The times., 1897-03-16

old trick, as CbiQuita well knew. He stops
In the hope that his victim will fail, and so
end the fight. This hope seems to be in
stinctive; even one who knows the trick
will, as often as not, be for an instant de
oeived by it, and in an affair of this Kind
an instant is everything. The sonora al
ready had fallen into another ioze. Evi-
IDENTIFY she had not recognized the fugitive
ns Manuel. mastering her courage with an
effort, Chiquita spoke:
THAT man there the one they chased.
Do you know, sonora, who he was or what
pvil be has done?" she asked, timidly.
'In Truth, child, how should i have
known what he has done? Nothing prob
Ably. Some quarrel about a woman, per-
haps-it is generally So" Chiquita flushed
hotly under her olive skin, and then
turned pale. The sonora saw that blush
and understood everything Forgive me,
little one," she went on, hurnedly, catch
ing the girls hand in her own. Il was
Gull; i did not understand, even though
/ saw young Vellos-Pablo-pru in
the rear of the pursueTs But fear moth
ing, dear little one, for Manuel is not
injured, and Pablo-Pablo shall regret
what he has done this day-exceedingly
VIII he regret it,
But he has done nothing Chiquita per-
sisted Why should they fire at him
thus?" As she spoke she raised her
voice, for q young vaquero who was
passing had bowed to the sonora, and
had seen Chiquita's black eyes and adj
mired them. 1t was odd how she knew
this, for she was not looking at him.
Probably it was by intuition.
1.-The man was Manuel Ramirez, Senora,"
said the young man, refining his horse.
'He was accused by Pablo Vellos and
others of trying to increase his small herd
by means Of
'Maverickin' calves an bein' too Flip
with his fryin' pan, interrupted the hoarse
voice of a cowboy who was following close
behind. Get push on, Jose. We amt
got no time ter stop here an cackle if
were ever gonter get ter Aqua Caliente."
Jose frowned at the interruption, but as he
lifted his hat he smiled at the sonora a
smile that included Chiquita: then he
talloped on with his companion ChiQuita
lifted her nose and said nothing, not even
glanclng at the cowboy. Like many
Mexicans who understand English, she
never would own to the knowledge, re-
garding it somewhat in the light of dis
grace. Chiquita did not like Americans;
more especially did she dislike this Ameri-
can
Manuel was probably uDwounded; that
was the chief thing. That he had been
stealing cattle by the simple process OF
shooting the mothers OF unbranded calves
or obliterating the brands OF steers by
means OF hot frying-pan, never crossed
Chiquita's mind as possibility. There
fore she took heart q little
They were nearing Aqua Caliente, now.
The road led through a pass between two
spurs OF the sugar loaf mountain that
rose abruptly from the surrounding plain
and overshadowed the little village. The
pass was invisible from the cloud of dust
raised by many wheels and plunging hoofs,
but the hidden space was resonant with
the sound OF cries and oaths and blows.
Into the cloud the carriage drove; the
driver stralghtway vanished, and was only
known by the addition he made TO the
din as he prodded and heat the patient
little oxen, making their tortnous way
through the blind maze. Then The car
riage emerged from the cloud as one