The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-01-09
THE EVENING STOR T
Down by the Rio Grande.
IBy Curran Rlchard GfeenIsy.l

vines that draped the patio, as the in
terminable Sabbath afternoon dragged
away, and Margaret remained buried
i in her book. And all about beggar-
/ ~ horse thief" he murmured to him
/ self, as he sat up straight and sent the
/ pile Of magazines crashing to the floor.
There was a look of consciousness
| about the back Of that shapely brown
/ head that held itself so persistentIy
averted; but Alleyne deemed 1t wiser
not to reopen the subject Of Miguel
| over in the corral things wore a De
| serted air. Two or three men lounged
/ in the shade of the high wall AIleyne
| yawned, looked at his watch, and at a
faint movement of the figure in the
/ acki Somewhere away to the west
three shots rang out in rapid success
sion. a pause and then three more.
over in the corral, the Iounging fig
ures sprang to life, and an lIlstaht
/ later three PONIES were galloptng IN the
| direction of the shots. Alleyne dashed
into the house, reappearing with the
! field glasses. They've got hin!' He
was peering at a collection OF black
| dots on the edge of the horizon.
Got whO?" Margaret laid her hand
/ upon his arm.
''The devil AIleyne jerked the
| glasses down. II forgot you were
| here" Under her steady gaze, his
4 color changed. Eyes, If you will have
/ the whole CHASTITY TRUTH and can not
/ be persuaded to stay out Of tits that
| scoundreI Miguel"
/ Margaret shrank away from him
with a low cry of distress. The look
/ in her eyes went straight to Alleyne' 81
heart, and his voice softened to a ten
der pleading as he tried to draw her to
/ him. Little woman, you cannot De
I the judge of these matters, and you
cannot shield a horse thief. ] could
/ have told you this morning, but pre-
ferred to let you think me a bit hard
on Miguel than to shock you with the
truth. There have been some queer
! happenings lately, both here at the
4 Alaho and at Jose's. Last night, a
| bunch of Jose's best ponies came up
missing, and the boys have been trail
| ing him since sunrise"
John Alleyne, do you mean to let
those savages of yours murder a man,
few bronchos?" Margaret faced him
sternly, and Alleyne lost his hard-kept
| patience.
Your forget that there are mems
/ laws to be considered as well as Gods.
! and out here on the fringe of the
world, the code knows no greater
crime than lifting a broncho, and the
! lifting of many bronchos aggravates
the case. It is not a question in which
my wife may NEEDLE" And AlIeyne
strobe toward the corral, while Mar
garet picked up the glasses.
The wind-blown stretch of bare brown
mesa told her nothing Of the tragedy
4 brewing behind its crest. She watched
Alleyne until her eyes ached.
A clatter of hoofs, and a voice calling
her name brought her to the door where
a half-broken cayuse snorted and
paved. Astride oj-Slin sat Bright-Eyes.
! MigueTs Indian wife, the brown baby
swung to her back There was a queer
ashen pallor on the y7Oman's stolid face,
as she slid from the pony's back, one
hand clutching at the deerskin thong
/ that held the pappoOse. white man
/ got Miguel. Miguel he die''-here she
1 fo her
! ing sound white SquaW much hurree;
Miguel he no die. Sabe ?"
Margaret covered before the awful
pleading in those savage eyes. Not
question in which my wife may NEEDLE
John had said; but there was no time
to weigh scruples, and five minutes later
! a strangely assorted pair rode into the
/ face of the setting sun and the rough
| little cayuse strOve to keep pace with
| the swinging stride of the HindOO mare.
Far ahead, a black dot moved against
/ the sky that Margaret knew to be
Alleyne. A glimmer of consequences
! flashed across her mind, but the sweet
young mouth only grew a little firmer
as she struck the trail of many horses
and knew the goal to be in sight.
On and on. sage brush and prickly
/ pear; the yellow sand beneath, and
| overhead the blue melting into the
! evenings violet crown-GOd's aurient
smile upon the scene that swept into
view, where men and horses were
/ grouped around the impressive figure
( wrapped in the ragged poncho, that
/ lounged in careless grace against the
white-scarred trunk of a large mes
quite. Margaret's eyes went instinct
! lively to the lariat knotted about the
! bronze throat. 1t was not the first
time that Miguel had felt it there; but
Rusty Pete, himself, held the end Of
| this one.
The voices hushed instantly. and to
a man the wide sombreros were lifted
as Margaret slipped from the saddle
and stood looking from one dark face
/ to another. An awful sense of self en-
quilted her. and in another moment
! Miguels cause would have been lost
but the grim set of Alleyne's mouth
! as he started toward her, gave her the
/ courage that is born of cowardice. Be
fore he could reach her, she had
/ broken through the circle to MiguelS
side. and the sun struck along the
barrel of a revolver levelled straight
at Rusty Pete. Drop that rope!' she
cried.
Pete let go as if the lariat were red
hot iron: then she wheeled to face the
ring of NiguePs accusers. Men of the
Alaho, you are many. This man is but
one, bound and helpless; but the first
man that moves toward him, does so
at his peril. If you persist in taking
him, it will be over my body
Alleyne's eyes were blazing, but not
q man stirred for a moment, an inter-
| minable time, it seemed to the woman,
who stood between that ring of fierce
farces and their prey.
"God in heaven, will it last f0reVer?''
! Her brain was reeling, and the black
/ figures danced in blood-red mist as
/ the earth rose in waves beneath her.
! The silent battle was almost done,
! when a wild yell from the darkening
mesa scattered the circle to right and
left as the man from Jose's galIoped
in. "Cut that ropel" yelled the leader,
/ as he bore down upon the group under
] the mesquite.
Margaret staggered blindly into Al
leyneis arms, seeing nothing but the
| flash of Pete's knife as he cut the
! thongs; then utter blackness until she
awoke to the white walls of her own
/ room.
Aiieyne was bending over her. There