The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-04-30
whip the horses started and the stage rolled

whip the horses started and the stage roIleo
away again down the road.
Meanwhile, Juana had sat still upon her
horse by the side of the road, understand
ing but little of the rapid confusion of talk
going on in the stage. She had done her
duty, and she knew that her business now
was to get quickly and safely home. Yet she
could not 60 without knowing how things
turned out, She had not much fear OF
serious results now the driver was on his
guard. for she knew a show of force and
preparation would scatter the halfbreeds;
still less did she fear that any of the con-
federates 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 man stand
ing concealed in the dark spot beyond
would have failed to know at 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 there-a
sharp crack of the whip cleft the air and
reached the girls ears, and the stage lunged
more swiftly forward into the shadow.
The girl leaned forward with strained
ewes and ears Would that sudden, resist
less dash carry them past? 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 a piercing
shrek, all thought of self control lost in
her passionate Spanish soul. She knew it
was her fathers voice, and even before the
road cleared to her eyes she shook the reins
and chung bhndly to Pedro's back as he
flew over the ground toward the huddle of
stage and men.
The horse checked himself abruptly,
trembling 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 shadowsi in the clear moon
light as they stepped forward and stopped,
recognizing the girl and looking at her
with more amaZement 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
halfbreeds were nowhere to be seen-they
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
them-understan ding at once, now he had
seen old Pablo's face, how much the girl
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 and
flung herself before the man, breaking into
wild pleading.
Leave him with me!' she cried. leave
him with me! You are safe-see no one is
the worsel Why must you take him?
What good? Give him to me-do not con-
vey him to prison. He is an old man. See
his gray hair and the blood. He is hurt
already-spare himi You shall have gold
all you want; there is no one but me, and
l care not if there is nothing left for me;
but leave my father"
The driver was not hard man, and the
girls piteous voice and pathetic eyes moved
him; nor was he possessed of so rigid
sense of civic responsibility as TO make him
think that it was his duty to resist her. The
gray hair that Juana appealed to brought
to his mind his own gray haired father
He looked at her and at the robber, and
turning around left her kneeiing in the
dust and walked away without word. A
minute more and the stage had resolved it.
self into a cloud of dust, fast disappearing
down the dim stretch of Notwithstanding
Du Bots in Overland Monthly.