stir of resentment in his breast, for he lived a self-centered
+life, considering himself the pivot upon which revolved all the affairs
+of his little world. To feel that he had lost even the power to make
+his wife unhappy argued that he had overestimated his importance.
+
+At length, having sufficiently recovered his health to begin drinking
+again, he yielded one evening to an alcoholic impulse and, just as
+Alaire bade him good night, clumsily sought to force an explanation.
+
+"See here!" he shot at her. "What's the matter with you lately?" He saw
+that he had startled her and that she made an effort to collect her
+wandering thoughts. "You're about as warm and wifely as a stone idol."
+
+"Am I any different to what I have always been?"
+
+"Humph! You haven't been exactly sympathetic of late. Here I come home
+sick, and you treat me like one of the help. Don't you think I have
+feelings? Jove! I'm lonesome."
+
+Alaire regarded him speculatively, then shook her head as if in answer
+to some thought.
+
+In an obvious and somewhat too mellow effort to be friendly, Ed
+continued: "Don't let's go on like this, Alaire. You blame me for going
+away so much, but, good Lord! when I'm home I feel like an interloper.
+You treat me like a cow-thief."
+
+"I'm sorry. I've tried to be everything I should. I'm the interloper."
+
+"Nonsense! If we only got along together as well as we seem to from the
+outside it wouldn't be bad at all. But you're too severe. You seem to
+think a man should be perfect. Well, none of us are, and I'm no worse
+than the majority. Why, I know lots of fellows who forget themselves
+and do things they shouldn't, but they don't mean anything by it. They
+have wives and homes to go to when it's all over. But have I? You're as
+glad to see me as if I had smallpox. Maybe we've made a mess of things,
+but married life isn't what young girls think it is, A wife must learn
+to give and take."
+
+"I've given. What have I taken?" she asked him in a voice that quivered.
+
+Ed made an impatient gesture. "Oh, don't be so literal! I mean that,
+since we're man and wife, it's up to you to be a little
+more--broad-gauge in your views."
+
+"In other words, you want me to ignore your conduct. Is that it? I'm
+afraid we can't argue that, Ed."
+
+Within the last few days Austin's mind had registered a number of new
+impressions, and at this moment he realized that his wife was
+undoubtedly the most attractive woman physically he had ever known. Of
+course she was cold, but she had not always been so. He had chilled
+her; he had seen the fire die year by year, but now the memory of her
+as she had once been swept over him, bringing a renewed appreciation of
+her charms. His recent dissipation had told upon him as heavily as a
+siege of sickness, and this evening he was in that fatuous, sentimental
+mood which comes with convalescence, Having no fault to find with
+himself, and feeling merely a selfish desire to make more pleasant his
+life at Las Palmas, he undertook to bend Alaire to his will.
+
+"All right; don't let's try to argue it," he laughed, with what he
+considered an admirable show of magnanimity. "I hate arguments, anyhow;
+I'd much rather have a goodnight kiss."
+
+But when he stooped over her Alaire held him off and turned her head.
+"No!" she said.
+
+"You haven't kissed me for--"
+
+"I don't wish to kiss you."
+
+"Don't be silly," he insisted. This suggestion of physical resistance
+excited his love of conquest and awoke something like the mood of a
+lover--such a lover as a man like Ed could be. For a moment he felt as
+if Alaire were some other woman than his wife, a woman who refused and
+yet half expected to be overcome; therefore he laughed self-consciously
+and repeated, "Come now, I want a kiss."
+
+Alaire thrust him back strongly, and he saw that her face had whitened.
+Oddly enough, her stubbornness angered him out of all reason, and he
+began a harsh remonstrance. But he halted when she cried:
+
+"Wait! I must tell you something, Ed. It's all over, and has been for a
+long time. We're going to end it."
+
+"End it?"
+
+"We can't go on living together. Why should we?"
+
+"So? Divorce? Is that it?"
+
+Alaire nodded.
+
+"Well, I'll be damned!" Ed was dumfounded. "Isn't this rather sudden?"
+he managed to inquire.
+
+"Oh no. You've suggested it more than once."
+
+"I thought you didn't believe in divorces--couldn't stomach 'em? What's
+happened?"
+
+"I have changed my mind."
+
+"Humph! People don't change their minds in a minute," he cried,
+angrily. "Is there some other man?"
+
+Now Ed Austin had no faintest idea that his wife would answer in the
+affirmative, for he had long ago learned to put implicit confidence in
+her, and her life had been so open that he could not imagine that it
+held a double interest. Therefore her reply struck him speechless.
+
+"Yes, Ed," she said, quietly, "there is another man."
+
+It was like her not to evade. She had never lied to him.
+
+Ed's mouth opened; his reddened eyes protruded. "Well--" he stammered.
+"Well, by God!" Then after a moment: "Who is it, the Greaser or the
+cowboy?" He laughed loudly, disagreeably. "It must be one or the other,
+for you haven't seen any men except them. Another man! Well, you're
+cool about it."
+
+"I am glad you know the truth."
+
+Muttering to himself, Ed made a short excursion around the room, then
+paused before his wife with a sneer on his lips. "Did it ever occur to
+you that I might object?" he demanded.
+
+Alaire eyed him scornfully. "What right have you to object?"
+
+Ed could not restrain a malevolent gleam of curiosity. "Say, who is it?
+Ain't I entitled to know that much?" As Alaire remained silent he let
+his eyes rove over her with a kind of angry appreciation. "You're
+pretty enough to stampede any man," he admitted. "Yes, and you've got
+money, too. I'll bet it's the Ranger. So, you've been having your fling
+while I was away. Hunh! We're tarred with the same stick."
+
+"You don't really believe that," she told him, sharply.
+
+"Why not? You've had enough opportunity. I don't see anything of you,
+and haven't for years. Well, I was a fool to trust you."
+
+Alaire's eyes were very dark and very bright as she said: "I wonder how
+I have managed to live with you as long as I have. I knew you were
+weak, nasty--so I was prepared for something like this. But I never
+thought you were a downright criminal until--"
+
+"Criminal? Rot!"
+
+"How about that Guzman affair? You can't go much lower, Ed, and you
+can't keep me here with you."
+
+"I can't keep you, eh?" he growled. "Well, perhaps not. I suppose
+you've got enough on me to secure a divorce, but I can air some of your
+dirty linen. Oh, don't look like that! I mean it! Didn't you spend a
+night with David Law?" He leered at her unpleasantly, then followed a
+step as she drew back.
+
+"Don't you touch me!" she cried.
+
+A flush was deepening Ed's purple cheeks; his voice was peculiarly
+brutal and throaty as he said: "The decree isn't entered yet, and so
+long as you are Mrs. Austin I have rights. Yes, and I intend to
+exercise them. You've made me jealous, and, by God--" He made to
+encircle her with his arms and was half successful, but when Alaire
+felt the heat of his breath in her face a sick loathing sprang up
+within her, and, setting her back against the wall, she sent him
+reeling. Whether she struck him or merely pushed him away she never
+knew, for during the instant of their struggle she was blind with
+indignation and fury. Profiting by her advantage, she dodged past him,
+fled to her room, and locked herself in.
+
+She heard him muttering profanely; heard him approach her chamber more
+than once, then retire uncertainly, but she knew him too well to be
+afraid.
+
+Later that night she wrote two letters--one to Judge Ellsworth, the
+other to Dave Law.
+
+José Sanchez rode to the Morales house feeling some concern over the
+summons that took him thither. He wondered what could have induced
+General Longorio to forsake his many important duties in order to make
+the long trip from Nuevo Pueblo; surely it could be due to no lack of
+zeal on his, José's, part. No! The horse-breaker flattered himself that
+he had made a very good spy indeed; that he had been Longorio's eyes
+and ears so far as circumstances permitted. Nor did he feel that he had
+been lax in making his reports, for through Rosa he had written the
+general several lengthy letters, and just for good measure these two
+had conjured up sundry imaginary happenings to prove beyond doubt that
+Señora Austin was miserably unhappy with her husband and ready to
+welcome such a dashing lover as Longorio. Therefore José could not for
+the life of him imagine wherein he had been remiss. Nevertheless, he
+was uneasy, and he hoped that nothing had occurred to anger his general.
+
+But Longorio, when he arrived at the meeting-place, was not in a bad
+humor. Having sent Rosa away on some errand, he turned to José with a
+flashing smile, and said:
+
+"Well, my good friend, the time has come."
+
+Now José had no faintest idea what the general was talking about, but
+to be called the good friend of so illustrious a person was flattering.
+He nodded decisively.
+
+"Yes, beyond doubt," he agreed.
+
+"Mexico is in a bad way. These rebels are growing by the thousands;
+they overrun the country like ants. You read the papers, eh?"
+
+"Sometimes; when there are enough pictures," said José.
+
+"Ha! Then I doubt if you know what is happening. Well, I'll have to
+tell you. Our enemies have taken all northern Mexico except that part
+which is under my control; but they are pushing toward me from two
+sides, and I prepare to retreat. That is not the worst, however; the
+Gringos are hoping to profit by Mexico's distress; they are making
+ready to invade our Fatherland, and every Mexican must fight or become
+a slave."
+
+This was indeed news! José began patriotically cursing the whole
+American people.
+
+"Understand, I make you my confidant because I think a great deal of
+you, José." The general laid an affectionate hand upon José's shoulder.
+"The first time I saw you I said: 'There's a boy after my own heart. I
+shall learn to love that José, and I shall put him in the way of his
+fortune.' Well, I have not changed my mind, and the time is come. You
+are going to help me and I am going to help you."
+
+José Sanchez thrilled with elation from head to foot. This promised to
+be the greatest day of his life, and he felt that he must be dreaming.
+
+"You haven't tired of Rosa, eh? You still wish to marry her?" Longorio
+was inquiring.
+
+"Yes. But, of course, I'm a poor man."
+
+"Just so. I shall attend to that. Now we come to the object of my
+visit. José, I propose to make you rich enough in one day so that you
+can marry."
+
+"But first, wait!" exclaimed the horse-breaker. "I bring you something
+of value, too." Desiring to render favor for favor, and to show that he
+was fully deserving of the general's generosity, José removed from
+inside the sweatband of his hat a sealed, stamped letter, which he
+handed to his employer. "Yesterday I carried the mail to town, but as I
+rode away from Las Palmas the señora handed me this, with a silver
+dollar for myself. Look! It is written to the man we both hate."
+
+Longorio took the letter, read the inscription, and then opened the
+envelope. José looked on with pleasure while he spelled out the
+contents.
+
+When the general had finished reading, he exclaimed: "Ho! A miracle!
+Now I know all that I wish to know."
+
+"Then I did well to steal that letter, eh?"
+
+"Diablo! Yes! That brute of a husband makes my angel's life unbearable,
+and she flees to La Feria to be rid of him. Good! It fits in with my
+plans. She will be surprised to see me there. Then, when the war comes
+and all is chaos then what? I'll warrant I can make her forget certain
+things and certain people." Longorio nodded with satisfaction. "You did
+very well, José."
+
+The latter leaned forward, his eyes bright. "That lady is rich. A fine
+prize, truly. She would bring a huge ransom."
+
+This remark brought a smile to Longorio's face. "My dear friend, you do
+not in the least understand," he said. "Ransom! What an idea!" He lost
+himself in meditation, then, rousing, spoke briskly: "Listen! In two,
+three days, your señora will leave Las Palmas. When she is gone you
+will perform your work, like the brave man I know you to be. You will
+relieve her of her husband."
+
+José hesitated, and the smile vanished from his face. "Señor Ed is not
+a bad man. He likes me; he--" Longorio's gaze altered and José fell
+silent.
+
+"Come! You are not losing heart, eh? Have I not promised to make you a
+rich man? Well, the time has arrived." Seeing that José still
+manifested no eagerness, the general went on in a different tone: "Do
+not think that you can withdraw from our little arrangement. Oh no! Do
+you remember a promise I made to you when you came to me in Romero? I
+said that if you played me false I would bury you to the neck in an
+anthill and fill your mouth with honey. I keep my promises."
+
+José's struggle was brief; he promptly resigned himself to the
+inevitable. With every evidence of sincerity he assured Longorio of his
+loyalty, and denied the least intention of betraying his general's
+confidence. What, after all, was his mission upon earth if not to serve
+Longorio's interests? One might have a peaceful heart and still be a
+man. José was every inch a man; he was a very devil when he let himself
+go, and his Excellency need have no fears as to the outcome of their
+plan. After all, the GRINGOS were enemies, and there was no one of them
+who did not merit destruction.
+
+Pleased with these sentiments, and feeling sufficiently assured that
+José was now really in the proper frame of mind to suit his purpose,
+Longorio took the winding trail back toward Sangre de Cristo.
+
+
+
+
+XXIV
+
+DAVE LAW COMES HOME
+
+
+A few days after she had written to Judge Ellsworth Alaire followed her
+letter in person, for, having at last decided to divorce Ed, she acted
+with characteristic decision. Since Ellsworth had more than once
+advised this very course, she went to Brownsville anticipating his
+willing support. She was greatly amazed, therefore, to find that he had
+completely changed his views and to hear him argue strongly against her
+determination. Hurt and puzzled at first by this strange lack of
+sympathy, Alaire soon began to grow angry, and when the judge persisted
+in his arguments she quarreled with him for the first time in their
+acquaintance. But it was not until she had threatened to secure another
+attorney that he reluctantly gave in, even then making it plain that in
+meeting her wishes he was acting against his best judgment.
+
+Now Alaire had desired Ellsworth's advice, also, as to her own
+immediate plans, since it was of course impossible for her longer to
+share Ed's roof. She had written Dave Law, telling him that she
+intended to go to La Feria, there to remain pending the hearing of her
+suit; but later she had come to doubt the wisdom of such a course,
+inasmuch as the war talk grew louder with every day. However, her
+attorney's inexplicable change of front and his stubborn opposition to
+her wishes prevented her from confiding in him any more than was
+necessary, and she returned to Las Palmas determined to use her own
+best judgment. To be sure, she would have preferred some place of
+refuge other than La Feria, but she reasoned that there she would at
+least be undisturbed, and that Ed, even if he wished to effect a
+reconciliation, would not dare to follow her, since he was persona non
+grata in Federal Mexico. Nor were her doubts of Ellsworth's loyalty
+entirely allayed. All in all, therefore, it seemed to her that the
+Mexican ranch offered her the safest asylum.
+
+She had counted upon seeing Dave during her stay in Brownsville, and
+her failure to do so was a grave disappointment. The news of his
+resignation from the Force had at first perplexed her; then she had
+thrilled at the thought that his action must have something to do with
+her; that doubtless he, too, was busied in making plans for their new
+life. She told herself that it was brave of him to obey her injunctions
+so literally and to leave her unembarrassed by his presence at this
+particular time. It inspired her to be equally brave and to wait
+patiently for the day when she could welcome him with clean hands and a
+soul unashamed.
+
+In the midst of Alaire's uncertainty of mind it gratified her to
+realize that Dave alone would know of her whereabouts. She wondered if
+he would come to see her. He was a reckless, headstrong lover, and his
+desires were all too likely to overcome his deliberate resolves. She
+rather hoped that in spite of his promise he would venture to cross the
+border so that she could see and be near him, if only for a day or for
+an hour. The possibility frightened and yet pleased her. The
+conventional woman within her frowned, but her outlaw heart beat fast
+at the thought.
+
+Alaire did not explain her plans even to Dolores, but when her
+preparations were complete she took the Mexican woman with her, and
+during Ed's absence slipped away from the ranch. Boarding the train at
+Jonesville, she was in Pueblo that night.
+
+If Alaire's clash with Ellsworth had been trying to her, it had been no
+less painful to the lawyer himself. Feeling himself bound by his
+promise to Dave, he had not dared to tell her the truth; consequently
+he had been hard put to it to dissuade her from taking immediate
+action. When she would not listen, he found himself in the most
+unpleasant position of his life; for although he could not but
+sympathize with her desire to be free from Ed Austin, it distressed him
+beyond measure to see her riding blindly to a fall. More than once
+after their strained parting he was tempted to go to Las Palmas and set
+himself right in her eyes; but he managed to hold to his determination
+and to school himself to await Dave's return.
+
+Before long, however, Ellsworth found other worries engaging him, for
+it seemed at last that war with Mexico was imminent. After months of
+uncertainty the question had come to issue, and that lowering cloud
+which had hung above the horizon took ominous shape and size. Ellsworth
+awoke one morning to learn that an ultimatum had gone forth to
+President Potosi; that the Atlantic fleet had been ordered south; and
+that marines were being rushed aboard transports pending a general army
+mobilization. It looked as if the United States had finally risen in
+wrath, and as if nothing less than a miracle could now avert the
+long-expected conflict.
+
+Naturally Brownsville, like other border towns, was plunged into a
+panic, and Ellsworth, as a leading citizen of his community, had his
+hands full.
+
+In the midst of this excitement, and while suspense was at its highest,
+Dave Law returned. Ellsworth found him in his office one morning and
+fell upon the young man eagerly. Two weeks had worked a shocking change
+in Dave; he was gaunt, ill; his eyes were bright and tired and
+feverish. They had a new expression, too, which the judge at first
+could not fathom, but which he took to be fear. Dave's brown cheeks had
+bleached; his hands hung loose and unmanageable at his sides.
+
+"I've had a long trip," he said, somberly, "months--years long, it
+seems to me."
+
+"Well, thank God you're back. Tell me, what did you find out?"
+
+Law closed his eyes wearily. He shook his head. "Nothing except
+verification. I'm sorry I went. The Law blood is tainted, all right--it
+reeks. The whole damned outfit were crazy. On my mother's side, though,
+I'm healthy enough--and there appears to be some mystery or something
+queer about me as a baby. That's all I've discovered so far. But I've a
+relative in San Antone, a cousin of my mother's, who runs a
+curio-store. He deals in Mexican jewelry and antiques, and all
+that--strange old fellow. He says he has a trunkful of stuff that
+belonged to his family, and he has promised to go through it for me."
+
+"Then you still hope to prove--"
+
+"I haven't any hope. I've given up."
+
+"Why?" Ellsworth asked, sharply.
+
+"Because I know the truth. Because I'm--going crazy. Fact! I can see it
+myself now."
+
+"Why, boy, that's imagination, nothing else."
+
+"Perhaps," Dave agreed, listlessly. "I'm reading everything on the
+subject of insanity that I can get hold of."
+
+Ellsworth tried to laugh. "That in itself is enough to unbalance you."
+
+"I'm moody, depressed; I'm getting so I imagine things. By and by I'll
+begin to think I'm persecuted--I believe that's how it works. Already I
+have hallucinations in broad daylight, and I'm afraid of the dark.
+Fancy! I don't sleep very often, and when I do I wake up in a puddle of
+sweat, shivering. And dreams! God, what dreams! I know they're dreams,
+now, but sooner or later I suppose I'll begin to believe in 'em." Dave
+sighed and settled lower in his chair. "I--I'm mighty tired."
+
+Ellsworth clapped him on the back. "Come, now! A perfectly healthy man
+could wreck his reason this way. You must stop it. You must do
+something to occupy your mind."
+
+"Sure. That's what brings me home. I'm going to the front."
+
+"To the war?"
+
+"Yes. They're recruiting a rough-rider regiment in San Antone. I joined
+yesterday, and I've come to get my horse."
+
+After a time Ellsworth said, "Alaire has commenced her action." Dave
+took a deep, sharp breath and began to tremble weakly. "I didn't tell
+her, but--you must. We can't go on like this."
+
+"Suppose I just go to war and--and don't come back?" thickly inquired
+the sufferer.
+
+"That won't do. You won't get killed--fellows like you never do.
+Wouldn't you rather have her know the truth than believe you to be a
+quitter?" Ellsworth waited a minute. "Do you want me to tell her for
+you, Dave?"
+
+Law shook his head slowly, wearily. "No, I'll do it. I'm game. I'd
+rather she heard it from me."
+
+Blaze Jones took the San Antonio paper out upon the porch and composed
+himself in the hammock to read the latest war news. Invasion! Troops!
