The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-01-31
bis pace and to ride as a man undecided in

nlSnC tnan tneSe goats anu their increase
will be worth In q hundred years. I will
tell her." he said finally, turning his horse
resolutely about, that found the goats,
but that the wolves had found them first"
Then he put spurs to Juan and rode to.
ward Dona Ana.
1t wanted yet two hours of dawn when
isabel, lying awake, heard again the noise
of approaching hoofs. She arose and threw
blanket about her and went outside.
Ramantaro leaned from his horse and
whispered:
Get me some pistols, quick! have but
one, and the regulators are close behind"
Without pausing to question, the girl
went into the hut, put on some clothing
swiftly, came out and ran to the corral,
where i'll an instant she had saddled and
mounted her fathers horse Then, wheel.
ing to the side of Ramantaro, she handed
him pistol and placed two in her own belt.
Two can fight better than one" she said.
Ramantaro laid his hand gently upon her
arm.
Have you thought" he asked.
YES" was the firm reply
IF you go now you cannot return"
VI know"
Just then the goats, aroused by such an
unusual stir ut that early hour, began to
move restlessly behind the cactus hedge.
This seemed to remind Ramantaro of some
thing
He spoke hesitatingly:
e"Ysabel did not go after the goats"
II know. 1t does not matter. They were
not lost. You have been to Dona Ana !
wanted to keep you from that"
'"They were not lost? We arc quits, then"
With that the outlaw bent toward his
companion and drew her to him and kissed
her full upon the lips.
Then they seated themselves we'll in theil
saddles, laid their reins loosely on the necks
of their horses and rode away toward the
coming dawn.
For long time they rode silently, neck
and neck. When the day began to show
across the bare plain the girl looked about
her and shuddered.
Ramantaro saw the look and spoke:
1T is our only chance. They will not
dare follow here
ut is the tornado del NIuerte"
Yes. 1t is the Journey of Death"
Then they rode forward calmly into the
brown horror.
a little later the leader of the regulators,
without slackening his pace, extended his
right arm before him and said to his COM
panion:
do you know where he has gomez"
Into the tornado del Muerte,," was the
awed answer
Yes into the Journey of Death" Then
he added grimly.
I'VE shall have him now, like rat in a
hole"
AS they rode on the hot sun came out
and burned upon the brown sand that had
already been parched in the furnace of
many thousand years Its heat was reflected
into their faces. and the alkali dust dried
their throats and tongues almost beyond
endurance Some began to mutter discon-
fnrNfn sllxs IL L. ~
that they had come.
Later, when they dscerncd some moving
specks Il long way off, they gathered up
| their courage in both hands rode Crimly on
| to seize their prey.
| Ramantaro looking back saw his pursu.
ers. He laid his hand upon Ysabel's rein.
They come" he said. Il can escape
only by going on 1t is twenty leagues
yet. Few have ever crossed the tornado
del Muerte and lived to tell it, But you
they will not harm you. Will you turn
back"
The girl shook the reins upon her horses
neck and urged him forward
Il will go where you CO." she answered
He is long way off, said the leader of
the regulators, hating his pace and watch.
ing the moving specks ahead of him. Zone
cannot tell here how far. Distance cheats
the eye. 1t lies to one"
I'VE will go back" he said again after a
little while. II am ashamed to go back,
but it is only death to go farther But he
Is just as safe, nodding III the direction OF
the fuSitivcS, repeating, Just as safe as
though we had rope around his neck"
When he saw that his pursuers no longer
followed Ramantaro rested Il little. lie
| unslunS the leather water bottle from his
shoulder and gave to Ysabcl to drink. Then
he made Il motion as if swallowing some
himself and poured little of the water
into his palm and moistened the horses
| mouths with it.
He used it sparingly, for upon that and
| the endurance of their horses now rested
their hope for life
on, straight across the brown desert They
grew faint and weary, and once Ysabel
would have fallen but she was stayed by
her companions hand. He gave her water
again, and when the moon came ND they
yet rodc-rding for life
ISabel's horse stumbled and fell and
could not rise again. Rainantaro lifted
her in his arms.
Leave me and ride" she whispered But
he raised her to his own saddle, and the
good Juan bore them both forward. Final
ly he. too, fell.
Then, Knowing that his own strength was
nll that they could depend on, Pete rose and
lifted the girl in his arms again and mad,
forward as best he could, weakly, blindl,
staggering and falling sometimes, but al
ways forward with II strength born of de
spar. And SO he struggled on through tn,
long night
When the Indians who live i'm the old
peublo of San Miguel, which is Just upon
the eastern edge of this terrible desert
which men yet know by name as the Jour
f,f
draw water from the single well that God
| has nlncrl fhnrn 10 murl the limit of liz