Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-09-06
DOWN Blythe
. RIG CR,ANDE
HIS. CANFIEED.

half-hour before his kisses were warm en-
her lips and now he was in deadly peril
What was 10 be done? For five minutes
thoughts whirled through her brain with
lightning swiftnesS. Then her New Eng
land blood and training asserted them
selves and she set herself TO find a way
out of the maze. There came to her first
the figure of Allyn, Then, like an in
spirati0n, followed a memory of her visit
to the Seminole camp with Harding and
his kindly, earnest promise to help a
countrywoman. There was the solution
of the problem. In some way, some
how, she must reach Harding Jocosa
raped lightly on the door. She closed
it and fastened it behind her when adj
mitted and said at once:
He will be tried in the afternoon and,
if found guilty, will be sentenced to be
shot tomorrow morning at sunrise. lie
viii be found guilty. He is guarded in
4 jacal at the far end of the camp"
'JocoSa," asked Lois, ARE you brave?"
No said the girl, intent on the in
slant. but | love him.
DO you know the road we came this
morning from the ford?'
Surely; Well"
What is the distance?"
Two leagues. barely"
And from there to the ranche-house IS
another league. nine miles, and from the
rancho to Fort Clark twenty miles;
Twenty-Five miles; ffty-eight miles to go
and come back between now ana tO-mor-
row morning-at sunrise" She Snud-
dered at the words and the picture they
brought before her, but went on: 1t
must be done Jocosa, can you leave the
camp and carry a message to the rancho
"A message to a man there, who may
bring the soldiers in time?"
Il cannot now" was the soft. slow an
swer, but | can when dark comes,
though the evil spirits of the river may
get me-"
There will be no evil spirits, JOcosa,
my brave child. You will be on Gods
GRAND and the spirits will be harmless"
II will 20. l meant to say that |
would go"
1t would be dark by six O'clock there
being no twilight. Jocosa, swift of foot
and tireless because of life in the open
air, might be trusted to reach the rancho
by nine. Allyn should start his messen-
ger northeastward by half past nine ana
he should reach the fort a little after
midnight. 1t would require reckless rid
ing over rough country in the dark, but
she felt it would be done She felt, too,
that this messenger would be Allyn him
self and she half smiled. If Harding
came-and surely his pledge would hold
him, though fifty International cOmpnca-
tons resulted-his troop should be in the
saddle by one in the morning She knew
how swiftly the Seminoles prepared for
a scout. This should bring them to the
rancho by four O'Clock and. they would
have two hours in which to cover the in
tervening nine miles. 1t was desperate
chance. The slightest slip or failure
would doom her lover to death and her.
self also, she felt. Precious hours would
be wasted before the night came. but 1t
could not be helped. Indeed, J0cosa told
her that an attempt to leave the camp in
daytime would be certain to result in fail
ure, as sentries surrounded it completely
II must slip out when dusk settles"
the girl said, crawling on hands ana
knees between the guards. Once on the
trail | shall fear nothing except the
spirits. ] will not fear even them" she
added stoutly. 1T is the good Gods
message"
In a drawer of the table in the room
which Navara called his "office" Lois
found some paper. She wrote and sealed
a note to Allyn detailing her capture and
Weston's peril and begging him to send
or ride for Harding. He will be shot al
sunrise" the note ended. THE girl Jo-
cosa will guide you. For Gods sake, for
the sake of those dear to you at home. do
not fail me- 1t was signed Your sis
ter. Lois" Indeed, she had no shadow
of distrust of him. Her only fear was
he, with the others, might be securing
the surrounding country in search of her.
This note the Mexican girl put in the
bosom of her dress and then thrice pinned
it through the cloth. Louis explained to
her the missive was to be given to ALVIN.
and failing him to any Englishman at
the ranch. except tall man with black
eyes, named Maude' Jocosa understood
He too. loves YOU" she said.
The noon hour having passed dinner
was prepared. and. strange to say. eaten
with reasonable appetite. Then the two
women set themselves to a task that
would have killed or crazeI Il man. That
task was to sit idly and wait for dark
They had no fear that Navara would dis
turb them They knew that he was
bueily making ready for the trial going
from man to man and spreading Wes-
ton certain guilt before him. He had
no intent that any liking or sympathy for
their former leader and comrade should
interfere with his vengeance He beliey-
ed thoroughly that Weston had proven
false; he did not know which most an
Gered him, the supposed treachery or the
assertion that he had been foOlishly mis-
taken in the identity of his female cap
tive; and the Unborn cruelty Of his Span
ish blood rose to domination of every
other passion or desire in him. The man
was literally transformed, brusque. ina
perious, savage, thirsty for the death Of
one whom he had known and trusted.
While the women sat in the semi-gloom
Of their hut, the camp was astir in ex-
element. At It's outer edge a huge pecan
tree had fallen in some previous storm
and this had been Topped clear Of its