+The Stars and Stripes! Those were words that stirred Jones deeply and
+caused him to neglect his work. Now that his country had fully awakened
+to the necessity of a war with Mexico--a necessity he had long felt--he
+was fired with the loftiest patriotism and a youthful eagerness to
+enlist. Blaze realized that he was old and fat and near-sighted; but
+what of that? He could fight. Fighting, in fact, had been one of his
+earliest accomplishments, and he prided himself upon knowing as much
+about it as any one man could learn. He believed in fighting both as a
+principle and as an exercise; in fact, he attributed his good health to
+his various neighborly "unpleasantnesses," and he had more than once
+argued that no great fighter ever died of a sluggish liver or of any
+one of the other ills that beset sedentary, peace-loving people.
+Nations were like men--too much ease made them flabby. And Blaze had
+his own ideas of strategy, too. So during the perusal of his paper he
+bemoaned the mistakes his government was making. Why waste time with
+ultimatums? he argued to himself. He had never done so. Experience had
+taught him that the way to win a battle was to beat the other fellow to
+the draw; hence this diplomatic procrastination filled him with
+impatience. It seemed almost treasonable to one of Blaze's intense
+patriotism.
+
+He was engaged in laying out a plan of campaign for the United States
+when he became conscious of voices behind him, and realized that for
+some time Paloma had been entertaining a caller in the front room.
+Their conversation had not disturbed him at first, but now an
+occasional word or sentence forced its meaning through his
+preoccupation, and he found himself listening.
+
+Paloma's visitor was a woman, and as Blaze harkened to her voice, he
+felt his heart sink. It was Mrs. Strange. She was here again. With
+difficulty Blaze conquered an impulse to flee, for she was recounting a
+story all too familiar to him.
+
+"Why, it seemed as if the whole city of Galveston was there, and yet
+nobody offered to help us," the dressmaker was saying. "Phil was a
+perfect hero, for the ruffian was twice his size. Oh, it was an awful
+fight! I hate to think of it."
+
+"What made him pinch you?" Paloma inquired.
+
+"Heaven only knows. Some men are dreadful that way. Why, he left a
+black-and-blue mark!"
+
+Blaze broke into a cold sweat and cursed feebly under his breath.
+
+"He wasn't drunk, either. He was just naturally depraved. You could see
+it in his face."
+
+"How DID you escape?"
+
+"Well, I'll tell you. We chased him up across the boulevard and in
+among the tents, and then--" Mrs. Strange lowered her voice until only
+a murmur reached the listening man. A moment, then both women burst
+into shrill, excited laughter, and Blaze himself blushed furiously.
+
+This was unbearable! It was bad enough to have that woman in
+Jonesville, a constant menace to his good name, but to allow her access
+to his own home was unthinkable. Sooner or later they were bound to
+meet, and then Paloma would learn the disgraceful truth--yes, and the
+whole neighborhood would likewise know his shame. In fancy, Blaze saw
+his reputation torn to shreds and himself exposed to the gibes of the
+people who venerated him. He would become a scandal among men, an
+offense to respectable women; children would shun him. Blaze could not
+bear to think of the consequences, for he was very fond of the women
+and children of Jonesville, especially the women. He rose from his
+hammock and tiptoed down the porch into the kitchen, from which point
+of security he called loudly for his daughter.
+
+Alarmed at his tone, Paloma came running. "What is the matter?" she
+asked, quickly.
+
+"Get her out!" Blaze cried, savagely. "Get shed of her."
+
+"Her? Who?"
+
+"That varmint."
+
+"Father, what ails you?"
+
+"Nothin' ails me, but I don't want that caterpillar crawlin' around my
+premises. I don't like her."
+
+Paloma regarded her parent curiously. "How do you know you don't like
+her when you've never seen her?"
+
+"Oh, I've seen her, all I want to; and I heard her talkin' to you just
+now. I won't stand for nobody tellin' you--bad stories."
+
+Paloma snickered. "The idea! She doesn't--"
+
+"Get her out, and keep her out," Blaze rumbled. "She ain't right; she
+ain't--human. Why, what d'you reckon I saw her do, the other day? Makes
+me shiver now. You remember that big bull-snake that lives under the
+barn, the one I've been layin' for? Well, you won't believe me, but him
+and her are friends. Fact! I saw her pick him up and play with him.
+WHO-EE! The goose-flesh popped out on me till it busted the buttons off
+my vest. She ain't my kind of people, Paloma. 'Strange' ain't no name
+for her; no, sir! That woman's dam' near peculiar."
+
+Paloma remained unmoved. "I thought you knew. She used to be a
+snake-charmer."
+
+"A--WHAT?" There was no doubt about it. Blaze's hair lifted. He blinked
+through his big spectacles; he pawed the air feebly with his hands.
+"How can you let her touch you? I couldn't. I'll bet she carries a
+pocketful of dried toads and--and keeps live lizards in her hair. I
+knew an old voodoo woman that ate cockroaches. Get shed of her, Paloma,
+and we'll fumigate the house."
+
+At that moment Mrs. Strange herself opened the kitchen door to inquire,
+"Is anything wrong?" Misreading Blaze's expression for one of pain, she
+exclaimed: "Mercy! Now, what have you done to yourself?"
+
+But the object of her solicitude backed away, making peculiar clucking
+sounds deep in his throat. Paloma was saying:
+
+"This is my father, Mrs. Strange. You and he have never happened to
+meet before."
+
+"Why, yes we have! I know you," the seamstress exclaimed. Then a
+puzzled light flickered in her black eyes. "Seems to me we've met
+somewhere, but--I've met so many people." She extended her hand, and
+Blaze took it as if expecting to find it cold and scaly. He muttered
+something unintelligible. "I've been dying to see you," she told him,
+"and thank you for giving me Paloma's work. I love you both for it."
+
+Blaze was immensely relieved that this dreaded crisis had come and
+gone; but wishing to make assurance doubly sure, he contorted his
+features into a smile the like of which his daughter had never seen,
+and in a disguised voice inquired, "Now where do you reckon you ever
+saw me?"
+
+The seamstress shook her head. "I don't know, but I'll place you before
+long. Anyhow, I'm glad you aren't hurt. From the way you called Paloma
+I thought you were. I'm handy around sick people, so I--"
+
+"Listen!" Paloma interrupted. "There's some one at the front door." She
+left the room; Blaze was edging after her when he heard her utter a
+stifled scream and call his name.
+
+Now Paloma was not the kind of girl to scream without cause, and her
+cry brought Blaze to the front of the house at a run. But what he saw
+there reassured him momentarily; nothing was in sight more alarming
+than one of the depot hacks, in the rear seat of which was huddled the
+figure of a man. Paloma was flying down the walk toward the gate, and
+Phil Strange was waiting on the porch. As Blaze flung himself into view
+the latter explained:
+
+"I brought him straight here, Mr. Jones, 'cause I knew you was his best
+friend."
+
+"Who? Who is it?"
+
+"Dave Law. He must have came in on the noon train. Anyhow, I found
+him--like that." The two men hurried toward the road, side by side.
+
+"What's wrong with him?" Blaze demanded.
+
+"I don't know. He's queer--he's off his bean. I've had a hard time with
+him."
+
+Paloma was in the carriage at Dave's side now, and calling his name;
+but Law, it seemed, was scarcely conscious. He had slumped together;
+his face was vacant, his eyes dull. He was muttering to himself a
+queer, delirious jumble of words.
+
+"Oh, Dad! He's sick--sick," Paloma sobbed. "Dave, don't you know us?
+You're home, Dave. Everything is--all right now."
+
+"Why, you'd hardly recognize the boy!" Blaze exclaimed; then he added
+his appeal to his daughter's. But they could not arouse the sick man
+from his coma.
+
+"He asked me to take him to Las Palmas," Strange explained. "Looks to
+me like a sunstroke. You'd ought to hear him rave when he gets started."
+
+Paloma turned an agonized face to her father. "Get a doctor, quick,"
+she implored; "he frightens me."
+
+But Mrs. Strange had followed, and now she spoke up in a matter-of-fact
+tone: "Doctor nothing," she said. "I know more than all the doctors.
+Paloma, you go into the house and get a bed ready for him, and you men
+lug him in. Come, now, on the run, all of you! I'll show you what to
+do." She took instant charge of the situation, and when Dave refused to
+leave the carriage and began to fight off his friends, gabbling wildly,
+it was she who quieted him. Elbowing Blaze and her husband out of the
+way, she loosed the young man's frenzied clutch from the carriage and,
+holding his hands in hers, talked to him in such a way that he
+gradually relaxed. It was she who helped him out and then supported him
+into the house. It was she who got him up-stairs and into bed, and it
+was she who finally stilled his babble.
+
+"The poor man is burning up with a fever," she told the others, "and
+fevers are my long suit. Get me some towels and a lot of ice."
+
+Blaze, who had watched the snake-charmer's deft ministrations with
+mingled amazement and suspicion, inquired: "What are you going to do
+with ice? Ice ain't medicine."
+
+"I'm going to pack his head in it."
+
+"God'l'mighty!" Blaze was horrified. "Do you want to freeze his brain?"
+
+Mrs. Strange turned on him angrily. "You get out of my way and mind
+your own business. 'Freeze his brain!'" With a sniff of indignation she
+pushed past the interloper.
+
+But Blaze was waiting for her when she returned a few moments later
+with bowls and bottles and various remedies which she had commandeered.
+He summoned sufficient courage to block her way and inquire:
+
+"What you got there, now, ma'am?"
+
+Mrs. Strange glared at him balefully. With an effort at patience she
+inquired: "Say! What ails you, anyhow?"
+
+Jones swallowed hard. "Understand, he's a friend of mine. No damned
+magic goes."
+
+"Magic?"
+
+"No--cockroaches or snakes' tongues, or--"
+
+Mrs. Strange fingered a heavy china bowl as if tempted to bounce it
+from Blaze's head. Then, not deigning to argue, she whisked past him
+and into the sick-room. It was evident from her expression that she
+considered the master of the house a harmless but offensive old
+busybody.
+
+For some time longer Blaze hung about the sick-room; then, his presence
+being completely ignored, he risked further antagonism by telephoning
+for Jonesville's leading doctor. Not finding the physician at home, he
+sneaked out to the barn and, taking Paloma's car, drove away in search
+of him. It was fully two hours later when he returned to discover that
+Dave was sleeping quietly.
+
+
+
+
+XXV
+
+A WARNING AND A SURPRISE
+
+
+Dave Law slept for twenty hours, and even when he awoke it was not to a
+clear appreciation of his surroundings. At first he was relieved to
+find that the splitting pain in his head was gone, but imagined himself
+to be still in the maddening local train from Brownsville. By and by he
+recognized Paloma and Mrs. Strange, and tried to talk to them, but the
+connection between brain and tongue was imperfect, and he made a bad
+business of conversation. It seemed queer that he should be in bed at
+the Joneses', and almost ludicrous for Mrs. Strange to support him
+while Paloma fed him. In the effort to understand these mysteries, he
+dozed again. After interminable periods of semi-consciousness
+alternating with complete oblivion, he roused himself to discover that
+it was morning and that he felt better than for weeks. When he had
+recovered from his surprise he turned his head and saw Mrs. Strange
+slumbering in a chair beside his bed; from her uncomfortable position
+and evident fatigue he judged that she must have kept a long and
+faithful vigil over him.
+
+A little later Paloma, pale and heavy-eyed, stole into the room, and
+Dave's cheerful greeting awoke Mrs. Strange with a jerk.
+
+"So! You're feeling better, aren't you," the latter woman cried,
+heartily.
+
+"Yes. How did I get here?" Dave asked. "I must have been right sick and
+troublesome to you."
+
+Paloma smiled and nodded. "Sick! Why, Dave, you frightened us nearly to
+death! You were clear out of your head."
+
+So that was it. The breakdown had come sooner than he expected, and it
+had come, moreover, without warning. That was bad--bad! Although Dave's
+mind was perfectly clear at this moment, he reasoned with a sinking
+heart that another brain-storm might overtake him at any time. He had
+imagined that the thing would give a hint of its coming, but evidently
+it did not.
+
+Mrs. Strange broke into his frowning meditation to ask, "How long since
+you had a night's sleep?"
+
+"I--Oh, it must be weeks."
+
+"Umph! I thought so. You puzzled that pill-roller, but doctors don't
+know anything, anyhow. Why, he wanted to wake you up to find out what
+ailed you! I threatened to scald him if he did."
+
+"I seem to remember talking a good deal," Dave ventured. "I reckon
+I--said a lot of foolish things." He caught the look that passed
+between his nurses and its significance distressed him.
+
+Mrs. Strange continued: "That's how we guessed what your trouble was,
+and that's why I wouldn't let that fool doctor disturb you. Now that
+you've had a sleep and are all right again, I'm going home and change
+my clothes. I haven't had them off for two nights."
+
+"Two nights!" Dave stared in bewilderment. Then he lamely apologized
+for the trouble he had caused, and tried to thank the women for their
+kindness.
+
+He was shaky when, an hour later, he came down-stairs for breakfast;
+but otherwise he felt better than for many days; and Blaze's open
+delight at seeing did him as much good as the food he ate.
+
+Dave spent the morning sunning himself on the porch, reading the papers
+with their exciting news, and speculating over the significance of his
+mental collapse. The more he thought of it now the more ominous it
+seemed. One result which particularly distressed him was the change it
+had wrought in Paloma Jones's bearing; for of a sudden the girl had
+become distant and formal. The reason was not far to seek; Dave could
+not doubt that the knowledge of his secret had frightened her. Well,
+that was to be expected--he would probably lose all his friends in
+time. It was a bitter thought; life would be very dull and flat without
+friends. He wondered how he could bear to see those who loved him turn
+away; to see their liking change to restraint and fear, as it
+threatened to do in Paloma's case. Better anything than that.
+
+There was, however, one friend who, Dave knew, would not shun him; one
+of whose lasting affection he felt sure; and at memory of her he came
+to his feet. Montrosa would trust him. She had given him her heart, and
+her loyalty would never waver. With a clutch at his throat, and a
+little pain in his breast, he stumbled down the steps and went in
+search of her.
+
+Now during Dave's absence Paloma had done her best to spoil the mare,
+and among other marks of favor had allowed her free run of the yard,
+where the shade was cool and the grass fine, and where delicious
+tidbits were to be had from the kitchen for the mere asking. In
+consequence, Dave did not go far until he was discovered. Montrosa
+signaled, then trotted toward him with ears and tail lifted. Her
+delight was open and extravagant; her welcome was as enthusiastic as a
+horse could make it. Gone were her coquetry and her airs; she nosed and
+nibbled Dave; she rubbed and rooted him with the violence of a
+battering-ram, and permitted him to hug her and murmur words of love
+into her velvet ears. She swapped confidence for confidence, too; and
+then, when he finally walked back toward the house, she followed
+closely, as if fearful that he might again desert her.
+
+Phil Strange met the lovers as they turned the corner of the porch, and
+warmly shook Dave's hand. "Teeny--my wife--told me you was better," he
+began, "so I beat it out here. I hung around all day yesterday, waiting
+to see you, but you was batty."
+
+"I was pretty sick," Dave acknowledged. "Mrs. Strange was mighty kind
+to me."
+
+"Sick people get her goat. She's got a way with 'em, and with animals,
+too. Why, Rajah, the big python with our show, took sick one year, and
+he'd have died sure only for her. Same with a lot of the other animals.
+She knows more'n any vet I ever saw."
+
+"Perhaps I needed a veterinary instead of a doctor," Dave smiled. "I
+guess I've got some horse blood in me. See!" Montrosa had thrust her
+head under his arm and was waiting for him to scratch her ears.
+
+"Well, I brought you some mail." Strange fumbled in his pocket for a
+small bundle of letters, explaining: "Blaze gave me these for you as I
+passed the post office. Now I wonder if you feel good enough to talk
+business."
+
+Dave took the letters with a word of thanks, and thrust them carelessly
+into his pocket. "What seems to be the trouble?" he inquired.
+
+"You remember our last talk? Well, them Mexicans have got me rattled.
+I've been trying everywhere to locate you. If you hadn't come home I'd
+have gone to the prosecuting attorney, or somebody."
+
+"Then you've learned something more?"
+
+Phil nodded, and his sallow face puckered with apprehension. "Rosa
+Morales has been to see me regular."
+
+Dave passed an uncertain hand over his forehead. "I'm not in very good
+shape to tackle a new proposition, but--what is it?"
+
+"We've got to get Mrs. Austin away from here."
+
+"We? Why?"
+
+"If we don't they'll steal her."
+
+"STEAL HER?" Dave's amazement was patent. "Are you crazy?"
+
+"Sometimes I think I am, but I've pumped that Morales girl dry, and I
+can't figure anything else out of what she tells me. Her and José
+expect to make a lump of quick money, jump to Mexico, get married, and
+live happy ever after. Take it from me, it's Mrs. Austin they aim to
+cash in on."
+
+"Why--the idea's ridiculous!"
+
+"Maybe it is and maybe it ain't," the fortune-teller persisted. "More
+than one rich Mexican has been grabbed and held for ransom along this
+river; yes, and Americans, too, if you can believe the stories.
+Anything goes in that country over there."
+
+"You think José is planning to kidnap her? Nonsense! One man couldn't
+do such a thing."
+
+"I didn't say he could," Phil defended himself, sulkily. "Remember, I
+told you there was somebody back of him."
+
+"Yes, I remember, but you didn't know exactly who."
+
+"Well, I don't exactly know yet. I thought maybe you might tell me."
+
+There was a brief silence, during which Dave stood frowning. Then he
+appeared to shake himself free from Phil's suggestions.
+
+"It's too utterly preposterous. Mrs. Austin has no enemies; she's a
+person of importance. If by any chance she disappeared--"
+
+"She's done that very little thing," Strange declared.
+
+"What?"
+
+"She's disappeared--anyhow, she's gone. Yesterday, when I saw you was
+laid up and couldn't help me, I 'phoned her ranch; somebody answered in
+Spanish, and from what I could make out they don't know where she is."
+
+Dave wondered if he had understood Strange aright, or if this could be
+another trick of his own disordered brain. Choosing his words
+carefully, he said: "Do you mean to tell me that she's missing and they
+haven't given an alarm? I reckon you didn't understand the message, did
+you?"
+
+Strange shrugged. "Maybe I didn't. Suppose you try. You sabe the lingo."
+
+Dave agreed, although reluctantly, for at this moment he wished nothing
+less than to undertake a mental effort, and he feared, in spite of
+Strange's statement, that he might hear Alaire's voice over the wire.
+That would be too much; he felt as if he could not summon the strength
+to control himself in such a case. Nevertheless, he went to the
+telephone, leaving Phil to wait.
+
+When he emerged from the house a few moments later, it was with a
+queer, set look upon his face.
+
+"I got 'em," he said. "She's gone--left three days ago."
+
+"Where did she go?"
+
+"They wouldn't tell me."
+
+"They WOULDN'T?" Strange looked up sharply.
+
+"Wouldn't or couldn't." The men eyed each other silently; then Phil
+inquired:
+
+"Well, what do you make of it?"
+
+"I don't know. She wasn't kidnapped, that's a cinch, for Dolores went
+with her. I--think we're exciting ourselves unduly."
+
+The little fortune-teller broke out excitedly: "The hell we are! Why do
+you suppose I've been playing that Morales girl? I tell you there's
+something crooked going on. Don't I know? Didn't I wise you three weeks
+ago that something like this was coming off?" It was plain that Phil
+put complete faith in his powers of divination, and at this moment his
+earnestness carried a certain degree of conviction. Dave made an effort
+to clear his tired brain.
+
+"Very well," he said. "If you're so sure, I'll go to Las Palmas. I'll
+find out all about it, and where she went. If anybody has dared to--"
+He drew a deep breath and his listlessness vanished; his eyes gleamed
+with a hint of their customary fire. "I reckon I've got one punch left
+in me." He turned and strode to his room.
+
+As Dave changed into his service clothes he was surprised to feel a new
+vigor in his limbs and a new strength of purpose in his mind. His brain
+was clearer than it had been for a long time. The last cobweb was gone,
+and for the moment at least he was lifted out of himself as by a
+strong, invigorating drink. When he stood in his old boots and felt the
+familiar drag of his cartridge-belt, when he tested his free muscles,
+he realized that he was another man. Even yet he could not put much
+faith in Phil Strange's words--nevertheless, there might be a danger
+threatening Alaire; and if so, it was time to act.
