Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1891-04-29

turned out, she had not much Tear OF
serious results now the driver was on his
guard, for she knew show Of force and
preparation would scatter the halfbreeds;
| still less did she fear that any of the con
fedegates would be captured amid their ia
miliar fields, and exposed to the world
Nevertheless, the misgiving that some one
might possibly be hurt drew her on after
the stage.
She cantered along behind it until it had
passed an old walnut tree, not far beyond
which was the place Of ambush. Nearer
to the concealed group Of men than this
tree she dared not 20, for not n man stand
ing concealed in the dark spot beyond
would have failed to know at IA glance the
girlish figure on the familiar little mus
tang
SO she drew rein in the shadows Of the
walnut and sat and watched the stage as
it rapidly decreased the distance between
itself and the fatal spot.
From the place where Pedro stood, I'M
seen herself, she could clearly see that spot.
She knew just where the men must be
standing-just what their positions must
be, Juan's and Domingo's and Sancho's-
just what signal would be given, and what
move would be made The stage bore down
upon the place-it was almost tbere--a
sharp crack of the whip cleft the air and
reac he'd the girls ears, and the stage lunRed
more swiftly forward into the shadow.
The girl leaned forward with strained
| eyes and ears. Would that sudden, resist
less dash carry them pasty Then came
| several quick, confused shouts, and then
pistol shot, followed by long, low cry OF
agony and despair. Then the stage stopped
The moonlit air grew black to the girl,
and she cried out herself with piercing
shrek, all thought Of self control lost in
| her passionate Spanish soul. She knew 1t
was her fathers voice, and even before the
road cleared TO her eyes she shook the reins
and chung blindly to Pedro's back as he
| flew over the ground toward the huddle OF
stage and men.
The horse checked himself abruptly,
| trembling IA little, as he came upon the ex-
cited group. The men who stood about
something on the ground wheeled sharply
to look as he dashed down upon them.
| They cast weird shadowsin the clear moon
light as they stepped forward and stopped,
recognizing the girl and looking at her
with more amdzement than before, as she
slid down from the horse and without pay
ing any attention to them staggered across
the moonlit space, dropped down beside
the PROSTATE figure and put her arms
about it,
The old man lay stretched out In the
dimness, between the moon and Swallowed
place OF ambush, where they had carried
him and laid him with his head on loose
ly rolled horse blanket. His eyes were
closed. and the blood trickled from a
wound in his left shoulder, making an
ugly red track in the soft white dust. The
I.l L. ybara 10, hu bav
must have shrunk back and scattered
away across the fields at the first sign OF
resistance. The men standing about drew
away, half respecting the girls despair
half eager to tell their story to the women
who waited, frightened, yet full Of curios
ity, in the stage. Only the driver stood
close by, to enforce his claims on the rob
ber's person, lest Juana should dispute
em-understandin at once, now he had
seen old pablo's face, how much the CIR
had concealed, and guessing her relation
ship to the rancher.
Pablo was not dead. Juana looked up
and as she saw the man standing grimly
by it flashed across her what he was there
for; and the whole sequence Of prison and
shame, crowded from her mind by the
more imminent fear Of death, rose up be
fore her,
With dry, fearless sob and passionate
movement Of despair, She sprang up ant
/, flung herself before the man, breaking int
wild pleading.
Leave him with mel' she cried. "Leav
him with mel You are safe-see no one i
the worsel Why must you take him
/ What good1 Give him TO me-do not con
vey him to prison. lie is an old man. Sc
his gray hair and the blood. He il hur
already-spare hint You shall have gold
all you want; there is no one but me, anc
, care not if there is nothing left for me
but leave my father"
The driver was not hard man, and tn,
, girls piteous voice and pathetic eyes movet
him; nor was he possessed of 50 rigid
sense Of civic responsibility as TO make hin
think that it was his duty to resist her Thu
gray hair that Juana appealed to brough
to his mind his own gray haired father
, He looked at her and at the robber, anC
turning around left her kneeling in thu
dust and walked away without word.
minute more and the stage had resolved 1t
self into a cloud Of dust, fast disappearing
down the dim stretch Of road.-Katharin'
Du Bots ia Overland Monthly.