The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-04-13
Yes" was tho firm reply.

Y Will NC Il race 1Or lie.
"Yes, yes" she said, impatiently;
let us be gone"
Just then the goats, aroused by the
unusual stir ut SO early an hour. began
to move restlcssly. This seemed to re-
mind Domingo of something. He spoke
hesitatingly.
"Arlneda. I did not go after the
goats"
81 know. 1t does not matter. They
were not lost. You have been to Mau-
alillo. tried to keep you away"
"They were not lost? Good! We nrc
quits, then"
With this the outlaw bent toward
his companion and drew her toward
him aud kissed her on the lips. Then
they settled themselves we'll in their
saddles, laid the reins loosely on the
neclSs of their horses and rode toward
the coming dawn.
For long time they rode silently,
neck and neck. When the red streaks
of the approaching day began to show
across the bare, brown plain the girl
looked about her and shuddered.
Domingo saw and spoke:
at is the only chance. They dare
not follow here"
ITS the Malpais; the Evil Place"
she said.
Then they rode forward steadily and
calmly into the black horror.
''He is long way off," said the
leader OF the regulators, hating and
watching the moving speclxs ahead of
him; "one cannot tell here how far.
Distance cheats the eye-it lies to
one
He shaded his eyes with his hand,
and looked long time toward the
east, and again to the west, from which
they had come.
I'VE will go back" he said, after a
little; II am ashamed to give up, but
it is just as well-hc is safe-l make
no doubt of that"
lie nodded meaningly in the direc-
ton of the riders. Just as safe" nc
added. 'as though we had a rope
around his neck"
But the girl?" asked one of the
band
The leader only shrugged his Shout
dsrs in answer and set his face to the
west.
When the fugitives looking back
could see their pursuers no longer,
they rested little. Domingo un-
slung the leathern water-bottle from
his shoulder, which had not been
touched until now, and gave Armeda a
drink
Then he made motion rs if swnl-
lowing some himself, and poured lit
tie of the water into the palm of his
hand and moistencd the mouths of the
horses with it.
The midday sun rose high overhead,
and as they rode on through the long
afternoon, on through the scorchinc
desert, on through the terrible Nal
pals, 1T beat down upon them merci-
lessly.
The wind that came across the
dreary waste was blown straight from
q fiery furnace. The air shimmered
with heat, and the bright metallic
glitter upon the polished lava burned
upon their eyeballs and made them
reel, sick with q dizzy faintness
Once Armeda swerved from her sad
die and would have fallen, but was
stayed by her companions hand He
gave her more water to drink
And when the moon came up again
they yet rode-riding for life. They
rode now from something more terri
Die than the regulars But they rode
slowly, uncertainty, and the miles
stretched longer and lor~S~; the wa
ter was all gone nov, and tI1... mouths
became dry and parched and cracked,
SO that they could not talk
But the outlaw touched the girl
gently now and then, and she an
swered him with look of supreme
content. She was willing to accept
that which the saints should will.
Finally her horse stumbled and fell.
and could not rise again. Domingo
caught her in his arms.
Leave me, and ride" she whispered.
But he only raised her to his own
saddle, and the good Juan bore them
both forward.
At last he, too, fell Then Domingo
laid the girl on the ground, and,
knceling beside his horse, called him
by every endearing name. conjured
him by all the dear saints to rise and
carry them out OF the black horror
out from that cursed place tina. had
been named for the father OF all evil
the Evil place.
But the Malpais only clutchcd their
lives the more.
lie rose and lifted the girl in his
arms and made forward as best he
could. Weakly, blindly, staggering
and sometimes falling, but always for
ward, with strength born of despair.
Leave me-" the girl whispered
again, ''and save yourself"
But Domingo knew the awful jour
ney was almost done. Before him, in
the white moonlight, a mountain peak
doomed dimly. How far it was he
could not tell but somexhern hatru