Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1902-07-13
Willie Jones, Trooper
By WALTER T. GREGORY.

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in emphatic terms she would acquaint
the commandante with the knowledge
that he was insincere in his desire to
serve the cause and his arrest would
follow. The threat moved him and he
sullenly followed her out of the gar
rison on foot, for she was mounted on
a pony.
They Travelled for several miles until
late at night when she stopped at an
isolated and deserted sugar mill and
told him to remain there until she re-
turned. He emphatic refused,
saying that he would accompany her
wherever she went She kept her tenn
per and replied that she wanted to re-
connoiter the camp of band of Gu
bans d few miles from that spot and
for purposes of her own she did not
want TO lead him into danger. She
smiled sweetly at him, though she was
inwardly consumed with anger and
supreme contempt for her escort and
protector.
He grew brave and said he would
! like to accompany her to guard her
precious person from danger, but that
if she insisted he would wait there I'M
til she returned. The craven wilted
when she told him that she was going
! into danger. He had conflict between
his love Tor her and the fear that she
would meet with great danger. but his
fear for his own life cutweighed his
! passion for the girl.
She left him there promising to re-
turn at daylight. She then made her
way to the rendezvous in the woods
where she was to meet her brother
: ID
| had succeeded in making their escape
from their prison. When she arrived
at the shack she unsaddled her pony
/ and united the parcel of food she had
/ thoughtfully taken along for the pris-
/ oners.
She paced back and forth in front of
| the building Tor couple of hours,
when her trained ears caught the
! sound OF footsteps. She FASTENED into
| the shack and hid herself, but in a few
| minutes she heard the signal agreed
! upon between her and Ramon, and
/ rushed out to be clasped in the arms
! of her brother. He whispered that the
! prisoners had made their escape from
| the prison but owing to the stupidity
! of the man that suffered they had al
most been captured.
! Marcella resented the remarks Ra-
mon made against Blinkie and said
that she was very much interested in
| him. At this intelligence Ramon gave
/ vent to his establishment in a low
| chuckle. He said nothing in reply to
| that but told her to enter the shack
! and light the candle which he handed
her.
She did as Ramon requested and in
a few moments she was confronted by
! the men she had staked all to save
| from their unmerited death as spies
| When Marcella had briefly told how
she happened to be in company with
Morris she advised that they leave di-
rectly for daylight was not far distant
| ana the chances were that party of
| cavalry was already on their trail.
| Willie was now anxious to leave the
place for he was. impatient to meet the
cause of his misfortunes, and deter
mined to bring him into the American
| camp as Il deserter to receive the pun
ishment he merited for his treachery
Ramon undertook to place the saddle
on the back Of the pnny for his sister
but Blinkie relieved him of the task by
gently taking the saddle from Kim and
performing that duty himself He was
rewarded by smile which he could
! not see in the darkness. but he intuit-
| lively felt that she had beamed upon
| him. He was lifted to the seventh
| heaven of happiness when she gave
MN her hand and gently pressed his
own. He grew so excited that he at
tempted to say something he knew
| would charm her, but he suffered s.
violently that the pretty phrase ended
in muttered curse at his inability tc
|
his discontinue, but from his silence
she felt that she had wounded his
feelings. so made ample amends by an.
other slight pressure of his hand
Blinkie's return to his former happ,
spirits was instantaneous
| Ramon took the lead. followed b1
| Willie, who in his excitement at the
prospects OF meeting Morris face tf
face again on equal terms, made hin
forget the presence of the chai1niue
CUBAN SRI. She apparently did no
/ notice the slight for Blinkfc walked
beside her and WAS unmindfuI of tn,
branches that brushed his face alon.
the narrow path, for he would not re
, ilnquish his position by her side hac
the branches been bayonets. He hac
: recovered his composure and they con
versed together in low tones, while Ra
mon and Willie walked on ahead i,
e silence, but watching intently for al
ambush or any chance party of tn,
e enemy that might he lurking near
c After they had been travelling ahou
, two hours Ramon called halt. fc
. they we're not far from the rendezvou
. where Morris was waiting for MARCEL;
. and 1t WIS necessary Ter them TO rro
g csed with caution, for Norris might b
, | =,
: with Marcella, he would be certain t
escape and that above all things wa