+
+Phil watched his friend saddle the bay mare, then as Dave tied his
+Winchester scabbard to its thongs he laughed nervously.
+
+"You're loaded for bear."
+
+The horseman answered, grimly: "I'm loaded for José Sanchez. If I lay
+hands on him I'll learn what he knows."
+
+"You can't get nothing out of a Mexican,"
+
+"No? I've made Filipinos talk. Believe me, I can be some persuasive
+when I try." With that he swung a leg over Montrosa's back and rode
+away.
+
+Law found it good to feel a horse between his knees. He had not
+realized until now how long Montrosa's saddle had been empty. The sun
+was hot and friendly, the breeze was sweet in his nostrils as he swept
+past the smiling fields and out into the mesquite country. Heat waves
+danced above the patches of bare ground; insects sang noisily from
+every side; far ahead the road ran a wavering course through a
+deceitful mirage of rippling ponds. It was all familiar, pleasant; it
+was home; black moods were impossible amid such surroundings. The
+chemistry of air and earth and sunshine were at work dissolving away
+the poisons of his imagination. Of course Dave's trouble did not wholly
+vanish; it still lurked in the back of his mind and rode with him; but
+from some magic source he was deriving a power to combat it. With every
+mile he covered his strength and courage increased.
+
+Such changes had come into his life since his last visit to Las Palmas
+that it gave him a feeling of unreality to discover no alteration in
+the ranch. He had somehow felt that the buildings would look older,
+that the trees would have grown taller, and so when he finally came in
+sight of his destination he reined in to look.
+
+Behind him he heard the hum of an approaching motor, and he turned to
+behold a car racing along the road he had just traveled. The machine
+was running fast, as a long streamer of choking dust gave evidence, and
+Dave soon recognized it as belonging to Jonesville's prosecuting
+attorney. As it tore past him its owner shouted something, but the
+words were lost. In the automobile with the driver were several
+passengers, and one of these likewise called to Dave and seemed to
+motion him to follow. When the machine slowed down a half-mile ahead
+and veered abruptly into the Las Palmas gateway, Dave lifted Montrosa
+to a run, wondering what pressing necessity could have induced the
+prosecuting attorney to risk such a reckless burst of speed.
+
+Dave told himself that he was unduly apprehensive; that Strange's
+warnings had worked upon his nerves. Nevertheless, he continued to ride
+so hard that almost before the dust had settled he, too, turned into
+the shade of the palms.
+
+Yes, there was excitement here; something was evidently very much
+amiss, judging from the groups of ranch-hands assembled upon the porch.
+They were clustered about the doors and windows, peering in. Briefly
+they turned their faces toward Law; then they crowded closer, and he
+perceived that they were not talking. Some of them had removed their
+hats and held them in their hands.
+
+Dave's knees shook under him as he dismounted; for one sick, giddy
+instant the scene swam before his eyes; then he ran toward the house
+and up the steps. He tried to frame a question, but his lips were stiff
+with fright. Heedless of those in his path, he forced his way into the
+house, then down the hall toward an open door, through which he saw a
+room full of people. From somewhere came the shrill wailing of a woman;
+the house was full of hushed voices and whisperings. Dave had but one
+thought. From the depths of his being a voice called Alaire's name
+until his brain rang with it.
+
+A bed was in the room, and around it was gathered a group of
+white-faced people. With rough hands Law cleared a way for himself, and
+then stopped, frozen in his tracks. His arms relaxed, his fingers
+unclenched, a great sigh whistled slowly from his lungs. Before him,
+booted, spurred, and fully dressed, lay the dead body of Ed Austin.
+
+Dave was still staring at the master of Las Palmas when the prosecuting
+attorney spoke to him.
+
+"God! This is terrible, isn't it?" he said. "He must have died
+instantly."
+
+"Who--did it?"
+
+"We don't know yet. Benito found him and brought him in. He hasn't been
+dead an hour."
+
+Law ran his eyes over the room, and then asked, sharply, "Where is Mrs.
+Austin?"
+
+He was answered by Benito Gonzales, who had edged closer. "She's not
+here, señor."
+
+"Have you notified her?"
+
+Benito shrugged. "There has been no time, it all happened so quickly--"
+
+Some one interrupted, and Dave saw that it was the local
+sheriff--evidently it was he who had waved from the speeding machine a
+few moments before.
+
+"I'm glad you're here, Dave, for you can give me a hand. I'm going to
+round up these Mexicans right away and find out what they know. Whoever
+did it hasn't gone far; so you act as my deputy and see what you can
+learn."
+
+When Dave had regained better control of himself he took Benito
+outdoors and demanded full details of the tragedy. With many
+lamentations and incoherencies, the range boss told what he knew.
+
+Ed had met his death within a half-mile of Las Palmas as he rode home
+for dinner. Benito, himself on his way to the house, had found the
+body, still warm, near the edge of the pecan-grove. He had retained
+enough sense to telephone at once to Jonesville, and then--Benito
+hardly knew what he had done since then, he was so badly shaken by the
+tragedy.
+
+"What time did it happen?"
+
+"It was noon when I came in."
+
+Dave consulted his watch, and was surprised to discover that it was now
+only a few minutes past one. It was evident, therefore, that Benito had
+indeed lost no time, and that his alarm had met with instant response.
+
+"Now tell me, who did it?"
+
+Benito flung his hands high. "God knows! Some enemy, of course; but Don
+Eduardo had many."
+
+"Not that sort of enemies. There was nobody who could wish to kill him."
+
+"That is as it is."
+
+"Haven't you any suspicions?"
+
+"No, señor."
+
+"You say Mrs. Austin is gone?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+"Where?"
+
+"I don't know."
+
+Dave spoke brusquely: "Come, Benito; you must know, for your wife went
+with her. Are you trying to keep something back?"
+
+"No, no! As God is my judge!" Benito declared, "I didn't know they were
+going until the very last, and even then Dolores would tell me nothing.
+We were having bad times here at Las Palmas; there were stormy scenes
+yonder in the house. Señor Ed was drinking again, you understand? The
+señora had reason to go."
+
+"You think she ran away to escape him?"
+
+"Exactly."
+
+Dave breathed more easily, for this seemed to settle Strange's theory.
+The next instant, however, his apprehensions were doubled, for Benito
+added:
+
+"No doubt she went to La Feria."
+
+Law uttered an incredulous exclamation. "Not THERE! Surely she wouldn't
+go to La Feria at such a time. Why, that country is ablaze. Americans
+are fleeing from Mexico."
+
+"I hadn't thought of that," Benito confessed. "But if she didn't go
+there, where did she go? Saints above! It is a fine condition of
+affairs when a wife keeps secrets from her husband, eh? I suppose
+Dolores feared I would tell Don Eduardo, God rest his soul! This much I
+do know, however: not long ago there came a letter from General
+Longorio, offering settlement for those cattle he stole in his
+government's name. Dolores told me the señora was highly pleased and
+was going to Mexico for her money. It was a mark of Longorio's favor,
+you understand me? He's a great--friend, an ardent admirer." Benito
+winked. "Dolores told me all about that, too. No, I think they went to
+La Feria."
+
+Dave remembered his first conversation with Phil Strange and the
+fortune-teller's insistence that some powerful person was behind José
+Sanchez. More than three weeks ago Strange had forecast something very
+like murder of Ed Austin. Dave felt as if he were the victim of an
+hysterical imagination. Nevertheless, he forced himself to ask, quietly:
+
+"Is José Sanchez anywhere about?"
+
+The range boss shrugged. "I sent him to the east pasture this morning."
+
+"Did he go?"
+
+"Eh? So! You suspect José of this. God in heaven! José is a wild
+boy--But wait! I'll ask Juan if he saw him; yes, and Victoria, too.
+That is Victoria you hear squalling in the kitchen. Wait here."
+
+Benito hurried away, leaving Dave a prey to perplexity; but he was back
+again in a few moments. His face was grave.
+
+"José did not go to the east pasture," he said.
+
+"Where is he now?"
+
+"No one seems to know."
+
+Law walked to his horse, mounted, and galloped away. Benito, who
+watched him, saw that he turned toward the river road which led to the
+Las Palmas pumping-plant.
+
+The more Dave thought about Ed Austin's death, the more certain he
+became that it was in some way connected with Alaire's disappearance;
+and the loose end by which the tangle might be unraveled, it seemed to
+him, lay in the hands of Rosa Morales, José's sweetheart. That Sanchez
+was the murderer Dave now had little doubt; but since the chance of
+apprehending him was small, he turned his attention to the girl. He
+would make Rosa speak, he told himself, if he had to use force--this
+was no time for gentle methods. If she knew aught of Alaire's
+whereabouts or the mystery of her departure from Las Palmas, he would
+find a way to wring the truth from her. Dave's face, a trifle too
+somber at all times, took on a grimmer aspect now; he felt a slow fury
+kindling in his breast.
+
+Years of experience had taught him to be always alert even during his
+moments of deepest preoccupation, and so, from force of habit, when he
+came to the pump-house road he carefully scanned it. In the dust were
+fresh hoof-prints leading toward the river. Now he knew this road to be
+seldom used, and therefore he wondered who could be riding it at a
+gallop in this blistering midday heat. A few rods farther on and his
+quick eye detected something else--something that brought him from his
+saddle. Out of the rut he picked a cigarette butt, the fire of which
+was cold but the paper of which was still wet from the smoker's lips.
+He examined it carefully; then he remounted and rode on, pondering its
+significance.
+
+Dave loped out of the thicket and straight across the clearing to the
+Morales house. Leaving Montrosa's reins hanging, he opened the door and
+entered without knocking. Rosa appeared in the opening to another room,
+her eyes wide with fright at this apparition, and Dave saw that she was
+dressed in her finest, as if for a holiday or for a journey.
+
+"Where's your father?" he demanded.
+
+"He's gone to Sangre de Cristo. What do you want?"
+
+"When did he go?"
+
+"This morning, early. He--"
+
+"Who's been here since he left?"
+
+Rosa was recovering from her first surprise, and now her black brows
+drew together in anger. "No one has come. You are the first. And have
+you no manners to stride into a respectable house--?"
+
+Dave broke in harshly: "Rosa, you're lying. José Sanchez has been here
+within an hour. Where is he?" When the girl only grew whiter and raised
+a hand to her breast, he stepped toward her, crying, "Answer me!"
+
+Rosa recoiled, and the breath caught in her throat like a sob. "I'll
+tell you nothing," she said in a thin voice. Then she began to tremble.
+"Why do you want José?"
+
+"You know why. He killed Don Eduardo, and then he rode here. Come! I
+know everything."
+
+"Lies! Lies!" Rosa's voice grew shrill. "Out of this house! I know you.
+It was you who betrayed Panfilo, and his blood is on your hands,
+assassin!" With the last word she made as if to retreat, but Dave was
+too quick; he seized her, and for an instant they struggled
+breathlessly.
+
+Dave had reasoned beforehand that his only chance of discovering
+anything from this girl lay in utterly terrorizing her and in profiting
+by her first panic; therefore he pressed his advantage. He succeeded
+better than he had dared to hope.
+
+"You know who killed Señor Ed," he cried, fiercely. "The fortune-teller
+read your plans, and there is no use to deny it."
+
+Rosa screamed again; she writhed; she tried to sink her teeth into her
+captor's flesh. In her body was the strength of a full-grown man, and
+Dave could hardly hold her. But suddenly, as the two scuffled, from the
+back room of the house came a sound which caused Dave to release the
+girl as abruptly as he had seized her--it was the clink and tinkle of
+Mexican spurs upon a wooden floor.
+
+
+
+
+XXVI
+
+THE WATER-CURE
+
+
+Without an instant's hesitation Dave flung himself past Rosa and
+through the inner door.
+
+José Sanchez met him with a shout; the shock of their collision
+overbore the lighter man, and the two went down together, arms and legs
+intertwined. The horse-breaker fired his revolver blindly--a deafening
+explosion inside those four walls--but he was powerless against his
+antagonist's strength and ferocity. It required but a moment for Law to
+master him, to wrench the weapon from his grasp, and then, with the aid
+of José's silk neck-scarf, to bind his wrists tightly.
+
+From the front of the little house came the crash of a door violently
+slammed as Rosa profited by the diversion to save herself.
+
+When finally José stood, panting and snarling, his back to the wall,
+Dave regarded him with a sinister contraction of the lips that was
+almost a grin.
+
+"Well," he said, drawing a deep breath, "I see you didn't go to the
+east pasture this morning."
+
+"What do you want of me?" José managed to gasp.
+
+There was a somewhat prolonged silence, during which Dave continued to
+stare at his prisoner with that same disquieting expression. "Why did
+you kill Don Eduardo?" he asked.
+
+"I? Bah! Who says I killed him?" José glared defiance. "Why are you
+looking at me? Come! Take me to jail, if you think that will do any
+good."
+
+"It's lucky I rode to Las Palmas this morning. In another hour you
+would have been across the Rio Grande--with Rosa and all her fine
+clothes, eh? Now you will be hanged. Well, that is how fortune goes."
+
+The horse-breaker tossed his head and shrugged with a brave assumption
+of indifference; he laughed shortly. "You can prove nothing."
+
+"Yes," continued Dave, "and Rosa will go to prison, too. Now--suppose I
+should let you go? Would you help me? In ten minutes you could be
+safe." He inclined his head toward the muddy, silent river outside.
+"Would you be willing to help me?"
+
+José's brows lifted. "What's this you are saying?" he inquired, eagerly.
+
+"I would only ask you a few questions."
+
+"What questions?"
+
+"Where is Señora Austin?"
+
+José's face became blank. "I don't know."
+
+"Oh yes, you do. She started for La Feria. But--did she get there? Or
+did Longorio have other plans for her? You'd better tell me the truth,
+for your general can't help you now." Dave did his best to read the
+Mexican's expression, but failed. "Señor Ed's death means nothing to
+me," he went on, "but I must know where his wife is, and I'm willing to
+pay, with your liberty." In spite of himself his anxiety was plain.
+
+José exclaimed: "Ho! I understand. He was in your way and you're glad
+to be rid of him. Well, we have no business fighting with each other."
+
+"Will you tell me--?"
+
+"I'll tell you nothing, for I know nothing."
+
+"Come! I must know."
+
+José laughed insolently.
+
+Law's face became black with sudden fury. His teeth bared themselves.
+He took a step forward, crying:
+
+"By God! You WILL tell me!" Seizing his prisoner by the throat, he
+pinned him to the wall; then with his free hand he cocked Longorio's
+revolver and thrust its muzzle against José's body. "Tell me!" he
+repeated. His countenance was so distorted, his expression so maniacal,
+that José felt his hour had come. The latter, being in all ways
+Mexican, did not struggle; instead, he squared his shoulders and,
+staring fearlessly into the face above him, cried:
+
+"Shoot!"
+
+For a moment the two men remained so; then Dave seemed to regain
+control of himself and the murder light flickered out of his eyes. He
+flung his prisoner aside and cast the revolver into a corner of the
+room.
+
+José picked himself up, cursing his captor eloquently. "You Gringos
+don't know how to die," he said. "Death? Pah! We must die some time.
+And supposing I do know something about the señora, do you think you
+can force me to speak? Torture wouldn't open my lips."
+
+Law did not trust himself to reply; and the horse-breaker went on with
+growing defiance:
+
+"I am innocent of any crime; therefore I am brave. But you--The blood
+of innocent men means nothing to you--Panfilo's murder proves that--so
+complete your work. Make an end of me."
+
+"Be still!" Dave commanded, thickly.
+
+But the fellow's hatred was out of bounds now, and by the bitterness of
+his vituperation he seemed to invite death. Dave interrupted his
+vitriolic curses to ask harshly:
+
+"Will you tell me, or will you force me to wring the truth out of you?"
+
+José answered by spitting at his captor; then he gritted an unspeakable
+epithet from between his teeth.
+
+Dave addressed him with an air of finality. "You killed that man and
+your life is forfeit, so it doesn't make much difference whether I take
+it or whether the State takes it. You are brave enough to die--most of
+you Mexicans are--but the State can't force you to speak, and I can."
+José sneered. "Oh yes, I can! I intend to know all that you know, and
+it will be better for you to tell me voluntarily. I must learn where
+Señora Austin is, and I must learn quickly, if I have to kill you by
+inches to get the truth."
+
+"So! Torture, eh? Good. I can believe it of you. Well, a slow fire will
+not make me speak."
+
+"No. A fire would be too easy, José."
+
+"Eh?"
+
+Without answer Dave strode out of the room. He was back before his
+prisoner could do more than wrench at his bonds, and with him he
+brought his lariat and his canteen.
+
+"What are you going to do?" José inquired, backing away until he was
+once more at bay.
+
+"I'm going to give you a drink."
+
+"Whisky? You think you can make me drunk?" The horse-breaker laughed
+loudly but uneasily.
+
+"Not whisky; water. I'm going to give you a drink of water."
+
+"What capers!"
+
+"When you've drunk enough you'll tell me why you killed your employer
+and where General Longorio has taken his wife. Yes, and everything else
+I want to know." Seizing the amazed Mexican, Dave flung him upon
+Morales's hard board bed, and in spite of the fellow's struggles deftly
+made him fast. When he had finished--and it was no easy job--José lay
+"spread-eagled" upon his back, his wrists and ankles firmly bound to
+the head and foot posts, his body secured by a tight loop over his
+waist. The rope cut painfully and brought a curse from the prisoner
+when he strained at it. Law surveyed him with a face of stone.
+
+"I don't want to do this," he declared, "but I know your kind. I give
+you one more chance. Will you tell me?"
+
+José drew his lips back in a snarl of rage and pain, and Dave realized
+that further words were useless. He felt a certain pity for his victim
+and no little admiration for his courage, but such feelings were of
+small consequence as against his agonizing fears for Alaire's safety.
+Had he in the least doubted José's guilty knowledge of Longorio's
+intentions, Dave would have hesitated before employing the barbarous
+measures he had in mind, but--there was nothing else for it. He pulled
+the canteen cork and jammed the mouthpiece firmly to José's lips.
+Closing the fellow's nostrils with his free hand, he forced him to
+drink.
+
+José clenched his teeth, he tried to roll his head, he held his breath
+until his face grew purple and his eyes bulged. He strained like a man
+upon the rack. The bed creaked to his muscular contortions; the rope
+tightened. It was terribly cruel, this crushing of a strong will bent
+on resistance to the uttermost; but never was an executioner more
+pitiless, never did a prisoner's agony receive less consideration. The
+warm water spilled over José's face, it drenched his neck and chest;
+his joints cracked as he strove for freedom and tried to twist his head
+out of Law's iron grasp. The seconds dragged, until finally Nature
+asserted herself. The imprisoned breath burst forth; there sounded a
+loud gurgling cry and a choking inhalation. José's body writhed with
+the convulsions of drowning as the water and air were sucked into his
+lungs. Law was kneeling over his victim now, his weight and strength so
+applied that José had no liberty of action and could only drink,
+coughing and fighting for air. Somehow he managed to revive himself
+briefly and again shut his teeth; but a moment more and he was again
+retched with the furious battle for air, more desperate now than
+before. After a while Law freed his victim's nostrils and allowed him a
+partial breath, then once more crushed the mouthpiece against his lips.
+By and by, to relieve his torture, José began to drink in great noisy
+gulps, striving to empty the vessel.
+
+But the stomach's capacity is limited. In time José felt himself
+bursting; the liquid began to regurgitate. This was not mere pain that
+he suffered, but the ultimate nightmare horror of a death more awful
+than anything he had ever imagined. José would have met a bullet, a
+knife, a lash, without flinching; flames would not have served to
+weaken his resolve; but this slow drowning was infinitely worse than
+the worst he had thought possible; he was suffocating by long, black,
+agonizing minutes. Every nerve and muscle of his body, every cell in
+his bursting lungs, fought against the outrage in a purely physical
+frenzy over which his will power had no control. Nor would
+insensibility come to his relief--Law watched him too carefully for
+that. He could not even voice his sufferings by shrieks; he could only
+writhe and retch and gurgle while the ropes bit into his flesh and his
+captor knelt upon him like a monstrous stone weight.
+
+But José had made a better fight than he knew. The canteen ran dry at
+last, and Law was forced to release his hold.
+
+"Will you speak?" he demanded.
+
+Thinking that he had come safely through the ordeal, José shook his
+head; he rolled his bulging, bloodshot eyes and vomited, then managed
+to call God to witness his innocence.
