The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-09-23

loud now she could understand him
She knew him we'll and she knew VIII,
he had come. with his long gun. HI
was her fathers brothers son, Il
whom she was betrothed: he wa,
Saad, and he was risking his life t.
come down and kill her and the mar
whom she had led to the ruby mines
for loves sake.
He would come down till he was
within easy range. and then he would
welt till he had fair chance at them.
when they were standing still. and she
Lneg- tat he was a dead shot. The
travellers revolver could never carry
as Iar IS the long gun, Baraka was
s;-7 AID Saad could come quite near
Will "fc.y, since he seemed able TO
eljl5 Gown the face of a fat rock
~-'a 'h@re was not foothold for a
~s' '.s -ess still descending. he was
near; If the traveller were
re. H1 ne might come out Of the
cave ospiciously and Saad would
-aooe him Gaad would wish to shoot
MIN FIST because of his revolver. and
tee h- vsaij kilt Baraka at his
- aEst the
-.sue II he freq at ne.
traveller would have a chance at him
while he was reloading his old gun
She understood why he had not killed
her yet. if indeed he wanted 10, for it
was barely possible that he loved her
enough 20 take her alive.
After hesitating for a few moments,
not from fear but in doubt, she gath
cred herself 10 spring. and made
dash like an antelope along the sand
for the mouth of the cave. for she
knew that Saad would not risk vast
ing his shot on her while she was run
ming. She stopped lust under the
shelter of the rock and called inward:
"Saad is coming down the rock wish
his gum" she cried LOAD YOUR
weapon!"
When she had given this warning
she went out again and stood before
the mouth of the cave with her back
to it. Saad was on the rock, not SO
feet above the ground, at the other
side Of the natural wall, but looked
as II even ne could get no farther
down. He was standing with both his
heels on a ledge so narrow that more
than half the length of his brown feet
stood over it; ne was leaning back,
/ fiat against the sloping cliff and he
had his gun before him, for he was
just able to use both his hands with
out falling. He pointed the gun at her
( and spoke:
Where is the man?''
He is dead" Baraka answered
without hesitation
Dead? Already"
I killed him in his sleep" she said,
and I dragged his body into the cave
for fear of the vulture, and buried 1t
in the sand. Be not angry Saad,
though he was my fathers guest
/ Come down hither and l will tell all.
/ Then you shall shoot me or take me
home to be your wife, as you will, for
l am quite innocent"
She meant to entice him within
range OF the strangers weapon
There is no foothold whereby to
get lower" he answered, but he
rested the stock of his gun on the mar
row ledge behind him.
Drag out the mans body, that ?
may see it"
Il tell you I buried it. l killed him
the night before last; cannot dig him
up now"
Why did you run to the mouth OF
the cave when you saw me, if the man
is dead?"
Because at first I was afraid you
would shoot me from above, therefore
I took shelter"
Why did you come out again, II
you were in fear?"
After l had run in I was ashamed,
for I felt sure that you would not kill
me without hearing the truth. So
came out to speak with you. Get
down, and will show you the mans
grave"
Have l wings? 1 cannot come
down 1t is impossible"
Baraka felt a puff of hot air pass
her, Just above her right ankle, and
at the same instant she heard a sharp
report, not very loud, and more like
the swapping of a strong but very dry
stick than the explosion of firearms
She instinctively sprang to the left
keeping her eyes on Saad.
For a moment he did not move. But
he was already dead as he slowly bent
forward from the rock, making &
deep obeisance with both arms hang
ing down before him, so that his body
shot down perpendicularly to the
sand, where it struck head first, rolled
over and lay motionless in heap
The travellers was a Mauser pisto
that would have killed as surely a
500 yards as so; and the bullet hat
gone through the Tartar's brain.
Baraka sprang up the sandy slope
and ran along the narrow beach to the
body In an instant she had detached