Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-04

right"-Esteban swept an eloquent arm
out toward the land below-''it is Mexico
here. Arizona there We have reached the
border. senorita.
The senorita lifted her head and drew in
deep breath of appreciation.
1T is simply glorious Aunt Nell, just
look at the color down there on those
rocks 1t is wonderful! Don't you think
Uncle Tristram would be willing to camp
here for day or so after we leave the
arroyo?"
Mrs knights mule side stepped with
sudden agility and jerked it's head the
birdie length with a nervous, fretful bray
Mrs. knight adjusted her eyeglasses for
the eightieth time since she had mounted
the mule and refused to look at the glori-
Gus landscape.
Marie Louise. if you dare to entice your
uncle into living one hour in this place 1
shall go on to Mexico alone. The mos
Qmtoes are eating me alive. Esteban, is
there a hotel in lopez"
Tsteban smiled slowly and refectively.
"Ore hotel. all. yes, sonora. Very much
the more worse than the mosquitoes"
1t would he delightful to camp out
here" said the girl. Look at the grand
view over the Sierras. Why, Aunt Nell,
uncle would go crazy over IL. II would be
much better than one of those miserable
little Mexican hotels We could put you
uu q whole tent by yourself, made or
r,osquito netting, and you could live in 1t
all the time"
1T is so very much picturesque" Este
San used his United States vocabulary
With huencv and choice selection. He adj
dressed his remarks to the senOrita. II
Fas pleasant TO watch the color come and
20 in her face. and the sparkle in her
ewes. "A few disComfortS, but FOR the Joy
rF 10 SpnnTlta the mDOulignt
here on the desert yonder, on the foot
hills, on the snow capped Sierras-
1T must he awfully jolly" assented the
senorita. heartily. It seems like the real
thing don't you think so. Aunt Nell? L
haven't seen single baked bean can
since we left Santa Rita.
The desert island has one inhabitant.
Estehan shrugged his shoulders and
glanced back at the trail they had Just
covered. But he never rides so far as
and be captured-'
Mrs Knight had started the gray mule
slowly on the descent. Esteban lNgered
beside the senorita. and the senorita lin
Some day they viii catch him, but
surely some day when he crosses the Dor
der"
catch wrom?"
The Rather. he is called Senorita 1t
IS the very good name for the treacherous
desperate, yes?
w hat Gid ne dOE asked the ScnOrlld,
abruptly From the trail ahead came a
call for celebrity of movement. Es teban's
inspira tons were usually long winded.
AT Grsmer, over the New Mexico bor-
der, he killed three men, and but a boy
senorita-a boy, yes" The sparkle leaped
10 the senorita's eyes, and Esteban waXed
picturesque in his flow of language. 1T
was not six months since. The boy was
TeNau-ah, such devils. those Texans. The
senorita should see them ride and shoot
a mans lfe-out, So. AT Gr!smer We're
mining properties-silver, copper, very rich |
The boy they called the Rather had taken
up niuety-fCur acres. four claims, and had
started surface work on them with his
partner. And there had come two men, II
was not clear what had happened. The
partner had entered into a secret deal with
them. and had tried to freeze ont the
Rather and Madre de dos! the boy he
would not be frozen. And he show the
fight most magnificent against three. and
when he rides into Grismer he tells the
truth, and the bodies are found in the
camp. three of them. shot dead. as he
says"
Esteban paused The senorlta leaned for
ward in her saddle slightly:
What dis they DO to him.
Nothing Esteban smiled expressively.
THE sentiment pu5lico was in his favor.
6dt the arm of ghe law was after him. so
he skip over the border"
And now he is right around here some
where?"
ION the Mexican side. senorita," smiled
Estenan. sOOthingly.
We'll I'm glad OF that. | think Aunt
Nell would simply die in the track of the
gray mule II she had any idea OF such a
thing Are they after him yet?'
Not yet. -Four posses have been. sent, |
but they return. minus maybe one, maybe |
two according 10 the aim and opportunity
OF the Rather. He IS very bad boy, Sc
norita"
The cry came clearly and imperatively
from The tran below. Marie Louise sighed
half respectfully. and turned her burro's
head IN the direction Of the call AS she
dld So something clipped neatly through
the peak Of Esteoans broad-brimmed Mex
lean combrero and sent a patter of dust
UP IN the air few yards down the trail /
Esteban never turned his head. After
tWeuty-siN years on the border one learns
small ways of caution in moments Of
emergency. Estebau paid strict attention
10 the landscape ahead, and his thin. dark
haIds gripped his bride teusely
DO not look back he muttered hoarse-
" "lt IS he"
The second bullet caught them before
they mad gone ten feet. IL lodged in the
right fore!eg Of the burro bearing the Co.
ntrita. The burro stumbled headlong and
rolled. EsteOan halted. For an instant The
glri lay mo,ionless, one foot beneath me
ppcTI!o, her Iace a CHASTITY white in the
brilliant sunshine. As Esteban watched.
him. Np a.
You go to Mrs. knight at once" she
Esteban went. In small ways OF caution
DC never wavered from his purpose
Mare Louise waited. listening There was
absolute silence around her The burro
moved restlessly and kicked She laid one
hand on its head and patted 1t gently. Then
she looked back up the hillside
The Rather returned her gaze She saw
him outlined between the bright surIIt vel
low and red OF the earth and the deem blue
OF the sky, a motionless upright figure
dressed in brown. with a knot of scarlet at
his throat, and its mate on his sombrero A
thin line of pale gray smoke curled I'm the
air from the revolver in his hand.
His horse was not the loosely jointed
sloping shouldered breed of the Mexican no.
mics, II was slim chestnut.
But Marie Louise did not notice the horse
She looked at the Rather. and almost forgot
the pain In the ankle under the burro The
Rather was yoUng-also picturesque Under
the shadow OF the sombrero his face looked
darker than even It's coat OF brickred sun
burn warranted. He was smooth faced and
only the softness and charm OF his eyes
could counterfeit the hardness OF contour I'm
jaws and mouth. But the eyes did their
work. They were blue and their calmness
and utter sorrow impressed even the seno-
rita.
He slid from the saddle and hurried down
the slope. slipping the revolver back into his
ha ran def ahs a