+
+Dave went into the next room and refilled the canteen. When he
+reappeared with the dripping vessel in his hand, José tried to scream.
+But his throat was torn and strained; the sound of his own voice
+frightened him.
+
+Once more the torment began. The tortured man was weaker now, and in
+consequence he resisted more feebly; but not until he was less than
+half conscious did Law spare him time to recover.
+
+José lay sick, frightened, inert. Dave watched him without pity. The
+fellow's wrists were black and swollen, his lips were bleeding; he was
+stretched like a dumb animal upon the vivisectionist's table, and no
+surgeon with lance and scalpel could have shown less emotion than did
+his inquisitor. Having no intention of defeating his own ends, Dave
+allowed his victim ample time in which to regain his ability to suffer.
+
+Alaire Austin had been right when she said that Dave might be ruthless;
+and yet the man was by no means incapable of compassion. At the present
+moment, however, he considered himself simply as the instrument by
+which Alaire was to be saved. His own feelings had nothing to do with
+the matter; neither had the sufferings of this Mexican. Therefore he
+steeled himself to prolong the agony until the murderer's stubborn
+spirit was worn down. Once again he put his question, and, again
+receiving defiance, jammed the canteen between José's teeth.
+
+But human nature is weak. For the first time in his life José Sanchez
+felt terror--a terror too awful to be endured--and he made the sign.
+
+He was no longer the insolent defier, the challenger, but an imploring
+wretch, whose last powers of resistance had been completely shattered.
+His frightened eyes were glued to that devilish vessel in which his
+manhood had dissolved, the fear of it made a woman of him.
+
+Slowly, in sighs and whimpers, in agonies of reluctance, his story
+came; his words were rendered almost incomprehensible by his abysmal
+fright. When he had purged himself of his secret Dave promptly unbound
+him; then leaving him more than half dead, he went to the telephone
+which connected the pumping station with Las Palmas and called up the
+ranch.
+
+He was surprised when Blaze Jones answered. Blaze, it seemed, had just
+arrived, summoned by news of the tragedy. The countryside had been
+alarmed and a search for Ed Austin's slayer was being organized.
+
+"Call it off," Dave told him. "I've got your man." Blaze stuttered his
+surprise and incredulity. "I mean it. It's José Sanchez, and he has
+confessed. I want you to come here, quick; and come alone, if you don't
+mind. I need your help."
+
+Inside of ten minutes Jones piloted his automobile into the clearing
+beside the river, and, leaving his motor running, leaped from the car.
+
+Dave met him at the door of the Morales house and briefly told him the
+story of José's capture.
+
+"Say! That's quick work," the rancher cried, admiringly. "Why, Ed ain't
+cold yet! You gave him the 'water-cure,' eh? Now I reckoned it would
+take more than water to make a Mexican talk."
+
+"José was hired for the work; he laid for Ed Austin in the pecan grove
+and shot him as he passed."
+
+"Hired! Why this hombre needs quick hangin', don't he? I told 'em at
+Las Palmas that you'd rounded up the guilty party, so I reckon they'll
+be here in a few minutes. We'll just stretch this horse-wrangler, and
+save the county some expense." Law shrugged. "Do what you like with
+him, but--it isn't necessary. He'll confess in regulation form, I'm
+sure. I had to work fast to learn what became of Mrs. Austin."
+
+"Miz Austin? What's happened to her?"
+
+Dave's voice changed; there was a sudden quickening of his words.
+"They've got her, Blaze. They waited until they had her safe before
+they killed Ed."
+
+"'They?' Who the hell are you talkin' about?"
+
+"I mean Longorio and his outfit. He's got her over yonder." Dave flung
+out a trembling hand toward the river. Seeing that his hearer failed to
+comprehend, he explained, swiftly: "He's crazy about her--got one of
+those Mexican infatuations--and you know what that means. He couldn't
+steal her from Las Palmas--she wouldn't have anything to do with
+him--so he used that old cattle deal as an excuse to get her across the
+border. Then he put Ed out of the way. She went of her own accord, and
+she didn't tell Austin, because they were having trouble. She's gone to
+La Feria, Blaze."
+
+"La Feria! Then she's in for it."
+
+Dave nodded his agreement; for the first time Blaze noted how white and
+set was his friend's face.
+
+"Longorio must have foreseen what was coming," Dave went on. "That
+country's aflame; Americans aren't safe over there. If war is declared,
+a good many of them will never be heard from. He knows that. He's got
+her safe. She can't get out."
+
+Blaze was very grave when next he spoke. "Dave, this is bad--bad. I
+can't understand what made her go. Why, she must have been out of her
+head. But we've got to do something. We've got to burn the wires to
+Washington--yes, and to Mexico City. We must get the government to send
+soldiers after her. God! What have we got 'em for, anyhow?"
+
+"Washington won't do anything. What can be done when there are
+thousands of American women in the same danger? What steps can the
+government take, with the fleet on its way to Vera Cruz, with the army
+mobilizing, and with diplomatic relations suspended? Those Greasers are
+filling their jails with our people--rounding 'em up for the day of the
+big break--and the State Department knows it. No, Longorio saw it all
+coming--he's no fool. He's got her; she's in there--trapped."
+
+Blaze took the speaker by the shoulder and faced him about. "Look
+here," said he, "I'm beginnin' to get wise to you. I believe
+you're--the man in the case." When Dave nodded, he vented his amazement
+in a long whistle. After a moment he asked, "Well, why did you want me
+to come here alone, ahead of the others?"
+
+"Because I want you to know the whole inside of this thing so that you
+can get busy when I'm gone; because I want to borrow what money you
+have--"
+
+"What you aimin' to pull off?" Blaze inquired, suspiciously.
+
+"I'm going to find her and bring her out."
+
+"You? Why, Dave, you can't get through. This is a job for the soldiers."
+
+But Dave hardly seemed to hear him. "You must start things moving at
+once," he said, urgently. "Spread the news, get the story into the
+papers, notify the authorities. Get every influence at work, from here
+to headquarters; get your Senator and the Governor of the state at
+work. Ellsworth will help you. And now give me your last dollar."
+
+Blaze emptied his pockets, shaking his shaggy head the while. "La Feria
+is a hundred and fifty miles in," he remonstrated.
+
+"By rail from Pueblo, yes. But it's barely a hundred, straight from
+here."
+
+"You 'ain't got a chance, single-handed. You're crazy to try it."
+
+The effect of these words was startling, for Dave laughed harshly.
+"'Crazy' is the word," he agreed. "It's a job for a lunatic, and that's
+me. Yes, I've got bad blood in me, Blaze--bad blood--and I'm taking it
+back where I got it. But listen!" He turned a sick, colorless face to
+his friend. "They'll whittle a cross for Longorio if I do get through."
+He called to Montrosa, and the mare came to him, holding her head to
+one side so as not to tread upon her dragging reins.
+
+"I'm 'most tempted to go with you," Blaze stammered, uncertainly.
+
+"No. Somebody has to stay here and stir things up, If we had twenty men
+like you we might cut our way in and out, but there's no time to
+organize, and, anyhow, the government would probably stop us. I've got
+a hunch that I'll make it. If I don't--why, it's all right."
+
+The two men shook hands lingeringly, awkwardly; then Blaze managed to
+wish his friend luck. "If you don't come back," he said, with a
+peculiar catch in his voice, "I reckon there's enough good Texans left
+to follow your trail. I'll sure look forward to it."
+
+Dave took the river-bank to Sangre de Cristo, where, by means of the
+dilapidated ferry, he gained the Mexican side. Once across, he rode
+straight up toward the village of Romero. When challenged by an
+under-sized soldier he merely spurred Montrosa forward, eyeing the
+sentry so grimly that the man did no more than finger his rifle
+uncertainly, cursing under his breath the overbearing airs of all
+Gringos. Nor did the rider trouble to make the slightest detour, but
+cantered the full length of Romero's dusty street, the target of more
+than one pair of hostile eyes. To those who saw him, soldiers and
+civilians alike, it was evident that this stranger had business, and no
+one felt called upon to question its nature. There are men who carry an
+air more potent than a bodyguard, and Dave Law was one of these. Before
+the village had thoroughly awakened to his coming he was gone, without
+a glance to the right or left, without a word to anyone.
+
+When Romero was at his back he rode for a mile or two through a region
+of tiny scattered farms and neglected garden patches, after which he
+came out into the mesquite. For all the signs he saw, he might then
+have been in the heart of a foreign country. Mexico had swallowed him.
+
+As the afternoon heat subsided, Montrosa let herself out into a freer
+gait and began to cover the distance rapidly, heading due west through
+a land of cactus and dagger, of thorn and barb and bramble.
+
+The roads were unfenced, the meadows desolate; the huts were frequently
+untenanted. Ahead the sky burned splendidly, and the sunset grew more
+brilliant, more dazzling, until it glorified the whole mean, thirsty,
+cruel countryside.
+
+Dave's eyes were set upon that riot of blazing colors, but for the time
+it failed to thrill him. In that welter of changing hues and tints he
+saw only red. Red! That was the color of blood; it stood for passion,
+lust, violence; and it was a fitting badge of color for this land of
+revolutions and alarms. At first he saw little else--except the hint of
+black despair to follow. But there was gold in the sunset, too--the
+yellow gold of ransom! That was Mexico--red and yellow, blood and gold,
+lust and license. Once the rider's fancy began to work in this fashion,
+it would not rest, and as the sunset grew in splendor he found in it
+richer meanings. Red was the color of a woman's lips--yes, and a
+woman's hair. The deepening blue of the high sky overhead was the hue
+of a certain woman's eyes. A warm, soft breeze out of the west beat
+into his face, and he remembered how warm and soft Alaire's breath had
+been upon his cheek.
+
+The woman of his desires was yonder, where those colors warred, and she
+was mantled in red and gold and purple for his coming. The thought
+aroused him; the sense of his unworthiness vanished, the blight fell
+from him; he felt only a throbbing eagerness to see her and to take her
+in his arms once more before the end.
+
+With his head high and his face agleam, he rode into the west, into the
+heart of the sunset.
+
+
+
+
+XXVII
+
+LA FERIA
+
+
+"What's this I hear about war?" Dolores inquired of her mistress, a few
+days after their arrival at La Feria. "They tell me that Mexico is
+invaded and that the American soldiers have already killed more than a
+thousand women and children."
+
+"Who tells you this?" Alaire asked.
+
+"The men--everybody," Dolores waved a hand in the direction of the
+other ranch buildings. "Our people are buzzing like bees with the news,
+and, of course, no one cares to work when the Americans are coming."
+
+"I shall have to put an end to such talk."
+
+"This morning the word came that the revolution is ended and that the
+soldiers of both parties are uniting to fight for their liberties. They
+say the Gringos are killing all the old people--every one, in fact,
+except the girls, whom they take with them. Already they have begun the
+most horrible practices. Why, at Espinal"--Dolores's eyes were
+round--"would you believe it?--those Yankee soldiers ate a baby! They
+roasted the little dear like a cabrito and ate it! I tell you, it makes
+wild talk among the peladors."
+
+"Do you believe such stories?" Alaire inquired, with some amusement.
+
+"Um-m--not altogether. But, all the same, I think it is time we were
+going home."
+
+"This is home, for me, Dolores."
+
+"Yes, but now that war--"
+
+"There isn't any war, and there won't be any. However, if you are
+nervous I'll send you back to Las Palmas at once."
+
+"Glory of God! It would be the end of me. These Mexicans would
+recognize me instantly as an American, for I have the appearance and
+the culture. You can imagine what would happen to me. They would tear
+me from the train. It was nothing except General Longorio's soldiers
+that brought us safely through from Nuevo Pueblo."
+
+"Then I'm glad that he insisted upon sending them with us. Now tell the
+ranch-hands to put no faith in these ridiculous stories. If they wish
+the truth let them ask General Longorio; he will be here today and
+quiet their fears."
+
+"You think he intends to pay us for our cattle?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+Dolores pondered a moment. "Well, perhaps he does--it is not his money.
+For that matter, he would give all Mexico if you asked it. Tse! His
+love consumes him like a fever."
+
+Alaire stirred uneasily; then she rose and went to an open window,
+which looked out into the tiny patio with its trickling fountain and
+its rank, untended plants. "Why do you insist that he loves me?" she
+asked. "All Mexicans are gallant and pay absurd compliments. It's just
+a way they have. He has never spoken a word that could give offense."
+As Dolores said nothing, she went on, hesitatingly, "I can't very well
+refuse to see him, for I don't possess even a receipt to show that he
+took those cattle."
+
+"Oh, you must not offend him," Dolores agreed, hastily, "or we'd never
+leave Mexico alive." With which cheering announcement the housekeeper
+heaved a deep sigh and went about her duties with a gloomy face.
+
+Longorio arrived that afternoon, and Alaire received him in the great
+naked living room of the hacienda, with her best attempt at formality.
+But her coolness served not in the least to chill his fervor.
+
+"Señora," he cried, eagerly, "I have a thousand things to tell you,
+things of the greatest importance. They have been upon my tongue for
+hours, but now that I behold you I grow drunk with delight and my lips
+frame nothing but words of admiration for your beauty. So! I feast my
+eyes." He retained his warm clasp of her fingers, seeming to envelop
+her uncomfortably with his ardor.
+
+"What is it you have to tell me?" she asked him, withdrawing her hand.
+
+"Well, I hardly know where to begin--events have moved so swiftly, and
+such incredible things have happened. Even now I am in a daze, for
+history is being made every hour--history for Mexico, for you, and for
+me. I bring you good news and bad news; something to startle you and
+set your brain in a whirl. I planned to send a messenger ahead of me,
+and then I said: 'No, this is a crisis; therefore no tongue but mine
+shall apprise her, no hand but mine shall comfort her. Only a coward
+shrinks from the unpleasant; I shall lighten her distress and awaken in
+her breast new hope, new happiness'--"
+
+"What do you mean?" Alaire inquired, sharply. "You say you bring bad
+news?"
+
+The general nodded. "In a way, terrible, shocking! And yet I look
+beyond the immediate and see in it a blessing. So must you. To me it
+spells the promise of my unspoken longings, my whispered prayers."
+Noting his hearer's growing bewilderment, he laid a hand familiarly
+upon her arm. "No matter how I tell you, it will be a blow, for death
+is always sudden; it always finds us unprepared."
+
+"Death? Who--is dead?"
+
+"Restrain yourself. Allow for my clumsiness."
+
+"Who? Please tell me?"
+
+"Some one very close to you and very dear to you at one time. My
+knowledge of your long unhappiness alone gives me courage to speak."
+
+Alaire raised her fluttering fingers to her throat; her eyes were wide
+as she said: "You don't mean--Mr. Austin?"
+
+"Yes." Longorio scrutinized her closely, as if to measure the effect of
+his disclosure. "Señora, you are free!"
+
+Alaire uttered a breathless exclamation; then, feeling his gaze burning
+into her, turned away, but not before he had noted her sudden pallor,
+the blanching of her lips.
+
+This unexpected announcement dazed her; it scattered her thoughts and
+robbed her of words, but just what her dominant emotion was at the
+moment she could not tell. Once her first giddiness had passed,
+however, once the truth had borne in upon her, she found that she felt
+no keen anguish, and certainly no impulse to weep. Rather she
+experienced a vague horror, such as the death of an acquaintance or of
+a familiar relative might evoke. Ed had been anything but a true
+husband, and her feeling now was more for the memory of the man he had
+been, for the boy she had known and loved, than for the man whose name
+she bore. So he was gone and, as Longorio said, she was free. It meant
+much. She realized dimly that in this one moment her whole life had
+changed. She had never thought of this way out of her embarrassments;
+she had been prepared, in fact, for anything except this. Dead! It was
+deplorable, for Ed was young. Once the first shock had passed away, she
+became conscious of a deep pity for the man, and a complete forgiveness
+for the misery he had caused her. After a time she faced the
+newsbearer, and in a strained voice inquired:
+
+"How did it happen? Was it--because of me?"
+
+"No, no! Rest your mind on that score. See! I understand your concern
+and I share your intimate thoughts. No, it was an accident, ordained by
+God. His end was the result of his own folly, a gunshot wound while he
+was drunk, I believe. Now you will understand why I said that I bore
+tidings both good and evil and why I, of all people, should be the one
+to impart them."
+
+Alaire turned questioning eyes upon him, as if to fathom his meaning,
+and he answered her with his brilliant smile. Failing to evoke a
+response, he went on:
+
+"Ever since I heard of it I have repeated over and over again, 'It is a
+miracle; it is the will of God.' Come, then, we know each other so well
+that we may speak frankly. Let us be honest and pretend to no
+counterfeit emotions. Let us recognize in this only your deliverance
+and the certainty of that blessed happiness which Divine Providence
+offers us both."
+
+"Both?" she repeated, dully.
+
+"Need I be plainer? You know my heart. You have read me. You understand
+how I have throttled my longings and remained mute while all my being
+called to you."
+
+Alaire withdrew a step, and her cheeks colored with anger. "General!"
+she exclaimed, with some difficulty, "I am amazed. This is no time--"
+Her indignation rose with the sound of her own voice, causing her to
+stammer.
+
+Taking advantage of her loss of words, he hurried on: "You must pardon
+my impetuosity, but I am a man of tremendous force, and my life moves
+swiftly. I am not shackled by conventions--they are less than nothing
+to me. If it seems to you that my eagerness carries me away, remember
+that war is upon us and that affairs of moment press me so that I am
+compelled to move like the lightning. With me, señora, a day is a year.
+The past is gone, the present is here, the future rushes forward to
+meet us."
+
+"Indeed, you forget yourself," she said, warmly. Then, changing her
+tone: "I too must act quickly. I must go back at once."
+
+"Oh, but I have told you only a part of what I came to say."
+
+"Surely the rest can wait." Her voice was vibrant with contempt. "I'm
+in no condition to listen to anything else."
+
+But Longorio insisted. "Wait! It is impossible for you to leave here."
+
+Alaire stared at him incredulously.
+
+"It is true. Mexico is a seething caldron of hate; the country is
+convulsed. It would be unsafe for you."
+
+"Do you mean to say that war has been declared?"
+
+"Practically."
+
+"What--? You are telling me the truth?" A moment, then Alaire
+continued, more calmly, "If that is so, there is all the more reason
+why I should lose no time."
+
+"Listen!" The general was deeply in earnest. "You have no conception of
+the chaos out there." He waved a comprehensive gesture. "If the
+explosion has not come, it will come within a few hours. That is why I
+flew to your side. Battleships are hurrying toward our coast, troops
+are massing against our border, and Mexico has risen like one man. The
+people are in a frenzy; they are out of bounds; there is sack and
+pillage in the cities. Americans are objects of violence everywhere and
+the peons are frantic." He paused impressively. "We face the greatest
+upheaval of history."
+
+"Then why are you here?" Alaire demanded. "This is no place for you at
+such a moment."
+
+Longorio came closer to her, and his voice trembled as he said: "Angel
+of my soul, my place is at your side." Again she recoiled, but with a
+fervor he had never dared display he rushed on heedlessly. "I have told
+you I harken only to my heart; that for one smile from you I would
+behead myself; that for your favor I would betray my fatherland; that
+for your kiss I would face damnation. Well, I am here at your side. The
+deluge comes, but you shall be unharmed." He would not permit her to
+check him, crying: "Wait! You must hear me through, señora, so that you
+may comprehend fully why I am forced to speak at this time. Out of this
+coming struggle I shall emerge a heroic figure. Now that Mexico unites,
+she will triumph, and of all her victorious sons the name of Luis
+Longorio will be sung the loudest, for upon him more than upon any
+other depends the Republic's salvation. I do not boast. I merely state
+facts, for I have made all my plans, and tomorrow I put them into
+effect. That is why I cannot wait to speak. The struggle will be long,
+but you shall be my guiding star in the hour of darkness."
+
+Under other circumstances the man's magnificent egotism might have
+provoked a smile. And yet, for all its grandiloquence, there was
+something in his speech that rang hard and true. Unquestionably
+Longorio was dangerous--a real personality, and no mere swaggering
+pretender. Alaire felt a certain reluctant respect for him, and at the
+same time a touch of chilling fear such as she had hardly experienced
+before. She faced him silently for a moment; then she said:
+
+"Am I to understand that you forbid me to leave my own house?"
