The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1913-10-17

would take the party past NJ
outposts. that was another matter.
They were willing to do 1t. but always
tomorrow.
If we let them guys manana us we'll never get
there" commented Scotty. They know they are
going to give US those papers, but they hate to
get down to work There is only one way to
make them get busy and I'm going to use It
The only way" meant cheerful, patient, per-
sistent attendance on the junta morning noon
and night until finally, late evening, after the
last promise to have it ready the following morn
ing at tain o'clock" had been brushed aside. the
passport was prepared with great mystery, duly
sealed, deliberately addressed and tremendously
handed over. Before the following daybreak the
automobile was streaking down some Of the best
country road in the United States bound for
somewhere around Guadalupe little town
something like forty miles distant the Mex
lean side.
Locke the owner OF the car and Jim. the chauf-
feur, were in front. Locke held the wheel on the
country road, but later Jim would take the gaso-
line bridge. Jim would have been the working
mate OF Kit Carson old man Bridger some of
the other giants of pioneer days If he had been
. man fifty years ago. Now he is border chauf-
feur, able to drive car any place goat can
climb and willing to go anywhere into the seeth-
ing interior of Mexico for his price,
'HThis ought to be cipch today Jim said
aWell get through humming if we don't run
into bunch of Salazar's men from Juarez out
scouting and they're bad hombres. or some of
Castillo's bandits. Split out your passes and
don't shove the wrong ones: let me do the talk
Ing.
Grande swings into the side Of the country road
and at the first turn two khaki-clad young car
alrymen with six-shooters strapped to the right
hip stepped forth with uplifted hands. Uncle
Sam is making an earnest effort to keep down
the smuggling OF contraband across the border
<1,af has
along the international boundary. Inasmuch as
the soldiers not only have both factions of Mex
leans against them. but the American business
sentiment as WELL the thing Ia somewhat In the
nature OF farce.
These young cavalrymen, however we're doing
their duty as best they could and they wanted to
know who. what where. etc. They were told,
duly scrutinized an official pass from the military
authorities and took look through the automo
bile Cartridges. like blessings, come and go un-
awares and they were not taking chance Just
q little later at what was once an international
bridge six more soldiers headed by q sergeant
tumbled out OF the underbrush and from under
the abutments and cried Haiti
sorry. you know said the sergeant crisply as
he went through the with the deftness Of a
customs inspector. but we've got to do It. Have
you an extra morning paper with you? Hey.
Murphy. win that bet Washington did trim
the Athletics.
The river ceased at this point to be the inter
national line because whenever the irrigation
win let her have a little water she gets even by
finding new channels. cutting across lots and
slicing up territory to give boundary commits
sion nice summer job. In this particular in
stance she had sliced into the United States q
mile or more. which threw the line mile or
two on the south side OF the river. in low lying
nat land. which occasional floods have filled with
willows. cottonwoods and dense underground i
is q great point for smugglers.
Just at the end OF that mile the fairly good
road ended abruptly Shifting sand. oyergrown
trails and desolation succeeded. It as II
the car had been dropped suddenly into IA far
distant country. unsettled and practically unex-
plored.
Just mile to the north there has been hard
scientific road passing through farm land brought
to the highest point OF development The fields
were fragrant with growing. towering alfalfa.
houses were pretty bungalows or modern con
crete dwellings. There were men at work In the
fields and their mules and horses We're sleek and
well cared for Windmills were drawing water
from wells where the gasoline pump was not
used. lt was all happy all busy, all prosperous.
Over here the country was stricken Land just
as good as any inN the world lay fallow. over
grown with brush.
I'VE ought to pick up an outpost about now
called back Jim finally Look OUT"
AS he spoke there came from the mesquite
covered side Of mesa single sharp detona
ting report and something sang by In the air
above like large humming top.
"Sit still unless it's one OF the Castillo bunch.
came the command; II It Is jump for the mes
quite"
Around the edge OF the mesa horse
man with his pony dead run, Winchester
swung IN one hand. his Mexican sombrero fut
tering,
Rebel" was the decision ITS al right; gel
cut the junta letter"
The outpost NRd said that the way TO Ortees
was straight ahsAd and turn TO the LETT at = bis