, 1902-03-10

silence, there came to his ears the
sobbing voice Of a woman. He listened
a moment, then onward ne hurried
with all the strength hat was left him.
He found her at last, laying fiat
on her face in the grasses, her won
derful eyes dripping wet with her
tears. her misty and magical tresses
unkempt and unbraided, falling pathet-
ically over her shoulders that shook
with her anguish.
He knelt by her side and rested his
hand on her head. but spoke not a
word. a moment she glanced in his
face, then. like a child, clutched his
arm and buried her face on his Shout
der.
"A long time they sat on the bank
of the Pecos, and, little by little, she
told him the story Of Jose's desertion,
Of her shame and her sin and her sor-
row. She told him, for she knew that
no man from the Platte to the Rio had
more honor than Lopez.
Never a word did he speak, and
only the warm clasp Of his hand told
of his love and compassion. And when
she had done, he arose and led her
back to the door Of her cabin. Dumb
were his lips when he bid her good-by,
but the fash in his eyes was more
potent than words. and she knew he'd
avenge her dishonor or die in the try
ing.
so he bid her good-by, and the
morning sun found him riding straight
towards the north, his cheeks gleam-
ing red with the fever of vengeance.
Long was the trail hat he followed
and slow was his progress, but sure
as sure as the course of his bullet.
Gawd! l would rather a panther had
Its claws In my throat, than have Mel
quiades Lopez trailing my footsteps.
intent upon ~vengeance!"
Again he paused, whipping the dust
into clouds.
1T was weeks before he returned"
the driver continued. Not a word did
ne speak as to where he had been. but
his eyes fairly burned with the fire of
triumph, Of just retribution."
And then?' l asked, after several
moments Of silence.
And then they told him how beau
tiful Piney looked in the moonlight.
the night they lifted her poor, lifeless
form out Of the lake, and how black
her wet hair. was as it chung to her
brow and her neck and her shoulders
that glistened like marble.
IF wpa for fh~ ha,f T .a.-
said grimly, and walked slowly away.
the lamp OF his life forever extin-
guished. And now, day after day. he
drags himself over the san to her
grave that you saw back yonder and
sits there silently watching the yapors
that rise from tie lakes tranquil
bosom-vapors as misty, as thick and
as soft as her wonderful hair"
For hours we had ridden, my guide
and l, across the treeless. trackless.
blistering sands of the Llano Estacado 4.
had left the staked trail at noon
and had struck a bee line for the bluffs
Power Lake. Suddenly /
the CLEAN of something slarine
white in the sunshine to the windward
a sand dune.
Turning my horses head in curiosity |
l rode toward 1t, only to discover q
human skeleton, blsached and polished
by u and sand to the wilderness and
gloss Of ivory. Dismounting, l in
'pected the skeleton closely and found
mat the wrists and ankles were fas-
Fened with thongs to four stakes
1riven deep in the sand. To one Of
ribs. through which its keen blade
lad been driven. = bowie knife cluns.
austed II was and half covered With
ne and Of the desert, but, brushing
he dust from the weapon. I raw, cut
leep in the handle, the name, N.
With = shudder l turned and climbed
INTO my saddle and silently We rode
way towards the west.