+
+"For the time being, exactly."
+
+"What? Then I am your prisoner!"
+
+"No, no!" He made a gesture of denial. "How ridiculous! I merely keep
+you from certain destruction. You cannot go by train, because the
+railroad has suspended public service, nor can you ride or drive. I
+tell you, señora, the people are aroused. For the moment you must
+accept my protection, whether you wish to or not. Tomorrow"--Longorio
+smiled warmly, meaningly-"perhaps you will not be in such haste to
+refuse it, or to leave La Feria. Wait until you understand me better.
+Then--But enough of this. You are unstrung, you wish to be alone with
+your thoughts, and what I have to say can wait for a few hours. In the
+mean time, may I beg the hospitality of your ranch for myself and my
+men?"
+
+Alaire acquiesced mechanically. Longorio saluted her fingers in his
+customary manner, and then, with a look eloquent of things unsaid, he
+went out to see to the comfort of his command.
+
+Alaire sank into the nearest chair, her nerves quivering, her mind in a
+turmoil. This Mexican was detestable, and he was far from being the
+mere maker of audaciously gallant speeches, the poetically fervent
+wooer of every pretty woman, she had blindly supposed him. His was no
+sham ardor; the man was hotly, horribly in earnest. There had been a
+glint of madness in his eyes. And he actually seemed to think that she
+shared his infatuation. It was intolerable. Yet Longorio, she was sure,
+had an abundance of discretion; he would not dare to offer her
+violence. He had pride, too; and in his way he was something of a
+gentleman. So far, she had avoided giving him offense. But if once she
+made plain to him how utterly loathsome to her was his pursuit, she was
+sure that he would cease to annoy her. Alaire was self-confident,
+strong-willed; she took courage.
+
+Her thoughts turned from her fears to the amazing reality of her
+widowhood. Even yet she could not wholly credit the fact that Ed's
+wasted life had come to an end and that she was free to make the most
+of her own. Alaire remembered her husband now with more tenderness,
+more charity, than she would have believed possible, and it seemed to
+her pitiful that one so blessed with opportunity should have worked
+such havoc with himself and with those near to him.
+
+Doubtless it was all a part of some providential scheme, too blind for
+her to solve. Perhaps, indeed, her own trials had been designed to the
+end that her greater, truer love, when it did come, would find her
+ripe, responsive, ready. As for this Mexican general, she would put him
+in his place.
+
+Alaire was still walking the floor of her chamber when Dolores entered,
+at dusk, to say that supper was ready and that General Longorio was
+waiting.
+
+"Ask him to excuse me," she told her servant.
+
+But Longorio himself spoke from the next room, saying: "Señora, I beg
+of you to honor me. I have much of importance to say, and time presses.
+Control your grief and give me the pleasure of your company."
+
+After an instant's consideration Alaire yielded. It was best to have
+the matter over with, once for all.
+
+
+
+
+XXVIII
+
+THE DOORS OF PARADISE
+
+
+Alaire began the mockery of playing hostess with extreme distaste, and
+as the meal progressed she experienced a growing uneasiness. Longorio's
+bearing had changed since his arrival. He was still extravagantly
+courteous, beautifully attentive; he maintained a flow of conversation
+that relieved her of any effort, and yet he displayed a repressed
+excitement that was disturbing. In his eyes there was a gloating look
+of possession hard to endure. Despite her icy formality, he appeared to
+be holding himself within the bounds of propriety only by an effort of
+will, and she was not surprised when, at the conclusion of the meal, he
+cast restraint aside.
+
+She did not let him go far with his wooing before warning him: "I won't
+listen to you. You are a man of taste; you must realize how offensive
+this is."
+
+"Let us not deceive each other," he insisted. "We are alone. Let us be
+honest. Do not ask me to put faith in your grief. I find my excuse in
+the extraordinary nature of this situation."
+
+"Nothing can excuse indelicacy," she answered, evenly. "You transgress
+the commonest rules of decency."
+
+But he was impatient. "What sentiment! You did not love your husband.
+You were for years his prisoner. Through the bars of your prison I saw
+and loved you. Dios! The first sight of your face altered the current
+of my life. I saw heaven in your eyes, and I have dreamed of nothing
+else ever since. Well, Providence opened the doors and set you free;
+God gave heed to my prayers and delivered you to me. Now you pretend to
+grieve at your deliverance; you ask me to respect the memory of your
+jailer! Decency? Delicacy? What are they except artificialities, which
+vanish in times of stress? Alexander the Great, Caesar, Napoleon,
+Porfirio Diaz--they were strong, purposeful men; they lived as I live.
+Señora, you dally with love."
+
+Alaire's face was white with anger as she replied: "You cause me to
+forget that you are my guest. Are you the man I considered you or the
+man you are reported to be?"
+
+"Eh?"
+
+"Are you the gentleman, the friend, you pretended to be, or--the vandal
+whom no woman can trust? You treat me as if you were my jailer. What do
+you mean? What kind of man are you to take advantage of my bereavement?"
+
+After a moment's consideration Longorio began haltingly: "I don't know
+what kind of man I am, for you have changed me so. There was a
+time--I--I have done things--I have scorned all restraint, all laws
+except those of my desires, and so, perhaps, I am a vandal. Make sure
+of this, however--I shall not injure you. Christ is no more sacred to
+me than you, my heart's treasure. You accuse me of indelicacy because I
+lack the strength to smother my admiration. I adore you; my being
+dissolves, my veins are afire with longing for you; I am mad with the
+knowledge that you are mine. Mad? Caramba! I am insane; my mind
+totters; I grope my way like a man blinded by a dazzling light; I
+suffer agonies. But see! I refuse to touch you. I am a giant in my
+restraint. The strength of heroes is mine, and I strangle my impulses
+as they are born, although the effort kills me. Señora, I await the
+moment of your voluntary surrender. I wait for you." He extended his
+arms, and Alaire saw that his olive features were distorted with
+emotion; that his hands, his whole thin, high-strung body were shaking
+uncontrollably.
+
+She could summon no coherent words.
+
+"You believed I was a hawk and would seize you, eh?" he queried. "Is
+that why you continue to shrink? Well, let me tell you something, if my
+tongue will frame the thoughts in my mind. My passion is so deep and so
+sacred that I would not be content with less than all of you. Your lips
+would not satisfy mine unless they were hot with love, your kisses wet
+with desire. I must have you all, and so I wait, trembling. I say this
+so badly that I doubt if you understand. Listen, then: to possess you
+by force would be--well, as if I sacked a cathedral of its golden
+images and expected to gain heaven by clutching the Madonna in my arms.
+Señora, in you I see the priceless jewel of my life, which I shall wear
+to dazzle the world, and without which I shall destroy myself. Now let
+me tell you what I can offer you, what setting I can build for this
+treasure. Marriage with Luis Longorio--"
+
+Alaire could not control a start.
+
+As if quickened by his intensity, the man read her thought. "You did
+not imagine that I offered you anything less?"
+
+"What was I to think? Your reputation--"
+
+"Mother of God!" breathed the general. "So! That is what you meant a
+moment ago. That is why you refuse my embraces. No, no! Other women
+have feared me and I have laughed in their hair as they tore at my
+arms, but you--you will be my wife, and all Mexico shall bow at your
+feet." He checked her denial with a gesture. "Wait until I tell you the
+vision I have seen during these days of my despair. I see Mexico made
+whole by my hands; a land of peace and plenty; a people with one name
+upon their lips--the name of Longorio the Deliverer; and you as the
+first lady of them all. You know me for a man of tremendous ability in
+every line. Well, I know myself, too. I have measured myself carefully,
+and I have no weakness. There is no other like me. Pancho Gomez? Bah!
+He is a red-handed bandit of no culture. Candeleria, his chief? The
+idol of the ignorant and a dreamer of no force. Potosi? He is President
+today, but what of tomorrow? Those who surround him are weaklings, and
+he stumbles toward oblivion. Who will succeed him? Who will issue from
+the coming struggle as the dominant figure of Mexico? Who but that
+military genius who checks the Yankee hordes and saves the fatherland?
+I am he. Fate points the path of glory and I am her man of destiny. You
+see, then, what I bring you--power, position, riches. Riches? Caramba!
+Wait until my hands are in the treasury. I will load you with gold and
+jewels, and I will make you the richest woman in the world. Señora, I
+offer you dominion. I offer you the President's palace and Chapultepec.
+And with all that I offer you such passionate love as no woman of
+history ever possessed."
+
+He paused, spent by the force of his own intensity; it was plain that
+he expected an immediate surrender.
+
+Alaire's lips parted in the faintest of mocking smiles. "You have great
+confidence in yourself," she said.
+
+"Yes. I know myself as no one knows me."
+
+"Why do you think I care for you?"
+
+Longorio's eyes opened. His expression plainly showed that he could not
+imagine any woman in her senses failing to adore him.
+
+"Don't you take much for granted?" Alaire insisted.
+
+The Mexican shook his head. Then his face lightened. "Ah! Now I see.
+Your modesty forbids you to acknowledge your love--is that it? Well, I
+know that you admire me, for I can see it. All women admire me, and
+they all end by loving me." His chest arched imperceptibly; with a
+slender finger he delicately smoothed his black eyebrows. Alaire felt a
+wild impulse to laugh, but was glad she had subdued it when he
+continued: "I am impetuous, but impetuosity has made me what I am. I
+act, and then mold fate to suit my own ends. Opportunity has delivered
+to me my heart's desire, and I will not be cheated out of it. Among the
+men I brought with me to La Feria is a priest. He is dirty, for I
+caught him as he was fleeing toward the border; but he is a priest, and
+he will marry us tonight."
+
+Alaire managed to gasp, "Surely you are not in earnest."
+
+"Indeed I am! That is why I insisted that you dine with me this
+evening. I cannot waste more time here, for necessity calls me away.
+You shall go as my wife."
+
+"Do you think I would remarry on the very day I find myself a widow?"
+
+"The world will never know."
+
+"You dare to say that!" Her tone was one of disgust, of finality. "I
+wonder how I have listened to so much. It is horrible."
+
+"You are still a little hysterical, and you exaggerate. If I had more
+time I could afford to wait." He ogled her with his luminous gaze. "I
+would let you play with me to your heart's content and exercise your
+power until you tired and were ready to surrender."
+
+Alaire raised her head proudly, her nostrils dilated, her eyes ablaze
+with hostility. "This is very humiliating, but you force me to tell you
+that I hate you."
+
+Longorio was incredulous rather than offended. He drew himself up to
+his full height and smiled, saying, "That is impossible." Then,
+ignoring her impatience: "Come! You cannot deceive me. The priest is
+waiting."
+
+When Alaire spoke next it was with an expression and with a tone of
+such loathing that his yellow face paled "Your conceit is
+insufferable," she breathed.
+
+After a brief struggle with himself, the Mexican cried, hoarsely: "I
+will not be refused. You wish me to tame you, eh? Good! You have found
+your master. Make your choice, then. Which shall it be, surrender
+or--compulsion?"
+
+"So! You have been lying, as I thought. Compulsion! Now the real
+Longorio speaks."
+
+He flung up his hands as if to ward off her fury. "No? Have I not made
+myself clear? I shall embrace you only with the arms of a husband, for
+this is not the passion of a moment, but of a lifetime, and I have
+myself to consider. The wife of Mexico's next President must be above
+reproach; there must be no scandal, no secrets hidden away for enemies
+to unearth. She must stand before the people as a perfect woman; she
+must lend prestige to his name. When I speak of compulsion, then, I
+mean the right of a husband--"
+
+Alaire uttered an exclamation of disgust and turned away, but he
+intercepted her, saying: "You cannot hold me at bay. It is destiny. You
+shall be mine tonight. Think a moment! We are alone in the heart of a
+country lacking in every law but mine. Your friends do not know where
+you are, and, even if they knew, they could not help you. Your nation's
+protest would avail nothing. Outside of these walls are enemies who
+will not let you leave this house except under the protection of my
+name."
+
+"Then I shall never leave it," she told him.
+
+For the first time Longorio spoke roughly: "I lose patience. In God's
+name have I not waited long enough? My strength is gone." Impulsively
+he half encircled her with his thin arms, but she seemed armored with
+ice, and he dropped them. She could hear him grind his teeth. "I dare
+not lay hands upon you," he chattered. "Angel of my dreams, I am faint
+with longing. To love you and yet to be denied; to feel myself aflame
+and yet to see you cold; to be halted at the very doors of Paradise!
+What torture!"
+
+The fellow's self-control in the midst of his frenzy frightened Alaire
+more than did his wildest avowals; it was in something of a panic that
+she said:
+
+"One moment you tell me I am safe, the next you threaten me. You say I
+am free, and yet you coerce me. Prove your love. Let me go--" "No! No!
+I shall call the priest."
+
+Longorio turned toward the door, but halfway across the floor he was
+halted by a woman's shriek which issued from somewhere inside the
+house. It was repeated. There was an outburst in a masculine voice,
+then the patter of footsteps approaching down the tiled hallway.
+Dolores burst into her mistress's presence, her face blanched, her hair
+disordered. She flung herself into Alaire's arms, crying:
+
+"Señora! Save me! God's curse on the ruffian. Oh--"
+
+"Dolores!" Alaire exclaimed. "What has happened?"
+
+Longorio demanded, irritably: "Yes. Why are you yelling like this:"'
+
+"A man--See I One of those dirty peladors. Look where he tore my dress!
+I warned him, but he was like a tiger. Benito will kill me when he
+learns--"
+
+"Calm yourself. Speak sensibly. Tell me what happened."
+
+"One of those miserable soldiers who came today--pig!" Dolores was
+shaking, her voice was shrill. "He followed me. He has been drinking.
+He followed me about like a cat, purring and grinning and saying the
+most horrible things. Just now, when I went to your room, he was
+waiting in the darkness and he seized me. God! It was dreadful."
+
+"A soldier? One of my men?" Longorio was incredulous.
+
+Alaire turned upon him with a blazing anger in her face. "Is this more
+of your protection?" she stormed. "I give you and your men the freedom
+of my ranch, and you insult me while they assault my women."
+
+He ignored her accusation, inquiring of the elder woman, "Who was the
+fellow?"
+
+"How do I know," Dolores sobbed. "He is a--a thick, black fellow with a
+scar on his lip, like a snarl."
+
+"Felipe!"
+
+"Yes, Felipe! I believe they called him that."
+
+Longorio strode to the end of the livingroom, flung open the wooden
+shutters of a window and, leaning far out, whistled sharply on his
+fingers.
+
+"Oiga! Teniente! Ho, you fellows!" he shouted.
+
+From the darkness a voice answered; a man, evidently on guard, came
+running.
+
+"Call old Pancho," the general directed. "Tell him to bring me black
+Felipe, the fellow with the torn lip. Quick!"
+
+"Yes, general," came the voice; then the metallic rattle of spurs and
+accoutrements as the sentry trotted away.
+
+Dolores had completely broken down now, and Alaire was trying to
+comfort her. Their guest remained by the window, frowning. After a time
+there sounded a murmur of voices, then a shuffling of feet in the hall;
+Alaire's friend, the old lieutenant, appeared in the doorway, saluting.
+Behind him were several others.
+
+"Here is Felipe," he announced.
+
+"Bring him in."
+
+A sullen, frowning man in soiled uniform was pushed forward, and
+Dolores hid her face against her mistress's shoulder.
+
+"Is this the fellow?" Longorio inquired.
+
+Dolores nodded.
+
+"Well, what have you to say for yourself?" The general transfixed his
+trooper with a stare; then, as the latter seemed bereft of his voice,
+"Why did you enter this house?"
+
+Felipe moistened his scarred lips. "That woman is--nice and clean.
+She's not so old, either, when you come to look at her." He grinned at
+his comrades, who had crowded in behind old Pancho.
+
+"So! Let us go outside and learn more about this." Longorio waved his
+men before him and followed them out of the room and down the hall and
+into the night.
+
+When a moment or two had dragged past, Dolores quavered. "What are they
+going to do with him?"
+
+"I don't know. Anyhow, you need not fear--"
+
+There sounded the report of a gunshot, deadened indeed by the thick
+adobe walls of the house, yet sudden and loud enough to startle the
+women.
+
+When Longorio reappeared he found Alaire standing stiff and white
+against the wall, with Dolores kneeling, her face still buried in her
+mistress's gown.
+
+"Give yourself no concern," he told them, quickly. "I beg a thousand
+pardons for Felipe. Henceforth no one will molest you."
+
+"Was that a--shot?" Alaire inquired faintly.
+
+"Yes. It is all settled."
+
+"You killed him?"
+
+The general nodded. "Purely for the sake of discipline--one has to be
+firm. Now your woman is badly frightened. Send her away so that we may
+reach an understanding."
+
+"Oh-h! This is frightful," Alaire gasped. "I can't talk to you. Go--Let
+me go."
+
+The man pondered for an instant. "Perhaps that would be better," he
+agreed, reluctantly, "for I see you, too, are unstrung. Very well! My
+affairs will have to wait. Take a few hours to think over what I have
+told you. When you have slept you will feel differently about me. You
+will meet me with a smile, eh?" He beamed hopefully.
+
+"Sleep? You expect me to sleep?"
+
+"Please," he begged. "Beauty is like a delicate flower, and sleep is
+the dew that freshens it. Believe me, you can rest in all security, for
+no one can come or go without my consent. You are cruel to postpone my
+delight; nevertheless, I yield to your feelings. But, star of my life,
+I shall dream of you, and of that little priest who waits with the key
+of Paradise in his hands."
+
+He bowed over Alaire's cold fingers, then stood erect until she and
+Dolores had gone.
+
+
+
+
+XXIX
+
+THE PRIEST FROM MONCLOVA
+
+
+That was a night of terror for the women. Although Longorio's
+discipline was in some ways strict, in others it was extremely lax.
+From some quarter his men had secured a supply of mescal, and,
+forgetful of Felipe's unhappy fate, they rendered the hours hideous.
+There were singing and quarreling, and a shot or two sounded from the
+direction of the outbuildings. Morning found both Alaire and Dolores
+sadly overwrought. But they felt some relief upon learning that the
+general had been unexpectedly summoned from his bed at daylight, and
+had ridden to the telegraph office.
+
+Profiting by his absence, Alaire ventured from her room, racking her
+brain to devise some means of escape. But soldiers were everywhere;
+they lolled around the servants' quarters; they dozed in the shade of
+the ranch buildings, recovering from the night's debauch; and an armed
+sentinel who paced the hacienda road gave evidence that, despite their
+apparent carelessness, they had by no means relaxed their vigilance. A
+round of the premises convinced Alaire that the place was effectually
+guarded, and showed her the futility of trying to slip away. She
+realized, too, that even if she managed to do so, her plight would be
+little better. For how could she hope to cover the hundred miles
+between La Feria and the Rio Grande when every peon was an enemy?
+
+She was standing in one of the open, sashless windows when her former
+protector, the old lieutenant, bade her good morning and paused to
+smoke a cigarette.
+
+"Well, it was a great night, wasn't it?" he began. "And we have great
+news this morning. We are going to fight you gringos."
+
+"I hope not."
+
+"Yes; it will probably go hard with you. Tell me, this city of
+Washington is a fine city, and very rich, is it not?"
+
+"Oh yes."
+
+"It's full of loot, eh? Especially the President's palace? That is
+good. One can never believe all one hears."
+
+"Why do you ask?" Alaire was curious.
+
+"I was thinking it would pay us to go there. If your soldiers march
+upon Mexico City, it would be a brilliant piece of strategy for General
+Longorio to invade the United States, would it not? It would be funny
+to capture Washington and hold your President for ransom, eh?"
+
+"Very funny," Alaire agreed, dryly. "How would you go about it?"
+
+Pancho shrugged. "That is the trouble. We would have to march around
+Texas, I presume."
+
+"Around Texas?"
+
+"Yes. You see, Texas is a bad country; it is full of--barbarians who
+know how to fight. If it were not for Texas we would have the United
+States at our mercy." After some consideration he ventured this
+opinion: "We could afford to pay the Texans for allowing us to ride
+through their country, provided we stole nothing and paid for the
+cattle we ate. Well, Longorio is a great one for schemes; he is talking
+over the telegraph with somebody at this moment. Perhaps it is the
+President of Texas."
