Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-03-31
DOWN BY THE
RIO GRANDE
By cURRAN RICHARD GREHNLEY
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hacienda lay bathe,l In the uuIyer of
yellow light Allcync watched Mar
garet's face for sign OF truce. but the
shadows came and went between the
vines that drap,L the patio as the in
terminnble Sabbath afternoon dragged
away and Margaret remained buried in
her book And all about Il bcggarly
horse thief" he niurmur,I To himself
Ms he sat up straight and sent the pile
OF magazines crashing to the floor.
There was look of consciousness
about the back Of that slIApely brown
head that held itself So persistcntly
averted. but Alleyne deemed It wiser
not to reopen the subject of Miguel
Over In the corral things wore a de-
serted air. Two or three men louugcd
In the shade of the high wall Allcyne
yawned and looked at his watch and
ut n faint movement of the figure In the
rocker. Margaret. r. crack ack.
ack. Somewhere away To- the west
three shots rang out In rapid success
sion a pause ana then three. more
Over In the corral the loungng fig
ures sprang 10 life. and an instant later
three ponies were galloping in the IL
rection of the shots. Allcync dashed
into the house. reappearing with the
field glasses They've got him" lie
was pcering al a collection Of black
dots on the edge of the horizon
Got who?" Margaret laid her hand
upon his arm.
The mischief Alleyne jerktd the
glasses down Il forgot YOU We're
here" Under her steady gaze his
color changed Yes. ii you viii have
the whole CHASTITY truth and cannot be
persuaded 10 stay out Of IL. It's that
scOundrel Miguel"
Margaret shrank away from him
with a low cry of distress. The look
IL her eyes went straight TO Alleyne's
heart. and his voice softencd 10 Il ten
der pleading as he tried to draw her
To him. Little woman, you cannot be
the judge of these matters. and you
cannot shield horse thief could
have told you this morning but | pre-
ferred 10 let you think me bit hard
on Miguel than 10 shock you with the
truth. There have been some queer
happenings lately both here at the
Alaho and AT Joses Last night
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 sayages of yours murder Il man
here on the Alaho just for the sake OF
few bronchosf" Margaret faced him
sternly. and Alleyne lost his hard kept
patience
"You forget that there are mems
laws To be considered AS we'll us Gods,
and out here on the fringe of the world
the code knows no greater crime than
lifting brOncho and the lifting OF
many bronchos aggravates the case. Ii
Is not "A question in which my wife
may NEEDLE" And Alleyne strobe to-
ward the corral. while Margaret pick
ed up the glasses.
The wind blown stretch OF bare
brown mesa told her nothing of the
tragedy brewing behind its crest. She
watched Allcyne until her eyes ached
A chatter OF hoofs and a voice call
Ing her name brought her 10 the door
where half broken cayuse snorted
and paved Astride of him sat Bright
Eyes. Miguers Indian wife, the brown
baby swung 10 her back. There was a
queer ashen pallor on the woman's
stolld face as she slid from the pony's
back. one hand clutchlng at the deer
skin thong that held the papoose.
white man got Miguel Miguel he
die" Here she pointed to her throat
and made gasplng sound. White
squaw much hurree. Miguel he no die.
Sabef"
Margaret covered before the awful
pleading in those savage eyes. Not
a question In which my wife may med
die" John had said, but there was no
time to weigh scruples. and five min
utes later 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 Marga-
ret knew to he 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. sagebrush and prickly
pear. the yellow sand beneath aud
overhead the blue melting into the
evenings violet crown natures own
smile upon the scene that swept Into
view. where men and horses were
grouped around the impassive figure
wrapped In the ragged poncho that
lounged In careless grace against the
white SCARED trunk of large mes
quite. Margaret's eyes went instinc-
lively to the lariat knotted about the
bronze throat. Ii was not the first lime
that Miguel had felt It there. but Rusty
Pete himself held the end Of this one.
The voices hushed instantly. and 10
man the wide sOmbrerOs were lifted as
Margaret slipped from the saddle and
stood looking from one dark face TO
f..I Of soil