Belding banner., 1912-05-16
Loves
BOrderLand
BY Jean Dickerson

converse was out with a scout
n ing party when he came upon tn
r little thatched hut half hidden Il
:, the chaparral. In the light of
i full moon sitting down through
n the foliage he was inclined to be
: lieve that the hut was a creation
: OF his fancy and the white gownet
' form that vanished at his ap
e proach was of the same illusiv,
r material.
"What's that?" muttered Muir.
; ply at his side. Thought saw
: hut-or is it this confounded
moonlight that's deceiving me?"
What was it that prompted Con-
verse to deny the pre-
sence of the hut? Heretofore
he had been most jealous and un-
firing in his search for Mexican
sharpshooters on the border.
Something held his tongue from
admitting that he, too, had seen
the hut, and more.
you're seeing double tonight.
murphy" he laughed. "Move
along to the east and let us thrash
out that thicket."
"Then you better duck if Won
see me shootin I" retorted the
Irishman grimly. "With these de-
ceivin' eyes of mine I'll be takin'
myself for one Of them little
woolly burros and commit suicide ~
I'll take the risk" assured Con-
verse. leading the way in the
opposite direction.
Together they moved noiseless-
ly through the mesquite growth
pushing aside the shrubs with
hands wary of the long thorns
that scraped skin and clothing
and retarded their progress at
every step.
When the two men returned TO
the American camp the moon was
still bright. Between them they
escorted prisoner, surly, half |
breed Mexican who had leaped at
them from behind a tree only to |
fall victim to their superior
numbers and swiftly moving arms.
After this bloodless skirmish their
thorough search of the hill was
ended and so they returned to
camp.
Instead of seeking the rest his
weary body demanded, Blake Con-
verse waited until the confusion
incident upon their arrival had
died away, and when the sentry's
steps had diminished to distant
shuttle the young scout quietly
rolled under a loose flap of canvas
beside his bed and disappeared in
the dense shadow cast by the adj
jacent hill.
Now he was impatient of the
OBTAINING fingers put forth by the
mesquite thicket: More than once
he heard the ripping of flannel
as he pulled his arms free.
At last he stood forth in little
open space that seemed familiar.
strong contrasts of moonlight
md black shadows produced ,
What he had supposed to be l
he mysterious hut for which he
xas searching proved to be 1
.hn Tx patched with moonlight
He rubbed proceeded pro to touch
closely The rockit moved and
movable. Against it's SUI
blending with the moonlight yea ,
cred the form of woman dressed
i'm white.
When he spoke her face turned
toward him and the light fell full
upon il, revealing her to be young
and beautiful. In that swift
glance he saw that her hair was
Black as the deepest shadows and
that her eyes were dusky pools
set In the marble paleness OF her
face.
"Who is there?" he asked sharp
A quick drawn breath and
frightened sob instantly sup
pressed. answered him. Then the
white gown moved away from the
rock as if to escape him. Converse
followed swiftly and overteok her
at the door of the hut. His hand
closed on the warm roundness OF
her arm. :,
"I am sorry, but you must tell
me who you are, ana What you
are doing here" he said in firm
tone. =
She surprised him by replying in
his own language.
~ have a right here!" she
breathed in his ear. "A better
right than you have"
III hope So he said feryently :;
0but YOU know the American
troops are camped below here on
the piain?" :
"Ah!" she cried bitterly, edo ]
not knowP Have | not been
avoiding their prowling bands
for three days"
"You are Mexican?" asked Con-
verse.
"And IL / ann"
"If you are Mexican you are in
n dangerous situation here on
the borders where there is contin.
ual fighting. You are not alone:'
He spoke in brisk, matter-of..
fact way, with an undertone OF
kindness.
"No, I am not alone she an
swered calmly. "My grandfather
is within-he is sick, perhaps dy-
ing. When they. shelled the city
our home was destroyed and We
fled. We hoped to cross the
river into the States. We lost our
way and have hidden in this
ruined hut since yesterday morn
ing. My grandfather has had
little to eat-I came out now to
seek something. There, that Is
. | N q, nttt hDr hand vii In