+
+"You are a poor man, are you not?" Alaire inquired.
+
+"Miserably poor."
+
+"Would you like to make a great deal of money?"
+
+"Dios! That is why I'm a soldier."
+
+"I will pay you well to get me two horses--"
+
+But old Pancho shook his head vigorously. "Impossible! General Longorio
+is going to marry you. We all got drunk last night to celebrate the
+wedding. Yes, and the priest is waiting."
+
+"I will make you rich."
+
+"Ho! I wouldn't live to spend a single peso. Felipe disobeyed orders,
+and the general shot him before he could cross himself. Boom! The poor
+fellow was in hell in a minute. No. We will all be rich after we win a
+few battles and capture some American cities. I am an old man; I shall
+leave the drinking and the women to the young fellows, and prepare for
+my old age."
+
+Seeing that she could not enlist Pancho's aid, Alaire begged him to
+fetch the priest.
+
+"You wish spiritual comfort, señora?"
+
+"Perhaps."
+
+"Well, he doesn't look like much of a priest, but probably he will do.
+As for me, I don't believe in such things. Churches are all very well
+for ignorant people, but we Mexicans are too intelligent; we are making
+an end of them."
+
+The priest was a small, white-haired man with a gentle, almost timid
+face, and at the moment when he appeared before Alaire he was in
+anything but a happy frame of mind. He had undergone, he told her, a
+terrible experience. His name was O'Malley. He had come from Monclova,
+whence the Rebels had banished him under threat of death. He had seen
+his church despoiled of its valuables, his school closed; he himself
+had managed to escape only by a miracle. During his flight toward the
+border he had suffered every indignity, and finally Longorio had
+intercepted him and brought him here, practically in chains.
+
+"What a situation! What chaos!" he lamented. "The land is overrun with
+bandits; there is no law, no authority, no faith; religion is made a
+mockery. The men are becoming infidels and atheists, and in many places
+they will not allow us to give comfort even to their women."
+
+"Is it as bad as that?"
+
+Father O'Malley shook his head sadly. "You've no idea. What do you
+think of a people who forbid the mention of God's name in their
+schools? That is what the revolutionists are doing. Candeleria claims
+that the churches are the property of the State. He confiscates them,
+and he charges admission. He has banished all except a few of us
+priests, and has shamefully persecuted our Sisters of Mercy. Oh, the
+outrages! Mexico is, today, the blackest spot on the map of
+Christendom." His voice broke. "That is the freedom, the liberty, the
+democracy, for which they are fighting. That is the new Mexico. And the
+Federals are not a bit better. This Longorio, for instance,
+this--wolf--he brings me here, as his prisoner, to solemnize an unholy
+marriage! He treats me like a dog. Last night I slept in a filthy
+hovel--"
+
+"Oh! I'm sorry," Alaire exclaimed. "But I'm half crazed with my own
+troubles. You must come into the house; the best I have is yours. You
+shall be as much my guest as I can make you, and--perhaps you will help
+me to escape."
+
+"Escape?" The little man smiled mournfully. "You are watched and
+guarded, and so am I. Even if you got away from here, what then? You
+can't imagine the condition of the country."
+
+"I won't marry him!" Alaire cried, with a shudder. "I won't!"
+
+"He can't very well force you to do so. But remember, these are war
+times; the man is a fiend, and he puts no restraint upon his desires.
+If he is madly bent on having you, how can you prevent it? In normal
+times he would not dare injure one so prominent as you, but now--"
+Father O'Malley lifted his hands. "I only wonder that he suggests a
+lawful marriage. Suppose you refuse? Will he not sacrifice you to his
+passions? He has done worse things." After a moment's consideration he
+said: "Of course it is possible that I misjudge him. Anyhow, if you
+desire me to do so I will refuse to perform the ceremony. But--I'm
+afraid it will just mean ruin for both of us."
+
+"Surely he wouldn't harm you?"
+
+The Father shrugged. "What am I? An obscure priest. Many of my brothers
+are buried in Mexico. However, I shall do as you wish."
+
+As the day wore on Alaire realized even more clearly the fact that she
+was Longorio's prisoner. His men, in spite of their recent debauch,
+kept a very good watch over her, and it was plain that they would obey
+his orders, no matter how extreme. It occurred to her finally that he
+was staying away purposely, in order to give her a fuller appreciation
+of her position--so that she might beat her wings against the cage
+until exhausted.
+
+Afternoon came, then evening, and still Longorio did not return, Father
+O'Malley could give scant comfort; Dolores was a positive trial.
+
+Half distracted, Alaire roamed through the house, awaiting her captor's
+coming, steeling herself for their final battle. But the delay was
+trying; she longed for the crisis to come, that this intolerable
+suspense might be ended. At such an hour her thoughts naturally turned
+to Dave Law, and she found herself yearning for him with a yearning
+utterly new. His love had supported her through those miserable days at
+Las Palmas, but now it was a torture; she called his name wildly,
+passionately. He knew her whereabouts and her peril--why did he not
+come? Then, more calmly, she asked herself what he, or what any one,
+could do for her. How could she look for succor when two nations were
+at war?
+
+Night had come before she finally gave up and acknowledged the
+hopelessness of her situation. She had fought bravely, but with
+darkness her fears grew blacker. She was on the verge of her first
+breakdown when, in the early dusk outside, she heard voices and the
+stamping of horses' hoofs. The sounds were muffled by the heavy wooden
+shutters she had taken pains to close and bar, but they told her that
+Longorio had returned. Since it was futile to deny him entrance, she
+waited where she was. Old Pancho's voice sounded outside; then there
+came a knock upon the door of the room in which she stood.
+
+"Come in," she said, tensely.
+
+The lieutenant thrust his head in and, removing his hat, announced,
+"There is someone here to see General Longorio on important business.
+He says you will do."
+
+"I?"
+
+"Yes. He says he is one of us--"
+
+Pancho was pushed aside, the door was flung back, and a man strode
+swiftly into the lamplight. He paused, blinking as if momentarily
+blinded, and Alaire clutched at the nearest chair for support. A
+roaring began in her ears; she felt herself sway forward as if the
+strength had left her knees. She heard Dave's voice faintly; he was
+saying:
+
+"Take care of my horse. Feed and water her well. Understand? When
+General Longorio comes tell him I am waiting here."
+
+As if in a dream, Alaire saw the Mexican go out, closing the door
+behind him. Then she saw Dave come toward her, heard him speak her
+name, felt his arms around her.
+
+Alaire did not swoon, but she never could remember very distinctly
+those first few moments. Scarcely knowing what she did, she found
+herself clinging to her lover, laughing, weeping, feeling him over with
+shaking hands that would not be convinced of his reality. She was aware
+of his kisses upon her lips, her eyes, her hair; he was saying
+something which she could not understand because of that roaring in her
+ears.
+
+"You heard me calling," she told him at last. "Oh, I was--so
+frightened!" She clung closer to him. After a time she discovered that
+she was mechanically nodding and shaking her head at the questions he
+was putting to her, but had only the vaguest idea what they were. By
+and by she began to tell him about Longorio, speaking in a sort of
+hypnotic murmur, as if her words issued at his mental suggestion. And
+all the time she snuggled against his breast.
+
+"Dearest!" Dave held her away in gentle hands. "I was afraid you'd go
+to pieces like this, but I had to break through the best way I could. I
+learned you were here and something about what was going on from the
+people at the next ranch. But I expected to find HIM here, too."
+
+"How did you manage to get here?"
+
+"I hardly know. I just wouldn't let 'em stop me. This lieutenant
+wouldn't let me in until I told him I was from Monterey with important
+news. I don't remember all I did tell him. I tried to get here last
+night, but I had trouble. They caught me, and I had to buy my way
+through. I've bribed and bullied and lied clear from Romero. I reckon
+they couldn't imagine I'd risk being here if I wasn't a friend."
+
+It was more Dave's tone than his words that roused Alaire to an
+appreciation of what he said.
+
+"Are you alone?" she asked, in vague dismay. "Then what are we going to
+do?"
+
+"I don't know yet. My plans ended here."
+
+"Dave! You rode in just to find me! Just to be with me?"
+
+"Yes. And to get HIM." Alaire saw his face twitch, and realized that it
+was very haggard, very old and tired. "They lifted my guns--a bunch of
+fellows at the Rio Negro crossing. Some of them were drunk and wouldn't
+believe I was an amigo. So I finally had to ride for it."
+
+"Can't you take me away?" she asked, faintly. "What will you do
+when--he comes?"
+
+"I reckon I'll manage him somehow." His grip upon her tightened
+painfully, and she could feel him tremble. "I was afraid I wouldn't
+find you. I--O God, Alaire!" He buried his face in her hair.
+
+"I had a terrible scene with him last night. He insists upon marrying
+me. I--I was hoping you'd come."
+
+"How could I, when nobody knew where you were?"
+
+"Didn't you know? I wrote you." He shook his head. "Then how did you
+learn?"
+
+"From José. I caught him within an hour of the murder, and made him
+tell me everything."
+
+Alaire's eyes dilated; she held herself away, saying, breathlessly:
+"Murder! Is that what it was? He--Longorio--told me something quite
+different."
+
+"Naturally. It was he who hired José to do the shooting."
+
+"Oh-h!" Alaire hid her face in her hands. She looked up again quickly,
+however, and her cheeks were white. "Then he won't spare you, Dave."
+She choked for an instant. "We must get away before he comes. There
+must be some way of escape. Think!"
+
+"I'm pretty tired to think. I'm pretty near played out," he confessed.
+
+"They're watching me, but they'd let you go."
+
+"Now that I'm here I'm going to stay until--"
+
+She interrupted, crying his name loudly, "Dave!"
+
+"Yes. What is it?"
+
+"Wait! Let me think." She closed her eyes; her brows drew together as
+if in the labor of concentration. When she lifted her lids her eyes
+were alight, her voice was eager. "I know how. I see it. He won't
+dare--But you must do what I tell you."
+
+"Of course."
+
+"No questions. Understand?"
+
+When he nodded impatiently she ran to the door and, flinging it open,
+called down the hall:
+
+"Father! Father O'Malley! Quick!" Then she summoned Dolores.
+
+The priest answered; he hurried from his room and, with a dazed lack of
+comprehension, acknowledged his swift introduction to Dave. Alaire was
+keenly alive and vibrant with purpose now. Dolores, too, came running,
+and while the men were exchanging greetings her mistress murmured
+something in her ear, then hastened her departure with a quick push.
+Turning upon the others, Alaire explained:
+
+"I've sent for some of the women, and they'll be here in a minute.
+Father, this man has come for me. He loves me. Will you marry us,
+before Longorio arrives?"
+
+"Alaire!" Dave exclaimed.
+
+She stilled him with a gesture. "Quick! Will you?"
+
+Father O'Malley was bewildered. "I don't understand," he expostulated.
+
+"Nor I," echoed Dave.
+
+"You don't need to understand. I know what I'm doing. I've thought of a
+way to save us all."
+
+Through Dave's mind flashed the memory of that thing which had haunted
+him and made his life a nightmare. An incoherent refusal was upon his
+lips, but Alaire's face besought him; it was shining with a strange,
+new ecstasy, and he could not bring himself to deny her. Of what her
+plan consisted he had only the dimmest idea, but he assured himself
+that it could by no possibility succeed. After all, what did it matter?
+he asked himself. They were trapped. This might serve, somehow, to
+cheat Longorio, and--Alaire would be his wife.
+
+"Very well," he stammered, weakly. "What are you thinking of?"
+
+"I haven't thought it all out yet, but--"
+
+At that moment Dolores returned, bringing with her the three
+black-haired, black-shawled house servants, bundling them through the
+door and ranging them along the wall.
+
+Father O'Malley's face was puckered; he said, hesitatingly: "My dear
+madam, this isn't regular; you are not Catholics. How can I bless you?"
+
+"You can marry us legally, just the same, can't you?" Alaire was
+breathing rapidly, and some part of her eagerness began to thrill her
+hearers.
+
+"Oh yes, but--"
+
+"Then marry us. And make haste, please! Please!"
+
+Law nodded. He could not speak, for his mouth was dry. A voice within
+him shouted a warning, but he would not listen. His heart was beating
+violently; his temples were pounding; all the blood of his body seemed
+centered in his head.
+
+Before the eyes of the four wondering women Father O'Malley married
+them. It seemed to Alaire that he would never reach the end, although,
+in fact, he stumbled through the ceremony swiftly. Alaire clipped his
+last words short by crying:
+
+"Tell these people so that they'll understand what it all means. Tell
+them to remember they have seen a marriage by the Church."
+
+The priest did as he was directed, and his audience signified their
+understanding. Then Dolores led them out.
+
+
+
+
+XXX
+
+THE MAN OF DESTINY
+
+
+"Now, then, I'll explain," said Alaire, turning to the men. "Longorio
+declares he won't have me except as his wife, and I think he means it.
+He is amazingly egotistical. He has tremendous ambitions. He thinks
+this war is his great opportunity, and he means to be President--he's
+sure of it. He loves me, but he loves himself better, I'm sure. Now,
+don't you see? He'll have to choose one or the other."
+
+Father O'Malley did not appear to appreciate the full force of this
+reasoning. "My dear," he said, gravely, "he can make you a widow again.
+In such times as these men are savages."
+
+"Oh, but that's not all." Alaire turned to her newly made husband.
+"They let you in, and they'll let you out again--if you go quickly,
+before it's known what we've done."
+
+Dave stared at her in bewilderment. "I? I go, and--leave you?" He
+seemed doubtful of her sanity.
+
+"Yes." When he laughed shortly, Alaire cried: "Dave, you must! Don't
+you see what I'm driving at? If he can't marry me, if he finds you're
+gone and he can't lay hands on you, what can he do but let me go? Dave
+dear, for my sake, for the sake of us both--"
+
+"You're excited," he told her, and drew her to himself gently.
+
+"Please! PLEASE!" she implored.
+
+"You don't know that man," said Father O'Malley, with conviction.
+
+But Alaire insisted, half hysterically now: "I do; that's just it, I DO
+know him. He is planning the greatest things for himself, his head is
+in the clouds, and he daren't do the things he used to do. That's why I
+called in those women as witnesses. He can't put THEM out of the way.
+With Dave gone I'll be safe. He can't ignore our marriage. But
+otherwise--There's no telling what he may do. Why, he'll kill you,
+Dave, as he killed Ed." She upturned a face eloquent with pleading.
+"Won't you do this for me?"
+
+"No!" Law declared, firmly. "You wouldn't ask it if you were in your
+senses. Get me a gun and I'll shoot my way out. We'll go until they
+stop us. But don't ask me to leave you."
+
+She searched his face eagerly, piteously, then with a quivering sigh
+relaxed her tension. "Then we've only made matters worse. You've
+spoiled our only chance."
+
+Father O'Malley, who had been lost in thought, spoke up again: "Perhaps
+you will let me try my wits. But first, do I understand that it was he
+who effected the death of--Mr. Austin?"
+
+Dave recounted as coherently as he could the circumstances of Ed's
+death, and told how he had learned, through José, of Longorio's
+intentions. As the priest listened a spot of color grew in his cheeks,
+his eyes glowed with indignation. He was about to make known what was
+in his mind when Alaire raised her hand and in a strained whisper
+exclaimed:
+
+"'Sh-h! Listen!"
+
+The heavy door of the hacienda creaked, a quick tread sounded on the
+tiles, the door to the living-room was flung open, and Longorio
+entered. He was hot and dusty from his ride, but with a lover's
+impetuosity he had made straight for this lighted room.
+
+For the briefest instant he balanced himself just inside the portal,
+and the smile remained fixed upon his lips. Then his eyes became ringed
+with white and he made a swift, catlike movement of retreat. Plainly
+this was the supremest surprise of his lifetime, and he seemed to doubt
+his senses. But he recovered quickly. Thrusting his head forward, he
+demanded:
+
+"What is this? You--and you?" He stared from Dave to the priest, then
+back again.
+
+They all spoke at once, but he heard only Alaire's words:
+
+"He came to find me."
+
+Pancho appeared in the doorway behind Longorio, saying, "I heard you
+ride up, sir, so I ran to tell you about this fellow."
+
+But the general cut him short. "Call your men, quick," he cried in a
+voice that sent the soldier leaping back into the night.
+
+Alaire was clinging to Dave, merely clutching him the tighter when he
+tried to unclasp her hold. Her movement into the shelter of his rival's
+arms infuriated Longorio, who uttered an exclamation and fumbled
+uncertainly with his holster. But his fingers were clumsy. He could not
+take his eyes from the pair, and he seemed upon the point of rushing
+forward to tear them apart.
+
+"Don't touch her! Don't--" he began, cursing in a high-pitched voice.
+"God! What a reckoning!" Then he stamped his feet, he wrung his hands,
+he called shrilly at the top of his voice: "Lieutenant! Ho, Pancho! You
+fellows! Quickly!" Under the stress of his excitement the feminine side
+of his character betrayed itself.
+
+Alaire felt her newly made husband gather himself for a spring; he was
+muttering to her to release him; he was trying to push her aside, but
+she held fast with the strength of desperation.
+
+"You can't harm us," she declared, flinging her words defiantly at the
+Mexican. "You dare not. You are too late. Father O'Malley has just
+married us."
+
+Longorio uttered a peculiar, wordless cry of dismay; his mouth fell
+open; his arms dropped; he went limp all over, paralyzed momentarily by
+surprise and horror; his eyes protruded; he swayed as if his sight had
+blurred.
+
+"I said I'd never marry you," she rushed on, vibrantly. "This is the
+man I love--the only man. Yes, and I've learned the truth about you. I
+know who killed Mr. Austin."
+
+Longorio did a very unexpected thing then; slowly, unconsciously, as if
+the movement were the result of a half-forgotten training, he crossed
+himself.
+
+But now from the hall at his back came the pounding of boot-heels, and
+a half dozen panting troopers tumbled through the door. He waved them
+back and out into the hall again.
+
+Father O'Malley, who had been trying to make himself heard, stepped in
+front of the general and said, solemnly: "Take care what you do,
+Longorio. I have married these people, and you can't undo what I have
+done. We are American citizens. The laws of civilization protect us."
+
+The Mexican fought for his voice, then stammered: "You are my priest; I
+brought you here. I offered to marry her. Now--you force me to damn my
+soul." Turning his eyes wildly upon Alaire, he shouted: "Too late, eh?
+You say I am too late! It seems that I am barely in time."
+
+Dave added his words to the others: "You are ten to one, but you can't
+have her," he cried, defiantly. "José Sanchez confessed to the murder
+of Mr. Austin, and told how you had got Mrs. Austin to come here. The
+whole thing is known in Washington and Mexico City by this time. The
+newspapers have it; everybody knows you are keeping her as your
+prisoner, and that I have come for her. If she is harmed, all Mexico,
+all the world, will know that you are worse than a murderer."
+
+Longorio reached behind his back and slammed the door in the faces of
+his listening men.
+
+"What is this? What did José confess?" he inquired, sharply.
+
+"He swears you hired him."
+
+"Bah! The word of a pelador."
+
+In spite of the man's contemptuous tone Dave saw the expression in his
+face and made a quick decision. "There's a limit to what you dare to
+do, Longorio. I'm unarmed; I make no resistance, so there is no excuse
+for violence. I surrender to you, and claim protection for myself and
+my wife."
+
+But Longorio was not to be tricked. "Good!" he cried, triumphantly. "I
+have been looking forward to something like this, and I shall give
+myself a great pleasure." He laid a hand upon the doorknob, but before
+he could turn it the Catholic priest had him by the arm, and with a
+strength surprising in one of his stature wrenched him away. Father
+O'Malley's face was white and terrible; his voice was deep, menacing;
+the hand he raised above Longorio seemed to brandish a weapon.
+
+"Stop!" he thundered. "Are you a madman? Destruction hangs over you;
+destruction of body and soul. You dare not separate those whom God hath
+joined."
+
+"God! God!" the other shrilled. "I don't believe in Him. I am a god; I
+know of no other."
+
+"Blasphemer!" roared the little man. "Listen, then. So surely as you
+harm these people, so surely do you kill your earthly prospects. You,
+the first man of Mexico, the Dictator indeed! Think what you are doing
+before it is too late. Is your dream of greatness only a dream? Will
+you sacrifice yourself and all your aspirations in the heat of this
+unholy and impossible passion? Tonight, now, you must choose whether
+you will be famous or infamous, glorious or shameful, honored or
+dishonored! Restrain your hatred and conquer your lust, or forego for
+ever your dreams of empire and pass into oblivion."
+
+"You are a meddler," Longorio stormed. "You make a loud noise, but I
+shall rid Mexico of your kind. We shall have no more of you priests."
+
+Father O'Malley shook the speaker as a parent shakes an unruly child.
+"See! You have completely lost your head. But I want you to listen to
+what I am saying. Whether you are more good than evil, God must judge,
+but the people of Mexico are good people, and they will not be ruled by
+a man who is wholly bad. You have the power to remove this man and this
+woman, yes, and this priest who dares to point out the pit at your
+feet; but if you do you will never command another Mexican army. There
+is no war. We are not your enemies. The world knows we are here, and it
+holds you accountable for our safety. To-morrow you will have to face
+the reckoning."
+
+Longorio listened. It was plain that he recognized the truth of
+O'Malley's words, but he was convulsed with rage.
+
+"Good!" he cried. "I see my dreams dissolve, but I am not the first
+great man to trade an empire for a woman. Antony, the Roman general,
+laid his honor in a woman's arms. I had a shining destiny, but Mexico
+will be the sufferer by my betrayal. Instead of Longorio the Deliverer,
+I shall be known as Longorio the Lover, the man who gave all--"
+
+O'Malley interrupted forcefully. "Enough of this! Come with me. I have
+something more to say to you." He flung open the door into the hall
+and, taking the general by the arm, fairly dragged him from the room
+and into the one opposite. The lieutenant and his men looked on in
+amazement, shuffling their feet and shifting their rifle butts noisily
+upon the floor.
+
+Alaire turned an anxious face to Dave, saying: "He is wonderful.
+Longorio is almost--afraid of him."
+
+"Yes; he may bring him to his senses. If he doesn't--" Dave cast his
+eyes desperately over the room, conscious all the time that he was
+being watched with suspicion by the men outside. He stirred restlessly
+and moistened his lips. "Longorio would be crazy to injure you."
+
+Ten minutes passed; fifteen. Alaire leaned, motionless, against the
+table; Dave paced about, followed by the eyes of the soldiers. One of
+the latter struck a match, and in the silence it sounded like a
+gunshot. Dave started, at which the soldiers laughed. They began to
+talk in murmurs. The odor of cigarette smoke drifted in to the man and
+the woman.
+
+Finally the door through which Father O'Malley and Longorio had passed
+opened, and the priest emerged. He was alone. His face was flushed and
+damp; his eyes were glowing. He forced the Mexicans out of his way and,
+entering the living-room, closed the door behind him.
+
+"Well?" his two friends questioned, anxiously.
+
+"I've done all I can. The rest is out of our hands." The little man sat
+down heavily and mopped his forehead.
+
+"What does he say?"
+
+"He told me to come here and wait. I never saw a man so torn, so
+distracted."
+
+"Then he is wavering. Oh-h!" Alaire clasped her hands in thanksgiving,
+but the Father cautioned her:
+
+"Don't be too sanguine. He is not afraid of consequences. He appears to
+have no conscience. He is without mercy and seems lost to shame. I have
+never met a man quite like him. Do you know what he feels at this
+moment? Chagrin. Yes, mortification raised to the highest pitch, and a
+sort of stupefaction that you should prefer another man to him. He
+can't understand your lack of taste." Father O'Malley smiled faintly.
+
+"Conceited idiot," Dave growled.
+
+"His humiliation kills him. When I saw that it was useless to appeal to
+him on moral grounds, and that threats were unavailing, I took another
+course. Something gave me insight into his mind, and the power to talk
+as I have never talked before. All in a flash I saw the man's soul laid
+bare before me, and--I think I played upon it with some cunning. I
+don't remember all I said, for I was inspired, but I appealed to his
+vanity and to his conceit, and as I went along I impressed upon him,
+over and over, the fact that the world knows we are here and that it
+trusts him. He aspires to the Presidency; he believes he is destined to
+be Mexico's Dictator; so I painted a picture that surpassed his own
+imaginings. He would have been suspicious of mere flattery, so I went
+far beyond that and inflamed him with such extravagant visions as only
+a child or an unblushing egotist like him could accept. I swelled his
+vanity; I inflated his conceit. For a moment, at least, I lifted him
+out of himself and raised him to the heights."
+
+From beyond the closed door came Longorio's voice, issuing some command
+to his men. A moment passed; then he appeared before the three
+Americans. He seemed taller, thinner, more erect and hawklike than
+ever. His head was held more proudly and his chest was fuller. A set,
+disdainful smile was graven upon his face.
+
+He began by addressing his words directly to Alaire. "Señora," he said,
+"I am a man of deep feeling and I scorn deceit. Therefore I offer no
+apology for my recent display of emotion. If I have seemed to press my
+advances with undue fervor, it is because, at heart, I am as great a
+lover as I am a statesman or a soldier. But there are other things than
+love. Nature constituted me a leader, and he who climbs high must climb
+alone. I offered Chapultepec as a shrine for your beauty. I offered to
+share Mexico with you, and I told you that I would not be content with
+less than all of you. Well I meant it. Otherwise--I would take you
+now." His voice throbbed with a sudden fierce desire, and his long,
+lean hands closed convulsively. "You must realize that I have the
+courage and the power to defy the world, eh?" He seemed to challenge
+denial of this statement, but, receiving none, he went on, fixing his
+brilliant, feverish eyes once more upon Alaire. "As a man of sentiment
+I am unique; I am different from any you have ever known. I would not
+possess a flower without its fragrance. You did not believe me when I
+told you that, but I am going to prove it. All your life you are going
+to think of me as heroic. Perhaps no patriot in history ever made a
+more splendid sacrifice for his country than I make now. Some day the
+world will wonder how I had the strength to put aside love and follow
+the path of duty."
+
+Alaire trusted herself to ask, "Then we are free to go?"
+
+The general's face was swept by a grimace intended for a smile. "I have
+ordered your horses to be saddled."
+
+Dave, who had with difficulty restrained his anger at the fellow's
+bombast, was upon the point of speaking when Father O'Malley took the
+words out of his mouth:
+
+"Would you send this woman out of her own house into a country
+like--like this? Remember the fortune in cattle you have already
+taken--"
+
+Longorio broke in with a snarl: "Is it my fault that the country is in
+arms? Military necessity compels me to remain here. I consider myself
+magnanimous. I--" His voice cracked, and he made a despairing, violent
+gesture. "Go, before I change my mind."
+
+Dave signaled to the others, and Alaire slipped away to make herself
+ready. During the uncomfortable silence which succeeded her departure,
+Longorio paced the room, keeping his eyes resolutely turned away from
+Law.
+
+"Do you mean that I, too, may go?" O'Malley inquired.
+
+"What good are you to me?" snapped the general.
+
+"You will give us safe conduct?"
+
+"Be still, priest!" Longorio glared at the speaker, clasping and
+unclasping his fists behind his back.
+
+With the sound of hoofs outside, Alaire and Dolores appeared, and the
+Mexican straightened himself with an effort.
+
+"Adios, señora!" he said, with a stiff bow. "We have had a pleasant
+friendship and a thrilling flirtation, eh? I shall never cease to
+regret that Fate interrupted at such an interesting moment. Adios!
+Adios!" He bowed formally, in turn to Dave and to the priest, then
+resumed his pacing, with his hands at his back and his brow furrowed as
+if in a struggle with affairs of greater moment than this.
+
+But when he heard the outside door creak shut behind them his
+indifference vanished and he halted with head turned in an effort to
+catch the last sounds of their departure. His face was like tallow now,
+his lips were drawn back from his teeth as if in supreme agony. A
+moment and the hoofbeats had died away. Then Longorio slipped his leash.
+
+He uttered a cry--a hoarse, half-strangled shriek that tore his throat.
+He plucked the collar from his neck as if it choked him; he beat his
+breast. Seizing whatever article his eye fell upon, he tore and crushed
+it; he swept the table clean of its queer Spanish bric-à-brac, and
+trampled the litter under his heels. Spying a painting of a saint upon
+the wall, he ran to it, ripped it from its nail, and, raising it over
+his head, smashed frame and glass, cursing all saints, all priests, and
+churchly people. Havoc followed him as he raged about the place
+wreaking his fury upon inanimate objects. When he had well-nigh wrecked
+the contents of the room, and when his first paroxysm had spent its
+violence, he hurled himself into a chair, writhing in agony. He bit his
+wrists, he pounded his fists, he kicked; finally he sprawled full
+length upon the floor, clawing at the cool, smooth tiles until his
+nails bled.
+
+"Christ! O Christ!" he screamed.
+
+The sound of his blasphemies reached the little group of soldiers who
+had lingered curiously outside, and they listened open-mouthed. One by
+one they crossed themselves and stole away into the darkness, muttering.
+
+
+
+
+XXXI
+
+A SPANISH WILL
+
+
+With a singing heart Alaire rode through the night at her husband's
+side. The strain of the last few hours had been so intense, the relief
+at her deliverance so keen, that now she felt curiously weak, and she
+kept close to Dave, comforted by his nearness and secure in the
+knowledge of his strength.
+
+Although he was unusually taciturn and rode with his chin upon his
+breast, she attributed his silence to fatigue. Now and then, therefore,
+she spurred to his side and spoke softly, caressingly. At such times he
+reached for her hand and clung to it.
+
+Dave was indeed weary; he was, in fact, in a sort of stupor, and not
+infrequently he dozed for a moment or two in his saddle. Yet it was not
+this which stilled his tongue, but a growing sense of guilt and dismay
+at what he had brought upon himself. In a moment of weakness he had
+done the very thing against which he had fought so bitterly, and now he
+faced the consequences. How, when, where could he find strength to undo
+his action? he asked himself. The weight of this question bent his
+shoulders, paralyzed his wits.
+
+Some two hours out from La Feria the riders halted at a point where the
+road dipped into a rocky stream-bed; then, as the horses drank, Dolores
+voiced a thought that had troubled all of them.
+
+"If that bandit really means to spare us, why did he send us away in
+the night, like this?" she asked. "I shall be surprised if we are not
+assassinated before morning."
+
+"He must have meant it." Alaire spoke with a conviction she did not
+entirely feel. "Father O'Malley aroused the finer side of his nature."
+
+"Perhaps," agreed the priest. "Somewhere in him there is a fear of God."
+
+But Dave was skeptical. "More likely a fear of the gringo Government,"
+said he. "Longorio is a four-flusher. When he realized he was licked he
+tried to save his face by a grandstand play. He didn't want to let us
+go."
+
+"Then what is to prevent him from--well, from having us followed?"
+Alaire inquired.
+
+"Nothing," Dave told her.
+
+As they climbed the bank and rode onward into the night she said: "No
+matter what happens, dear, I shall be happy, for at last one of my
+dreams has come true." He reached out and patted her. "You've no idea
+what a coward I was until you came. But the moment I saw you all my
+fears vanished. I was like a lost child who suddenly sees her father;
+in your arms I felt perfectly safe, for the first time in all my life,
+I think. I--I couldn't bear to go on without you, after this."
+
+Dave found nothing to say; they rode along side by side for a time in a
+great contentment that required no speech. Then Alaire asked:
+
+"Dear, have you considered how we--are going to explain our marriage?"
+
+"Won't the circumstances explain it?"
+
+"Perhaps. And yet--It seems ages since I learned--what happened to Ed,
+but in reality it's only a few hours. Won't people talk?"
+
+Dave caught at the suggestion. "I see. Then let's keep it secret for
+the present. I promise not to--act like a husband."
+
+With a little reckless laugh she confessed, "I--I'm afraid I'll find it
+difficult to be conventional."
+
+"My wife!" he cried in sharp agony. Leaning far out, he encircled her
+with his arm; then, half lifting her from her saddle, he crushed his
+lips to hers. It was his first display of emotion since Father O'Malley
+had united them.
+
+There were few villages along the road they followed, and because of
+the lateness of the hour all were dark, hence the party passed through
+without exciting attention except from an occasional wakeful dog. But
+as morning came and the east began to glow Dave told the priest:
+
+"We've got to hide out during the day or we'll get into trouble.
+Besides, these women must be getting hungry."
+
+"I fear there is something feminine about me," confessed the little
+man. "I'm famished, too."
+
+At the next rancho they came to they applied for shelter, but were
+denied; in fact, the owner cursed them so roundly for being Americans
+that they were glad to ride onward. A mile or two farther along they
+met a cart the driver of which refused to answer their greetings. As
+they passed out of his sight they saw that he had halted his lean oxen
+and was staring after them curiously. Later, when the sun was well up
+and the world had fully awakened, they descried a mounted man,
+evidently a cowboy, riding through the chaparral. He saw them, too, and
+came toward the road, but after a brief scrutiny he whirled his horse
+and galloped off through the cactus, shouting something over his
+shoulder.
+
+"This won't do," O'Malley declared, uneasily. "I don't like the actions
+of these people. Let me appeal to the next person we meet. I can't
+believe they all hate us."
+
+Soon they came to a rise in the road, and from the crest of this
+elevation beheld ahead of them a small village of white houses shining
+from the shelter of a grove. The rancheria was perhaps two miles away,
+and galloping toward it was the vaquero who had challenged them.
+
+"That's the Rio Negro crossing," Dave announced. Then spying a little
+house squatting a short distance back from the road, he said: "We'd
+better try yonder. If they turn us down we'll have to take to the
+brush."
+
+O'Malley agreed. "Yes, and we have no time to lose. That horseman is
+going to rouse the town. I'm afraid we're--in for it."
+
+Dave nodded silently.
+
+Leaving the beaten path, the refugees threaded their way through cactus
+and sage to a gate, entering which they approached the straw-thatched
+jacal they had seen. A naked boy baby watched them draw near, then
+scuttled for shelter, piping an alarm. A man appeared from somewhere,
+at sight of whom the priest rode forward with a pleasant greeting. But
+the fellow was unfriendly. His wife, too, emerged from the dwelling and
+joined her husband in warning Father O'Malley away.
+
+"Let me try," Alaire begged, and spurred her horse up to the group. She
+smiled down at the country people, saying: "We have traveled a long
+way, and we're tired and hungry. Won't you give us something to eat?
+We'll pay you well for your trouble."
+
+The man demurred sullenly, and began a refusal; but his wife, after a
+wondering scrutiny, interrupted him with a cry. Rushing forward, she
+took the edge of Alaire's skirt in her hands and kissed it.
+
+"God be praised! A miracle!" she exclaimed. "Juan, don't you see? It is
+the beautiful señora for whom we pray every night of our lives. On your
+knees, shameless one! It is she who delivered you from the prison."
+
+Juan stared unbelievingly, then his face changed; his teeth flashed in
+a smile, and, sweeping his hat from his head, he, too, approached
+Alaire.
+
+"It is! señora, I am Juan Garcia, whom you saved, and this is Inez," he
+declared. "Heaven bless you and forgive me."
+
+"Now I know you," Alaire laughed, and slipped down from her saddle.
+"This is a happy meeting. So! You live here, and that was little Juan
+who ran away as if we were going to eat him. Well, we are hungry, but
+not hungry enough to devour Juanito."
+
+Turning to her companions, she explained the circumstances of her first
+meeting with these good people, and as she talked the Garcias broke in
+joyfully, adding their own account of her goodness.
+
+"We've fallen among friends," Alaire told Dave and Father O'Malley.
+"They will let us rest here, I am sure."
+
+Husband and wife agreed in one voice. In fact, they were overjoyed at
+an opportunity of serving her; and little Juan, his suspicions
+partially allayed, issued from hiding and waddled forward to take part
+in the welcome.
+
+Shamefacedly the elder Garcia explained his inhospitable reception of
+the travelers. "We hear the gringos are coming to kill us and take our
+farms. Everybody is badly frightened. We are driving our herds away and
+hiding what we can. Yesterday at the big Obispo ranch our people shot
+two Americans and burned some of their houses. They intend to kill all
+the Americans they find, so you'd better be careful. Just now a fellow
+rode up shouting that you were coming, but of course I didn't know--"
+
+"Yes, of course. We're trying to reach the border," Father O'Malley
+told him. "Will you hide us here until we can go on?"
+
+Juan courtesied respectfully to the priest. "My house is yours, Father."
+
+"Can you take care of our horses, too, and--give us a place to sleep?"
+Dave asked. His eyes were heavy; he had been almost constantly in the
+saddle since leaving Jonesville, and now could barely keep himself
+awake.
+
+"Trust me," the Mexican assured them, confidently. "If somebody comes
+I'll send them away. Oh, I can lie with the best of them."
+
+The Garcias were not ordinary people, and they lived in rather good
+circumstances for country folk. There were three rooms to their little
+house, all of which were reasonably clean. The food that Inez set
+before her guests, too, was excellent if scanty.
+
+Juanito, taking the cue from his parents, flung himself whole-heartedly
+into the task of entertainment, and since Alaire met his advances
+halfway he began, before long, to look upon her with particular favor.
+Once they had thoroughly made friends, he showered her with the most
+flattering attentions. His shyness, it seemed, was but a pretense--at
+heart he was a bold and enterprising fellow--and so, as a mark of his
+admiration, he presented her with all his personal treasures. First he
+fetched and laid in her lap a cigar-box wagon with wooden
+wheels--evidently the handiwork of his father. Then he gave her, one by
+one, a highly prized blue bottle, a rusty Mexican spur, and the ruins
+of what had been a splendid clasp knife. There were no blades in the
+knife, but he showed her how to peep through a tiny hole in the handle,
+where was concealed the picture of a dashing Spanish bullfighter. The
+appreciation which these gifts evoked intoxicated the little man and
+roused him to a very madness of generosity. He pattered away and
+returned shortly, staggering and grunting under the weight of another
+and a still greater offering. It was a dog--a patient, hungry dog with
+very little hair. The animal was alive with fleas--it scratched
+absent-mindedly with one hind paw, even while Juanito strangled it
+against his naked breast--but it was the apple of its owner's eye, and
+when Inez unfeelingly banished it from the house Juanito began to
+squall lustily. Nor could he be conciliated until Alaire took him upon
+her knee and told him about another boy, of precisely his own age and
+size, who planted a magic bean in his mother's dooryard, which grew up
+and up until it reached clear to the sky, where a giant lived. Juanito
+Garcia had never heard the like. He was spellbound with delight; he
+held his breath in ecstasy; only his toes moved, and they wriggled like
+ten fat, brown tadpoles.
+
+In the midst of this recital Garcia senior appeared in the door with a
+warning.
+
+"Conceal yourselves," he said, quickly. "Some of our neighbors are
+coming this way." Inez led her guests into the bedchamber, a bare room
+with a dirt floor, from the window of which they watched Juan go to
+meet a group of horsemen. Inez went out, too, and joined in the parley.
+Then, after a time, the riders galloped away.
+
+When Alaire, having watched the party out of sight, turned from the
+window she found that Dave had collapsed upon a chair and was sleeping,
+his limbs relaxed, his body sagging.
+
+"Poor fellow, he's done up," Father O'Malley exclaimed.
+
+"Yes; he hasn't slept for days," she whispered. "Help me." With the
+assistance of Dolores they succeeded in lifting Dave to the bed, but he
+half roused himself. "Lie down, dear," Alaire told him. "Close your
+eyes for a few minutes. We're safe now."
+
+"Somebody has to keep watch," he muttered, thickly, and tried to fight
+off his fatigue. But he was like a drunken man.
+
+"I'm not sleepy; I'll stand guard," the priest volunteered, and,
+disregarding further protest, he helped Alaire remove Dave's coat.
+
+Seeing that the bed was nothing more than a board platform covered with
+straw matting, Alaire folded the garment for a pillow; as she did so a
+handful of soiled, frayed letters spilled out upon the floor.
+
+"Rest now, while you have a chance," she begged of her husband. "Just
+for a little while."
+
+"All right," he agreed. "Call me in--an hour. Couldn't sleep--wasn't
+time." He shook off his weariness and smiled at his wife, while his
+eyes filmed with some emotion. "There is something I ought to tell you,
+but--I can't now--not now. Too sleepy." His head drooped again; she
+forced him back; he stretched himself out with a sigh, and was asleep
+almost instantly.
+
+Alaire motioned the others out of the room, then stood looking down at
+the man into whose keeping she had given her life. As she looked her
+face became radiant. Dave was unkempt, unshaven, dirty, but to her he
+was of a godlike beauty, and the knowledge that he was hers to comfort
+and guard was strangely thrilling. Her love for Ed, even that first
+love of her girlhood, had been nothing like this. How could it have
+been like this? she asked herself. How could she have loved deeply
+when, at the time, her own nature lacked depth? Experience had
+broadened her, and suffering had uncovered depths in her being which
+nothing else had had the power to uncover. Stooping, she kissed Dave
+softly, then let her cheek rest against his. Her man! Her man! She
+found herself whispering the words.
+
+Her eyes were wet, but there was a smile upon her lips when she
+gathered up the letters which had dropped from her husband's pocket.
+She wondered, with a little jealous twinge, who could be writing to
+him. It seemed to her that she owned him now, and that she could not
+bear to share him with any other. She studied the inscriptions with a
+frown, noticing as she did so that several of the envelopes were
+unopened--either Dave was careless about such things or else he had had
+no leisure in which to read his mail. One letter was longer and heavier
+than the rest, and its covering, sweat-stained and worn at the edges,
+came apart in her hands, exposing several pages of type-writing in the
+Spanish language. The opening words challenged her attention.
+
+In the name of God, Amen,
+
+Alaire read. Involuntarily her eye followed the next line:
+
+Know all men by this public instrument that I, Maria Joséfa Law, of
+this vicinity--
+
+Alaire started, Who, she asked herself, was Maria Joséfa Law? Dave had
+no sisters; no female relatives whatever, so far as she knew. She
+glanced at the sleeping man and then back at the writing.
+
+--finding myself seriously ill in bed, but with sound judgment, full
+memory and understanding, believing in the ineffable mysteries of the
+Holy Trinity, three distinct persons in one God, in essence, and in the
+other mysteries acknowledged by our Mother, the Church--
+
+So! This was a will--one of those queer Spanish documents of which
+Alaire had heard--but who was Maria Joséfa Law? Alaire scanned the
+sheets curiously, and on the reverse side of the last one discovered a
+few lines, also in Spanish, but scrawled in pencil. They read:
+
+MY DEAR NEPHEW,--Here is the copy of your mother's will that I told you
+about. At the time of her death she was not possessed of the property
+mentioned herein, and so the original document was never filed for
+record, but came to me along with certain family possessions of small
+value. It seems to contain the information you desire.
+
+Y'rs aff'ly,
+
+FRANCISCO RAMIREZ.
+
+The will of Dave's mother! Then Maria Joséfa Law was that poor woman
+regarding whose tragic end Judge Ellsworth had spoken so peculiarly.
+Alaire felt not a little curiosity to know more about the mother of the
+man whose name she had taken. Accordingly, after a moment of debate
+with herself, she sat down to translate the instrument. Surely Dave
+would not object if she occupied herself thus while he slept.
+
+The document had evidently been drawn in the strictest form, doubtless
+by some local priest, for it ran:
+
+First: I commend my soul to the Supreme Being who from nothing formed
+it, and my body I order returned to earth, and which, as soon as it
+shall become a corpse, it is my wish shall be shrouded with a blue
+habit in resemblance to those used by the monks of our Seraphic Father,
+St. Francis; to be interred with high mass, without pomp--
+
+Alaire mused with a certain reverent pleasure that Dave's mother had
+been a devout woman.
+
+Second: I declare to have, in the possession of my husband, Franklin
+Law, three horses, with splendid equipment of saddles and bridles,
+which are to be sold and the proceeds applied to masses for the benefit
+of my soul. I so declare, that it may appear.
+
+Third: I declare to owe to Mrs. Guillelmo Perez about twenty dollars,
+to be ascertained by what she may have noted in her book of accounts.
+So I declare, that this debt may be paid as I have ordered.
+
+Fourth: In just remuneration for the services of my cousin, Margarita
+Ramirez, I bequeath and donate a silver tray which weighs one hundred
+ounces, seven breeding cows, and four fine linen and lace tablecloths.
+So I declare, that it may appear.
+
+Fifth: I bequeath to my adopted son, David, offspring of the
+unfortunate American woman who died in my house at Escovedo, the share
+of land--
+
+Alaire re-read this paragraph wonderingly, then let the document fall
+into her lap. So Dave was an adopted son, and not actually the child of
+this woman, Maria Joséfa Law. She wondered if he knew it, and, if so,
+why he hadn't told her? But, after all, what difference did it make who
+or what he was? He was hers to love and to comfort, hers to cherish and
+to serve.
+
+For a long time she sat gazing at him tenderly; then she tiptoed out
+and delighted the naked Garcia baby by taking him in her arms and
+hugging him. Inez thought the beautiful señora's voice was like the
+music of birds.
+
+It was growing dark when Dave was awakened by cool hands upon his face
+and by soft lips upon his. He opened his eyes to find Alaire bending
+over him.
+
+"You must get up," she smiled. "It is nearly time to go, and Inez is
+cooking our supper."
+
+He reached up and took her in his arms. She lay upon his breast,
+thrilling happily with her nearness to him, and they remained so for a
+while, whispering now and then, trying ineffectually to voice the
+thoughts that needed no expression.
+
+"Why did you let me sleep so long?" he asked her, reproachfully.
+
+"Oh, I've been napping there in that chair, where I could keep one eye
+on you. I'm terribly selfish; I can't bear to lose one minute." After a
+while she said: "I've made a discovery. Father O'Malley snores
+dreadfully! Juanito never heard anything like it, and it frightened him
+nearly to death. He says the Father must be a very fierce man to growl
+so loudly. He says, too, that he likes me much better than his mother."
+
+It seemed to Dave that the bliss of this awakening and the sweet
+intimacy of this one moment more than rewarded him for all he had gone
+through, and paid him for any unhappiness the future might hold in
+store.
+
+He felt called upon to tell Alaire the truth about himself; but with
+her in his arms he had no strength of purpose; her every endearment
+made him the more aware of his weakness. Again he asked himself when
+and how he could bear to tell her? Not now. Certainly not now when she
+was trembling under his caresses.
+
+"I've been busy, too," she was saying. "I sent Juan to the village to
+learn the news, and it's not very nice. It's good we stopped here. He
+says Nuevo Pueblo has been destroyed, and the Federal forces are all
+moving south, away from the border. So our troubles aren't over yet. We
+must reach the river tonight."
+
+"Yes, by all means."
+
+"Juan is going with us as guide."
+
+"You arranged everything while I snoozed, eh? I'm ashamed of myself."
+
+Alaire nodded, then pretended to frown darkly. "You ought to be," she
+told him. "While you were asleep I read your mail and--"
+
+"My mail?" Dave was puzzled.
+
+"Exactly. Have you forgotten that your pockets were full of unopened
+letters?"
+
+"Oh, those! They came just as I was leaving Jonesville, and I haven't
+thought of them since. You know, I haven't had my clothes off."
+
+"I'm going to read all your love letters," she told him, threateningly.
+
+"Yes, and you're going to write all of them, too," he laughed.
+
+But she shook a warning finger in his face. "I told you I'm a jealous
+person. I'm going to know all about you, past, present, and future. I--"
+
+"Alaire! My darling!" he cried, and his face stiffened as if with pain.
+
+Still in a joyous mood, she teased him. "You had better tremble, I've
+found you out, deceiver. I know who you really are."
+
+"Who am I?"
+
+"Don't you know?"
+
+Dave shook his head.
+
+"Really? Have you never read your mother's will?"
+
+Law rose to his elbow, then swung his legs to the floor. "What are you
+talking about?" he asked.
+
+For answer Alaire handed him the frayed envelope and its contents.
+
+He examined it, and then said, heavily: "I see! I was expecting this.
+It seems I've been carrying it around all this time--"
+
+"Why don't you read it?" she insisted. "There's light enough there by
+the window. I supposed you knew all about it or I wouldn't have joked
+with you."
+
+He opened his lips to speak, but, seeing something in her eyes, he
+stepped to the window and read swiftly. A moment, and then he uttered a
+cry.
+
+"Alaire!" he exclaimed, hoarsely. "Read this--My eyes--O God!"
+
+Wonderingly she took the sheets from his shaking hands and read aloud
+the paragraph he indicated: Fifth: I bequeath to my adopted son, David,
+offspring of the unfortunate American woman who died in my house at
+Escovedo--
+
+Again Dave cried out and knelt at Alaire's feet, his arms about her
+knees, his face buried in her dress. His shoulders were heaving and his
+whole body was racked with sobs.
+
+Shocked, frightened, Alaire tried to raise him, but he encircled her in
+a tighter embrace.
+
+"Dave! What is it? What have I done?" she implored. "Have I hurt you
+so?"
+
+It was a long time before he could make known the significance of that
+paragraph, and when he finally managed to tell her about the terrible
+fear that had lain so heavily upon his soul it was in broken, choking
+words which showed his deep emotion. The story was out at last,
+however, and he stood over her transfigured.
+
+Alaire lifted her arms and placed them upon his shoulders. "Were you
+going to give me up for that?--for a shadow?"
+
+"Yes. I had made up my mind. I wouldn't have dared marry you last
+night, but--I never expected to see today's sun. I didn't think it
+would make much difference. It was more than a shadow, Alaire. It was
+real. I WAS mad--stark, staring mad--or in a fair way of becoming so. I
+suppose I brooded too much. Those violent spells, those wild moments I
+sometimes have, made me think it must be true. I dare say they are no
+more than temper, but they seemed to prove all that Ellsworth
+suspected."
+
+"You must have thought me a very cowardly woman," she told him. "It
+wouldn't have made the slightest difference to me, Dave. We would have
+met it together when it came, just as we'll meet everything now--you
+and I, together."
+
+"My wife!" He laid his lips against her hair.
+
+They were standing beside the window, speechless, oblivious to all
+except their great love, when Dolores entered to tell them that supper
+was ready and that the horses were saddled.
+
+
+
+
+XXXII
+
+THE DAWN
+
+
+Juan Garcia proved to be a good guide, and he saved the refugees many
+miles on their road to the Rio Grande. But every farm and every village
+was a menace, and at first they were forced to make numerous detours.
+As the night grew older, however, they rode a straighter course, urging
+their horses to the limit, hoping against hope to reach the border
+before daylight overtook them. This they might have done had it not
+been for Father O'Malley and Dolores, who were unused to the saddle and
+unable to maintain the pace Juan set for them.
+
+About midnight the party stopped on the crest of a flinty ridge to give
+their horses breath and to estimate their progress. The night was fine
+and clear; outlined against the sky were the stalks of countless
+sotol-plants standing slim and bare, like the upright lances of an army
+at rest; ahead the road meandered across a mesa, covered with grama
+grass and black, formless blots of shrubbery.
+
+Father O'Malley groaned and shifted his weight. "Juan tells me we'll
+never reach Romero by morning, at this rate," he said; and Dave was
+forced to agree. "I think you and he and Alaire had better go on and
+leave Dolores and me to follow as best we can."
+
+Dolores plaintively seconded this suggestion. "I would rather be burned
+at the stake than suffer these agonies," she confessed. "My bones are
+broken. The devil is in this horse." She began to weep softly. "Go,
+señora. Save yourself! It is my accursed fat stomach that hinders me.
+Tell Benito that I perished breathing his name, and see to it, when he
+remarries, that he retains none of my treasures."
+
+Alaire reassured her by saying: "We won't leave you. Be brave and make
+the best of it."
+
+"Yes, grit your teeth and hold on," Dave echoed. "We'll manage to make
+it somehow."
+
+But progress was far slower than it should have been, and the elder
+woman continued to lag behind, voicing her distress in groans and
+lamentations. The priest, who was made of sterner stuff, did his best
+to bear his tortures cheerfully.
+
+In spite of their efforts the first rosy heralds of dawn discovered
+them still a long way from the river and just entering a more thickly
+settled country. Daylight came swiftly, and Juan finally gave them
+warning.
+
+"We can't go on; the danger is too great," he told them. "If the
+soldiers are still in Romero, what then?"
+
+"Have you no friends hereabouts who would take us in?" Dave inquired.
+
+The Mexican shook his head.
+
+Dave considered for a moment. "You must hide here," he told his
+companions, "while I ride on to Romero and see what can be done. I
+suspect Blanco's troops have left, and in that case everything will be
+all right."
+
+"Suppose they haven't?" Alaire inquired. All night she had been in the
+lightest of moods, and had steadily refused to take their perils
+seriously. Now her smile chased the frown from her husband's face.
+
+"Well, perhaps I'll have breakfast with them," he laughed.
+
+"Silly. I won't let you go," she told him, firmly; and, reading the
+expression in her face, he felt a dizzy wonder. "We'll find a nice
+secluded spot; then we'll sit down and wait for night to come. We'll
+pretend we're having a picnic."
+
+Dolores sighed at the suggestion. "That would be heaven, but there can
+be no sitting down for me."
+
+Garcia, who had been standing in his stirrups scanning the long, flat
+road ahead, spoke sharply: "CARAMBA! Here come those very soldiers now!
+See!"
+
+Far away, but evidently approaching at a smart gait, was a body of
+mounted men. After one look at them Dave cried:
+
+"Into the brush, quick!" He hurried his companions ahead of him, and
+when they had gone perhaps a hundred yards from the road he took Juan's
+Winchester, saying: "Ride in a little way farther and wait. I'm going
+back. If you hear me shoot, break for the river. Ride hard and keep
+under cover as much as possible." Before they could remonstrate he had
+wheeled Montrosa and was gone.
+
+This was luck, he told himself. Ten miles more and they would have been
+safe, for the Rio Grande is not a difficult river either to ford or to
+swim. He dismounted and made his way on foot to a point where he could
+command a view, but he had barely established himself when he found
+Alaire at his side.
+
+"Go back," he told her. But she would not, and so they waited together.
+
+There were perhaps a dozen men in the approaching squad, and Dave saw
+that they were heavily accoutred. They rode fast, too, and at their
+head galloped a large man under a wide-brimmed felt hat. It soon became
+evident that the soldiers were not uniformed. Therefore, Dave reasoned,
+they were not Federals, but more probably some Rebel scouting band from
+the south, and yet--He rubbed his eyes and stared again.
+
+Dave pressed forward eagerly, incredulously; the next instant he had
+broken cover with a shout. Alaire was at his side, clapping her hands
+and laughing with excitement.
+
+The cavalcade halted; the big man tumbled from his saddle and came
+straddling through the high grass, waving his hat and yelling.
+
+"Blaze! You old scoundrel!" Dave cried, and seized one of the
+ranchman's palms while Alaire shook the other.
+
+"Say! We're right glad to see you-all," Jones exclaimed. "We reckoned
+you might be havin' a sort of unpleasantness with Longorio, so we
+organized up and came to get you."
+
+The other horsemen were crowding close now, and their greetings were
+noisy. There were the two Guzman boys, Benito Gonzales, Phil Strange,
+and a number of Jonesville's younger and more adventurous citizens.
+
+In the midst of the tumult Benito inquired for his wife, and Dave
+relieved his anxiety by calling Dolores and Father O'Malley. Then, in
+answer to the questions showered upon him, he swiftly sketched the
+story of Alaire's rescue and their flight from La Feria.
+
+When he had finished Blaze Jones drew a deep breath. "We're mighty glad
+you got out safe, but you've kicked the legs from under one of my pet
+ambitions. I sure had planned to nail Longorio's hide on my barn door.
+Yes, and you've taken the bread out of the mouths of the space writers
+and sob sisters from here to Hudson's Bay. Miz Austin, your picture's
+in every newspaper in the country, and, believe me, it's the worst
+atrocity of the war."
+
+"War!" Father O'Malley had joined the group now, and he asked, "Has war
+been declared?"
+
+"Not yet, but we've got hopes." To Alaire Blaze explained: "Ellsworth's
+in Washington, wavin' the Stars and Stripes and singin' battle hymns,
+but I reckon the government figures that the original of those
+newspaper pictures would be safe anywhere. Well, we've got our own
+ideas in Jonesville, so some of us assembled ourselves and declared war
+on our own hook. These gentlemen"--Blaze waved his hand proudly at his
+neighbors--"constitute the Jonesville Guards, the finest body of
+American men that has invaded Mexican soil since me and Dave went after
+Ricardo Guzman's remains. Blamed if I ain't sorry you sidetracked our
+expedition."
+
+It was evident, from the words of the others, that the Jonesville
+Guards were indeed quite as heedless of international complications as
+was their commander. One and all were highly incensed at Longorio's
+perfidy, and, had Alaire suggested such a thing, it was patent that
+they would have ridden on to La Feria and exacted a reckoning from him.
+
+Such proof of friendship affected her deeply, and it was not until they
+were all under way back toward Romero that she felt she had made her
+appreciation fully known. When she reflected that these men were some
+of the very neighbors whom she had shunned and slighted, and whose
+honest interest she had so habitually misconstrued all these years, it
+seemed very strange that they should feel the least concern over her.
+It gave her a new appreciation of their chivalry and their worth; it
+filled her with a humble desire to know them better and to strengthen
+herself in their regard. Then, too, the esteem in which they held
+Dave--her husband--gratified her intensely. It made no more difference
+to them than to her that he was a poor man, a man without authority or
+position; they evidently saw and loved in him the qualities which she
+saw and loved. And that was as it should be.
+
+They were gentle and considerate men, too, as she discovered when they
+told her, bit by bit, what had happened during her absence. She
+learned, much to her relief, that Ed's funeral had been held, and that
+all the distressing details of the inquiry had been attended to. José
+Sanchez, it appeared, had confessed freely. Although her new friends
+made plain their indignation at the manner of Ed's taking off, they
+likewise let her know that they considered his death only a slight
+loss, either to her or to the community. Not one of them pretended it
+was anything except a blessing.
+
+The journey drew to an end very quickly. Romero, deserted now by its
+garrison, stirred and stared sleepily at the invaders, but concerned
+itself with their presence no more than to wonder why they laughed and
+talked so spiritedly. Plainly, these gringos were a barbarous race of
+people, what with their rushing here and there, and with their loud,
+senseless laughter. God had wisely placed them beyond the Rio Grande,
+said the citizens of Romero.
+
+The crossing was made; Alaire found herself in Texas once again, and it
+seemed to her that the sun had never been so bright, the air so clear,
+the sky so high, the world so smiling, as here and now. The men who had
+ridden forth to seek her were smiling, too, and they were shaking her
+hands and congratulating her. Even the Guzman boys, who were shy in the
+presence of American ladies, were wishing her the best of fortune and
+the greatest of happiness.
+
+Blaze Jones was the last to leave. With especial emphasis upon her
+name, he said: "Miz Austin, Paloma and me would like to have you come
+to our house and stay until you feel like goin' back to Las Palmas."
+
+When Alaire declined with moistened eyes, explaining that she could not
+well accept his invitation, he signified his understanding.
+
+"We're goin' to see a lot of you, just the same," he promised her,
+"'cause we feel as if you sort of belonged to us. There's a lot of good
+people in this part of Texas, and them that ain't so good God and the
+Rangers is slowly weedin' out. We don't always know the ones we like
+best until something happens to 'em, but if you'd heard the prayers the
+folks of Jonesville have been sayin' lately you'd know you was our
+favorite." Then, with a meaning twinkle in his eye, he told her,
+gravely: "It seems a pity that I ain't younger and better-lookin'. I
+would sure cut short your grief." Then he raised his hat and rode away,
+chuckling.
+
+Alaire turned to Dave in dismay. "He knows!" she cried.
+
+"I'm afraid they all know. But don't worry; they'll respect our wishes."
+
+Father O'Malley had ridden on ahead with Benito and Dolores; Dave and
+Alaire followed leisurely. Now that the moment of their parting was at
+hand, they lingered by the way, delaying it as long as possible,
+feeling a natural constraint at what was in their minds.
+
+"How long--will it be?" he asked her, finally. "How long before I can
+really have you for my own?"
+
+Alaire smiled into his eyes. "Not long. But you'll be patient, won't
+you, dear?"
+
+He took her hand in his, and they rode on silently, a song in the heart
+of each of them.
+
+
+
+THE END
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Heart of the Sunset, by Rex Beach
+
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