Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-04-01

emerged little more ragged and dusty
than before, and sat down by a tiny
stream trucking its languid way to-
ward the sand blown desert. His feet .
were hot and sore from two days
rapid travelling through untrackeI
wastes, but so far he had come out
unframed. True, his broad sombrero
carried two holes where an insurrecto
sentry's bullet had gone tipping
through, but Frank Blake had drawn
his own weapon In response. and he
was sure that the Mexican had taken
a brief vacation from sentry duty.
OF course that only fastened his
flight toward the frontier. for it was
flight. Ordinarily he was not one to
turn his back on a skirmish, but he
was the paymaster of the Laguna
Mines company, and as the revolution
airy spirit of his miners forbade them
to waste any more golden days delving
in the darkness of galleries and cross
cuts or upper and lower levels when
there was instruction sfoot II became
necessary for the pSymaster to Zee I'M
CALAMITY with his papers and his bills
of exchange-the currency he hastily
buried. AS he was the only American
left ON the force there was nothing
for Frank Blake to do but to guard his
companys treasure to the best of his
ability.
He tossed OF the tin box which had
been strapped to his shoulders and I'M
buckled the stuffed belt which burden
ed him cruelty In the heat and stress
of his long tramp. he kicked off his
shoes and stockings and thrust his feet
into the cool trickIe Of the stream and
| closed his eyes.
Naturally dark complexioned, the
burning sun of Mexico had tanned his
face to the complexion of the natives.
/ His straight black hair chung to his
| brown forehead and added to the rag
/ ged, unkempt appearance, for ragged
/ he was and uncared for. His clothing
] was torn to shreds by thorns and csc-
tus spines, and the dust that covered
his handsome features lent a grotesQue
appearance to an otherwise attractive
/ personality.
All at once he opened his bright
]
that a thorough scrub in the stream
would refresh him nightly. Hungry
he was and thirsty, but he must GO
unsatisfed until he ran across a ranch,
and in this locality they might be thick
as pulque plants. AS he bent to plunge
his cupped hands into the water there
came the sharp barking of a dog and
the sound of light quick footsteps be-
hind him. He turned to see a girl,
slender, erect, with inquiring eyes OF
warm brown, a skin blended of the
olive and the cactus flower hair as
black as his own and a red mouth
rounded into a surprised exclamation
at sight 9 him.
All" she said quickly in Spanish.
"Ehenas tardes, senorita," returned
Blake gray ely, for there was hostility
in her eyes now as she scanned him
closely. Then he continued in Span,
iSh as he arose to his feet, rs there a
house near at hand:"
why do you ask?' she inquired sus
piciously.
Blake laughed shortly and included
his Outcast appearance In one graphic
sweep of a shapely brown hand. 81
am in need of refreshment and repose
among friends. I have Travelled far
and | am very weary" A trace of the
WEAKNESS was evident in his voice
For two days and a night he had not
slept
The girl seemed to hesitate. She
looked over BIake's head, her forehead
wrinkled ir a pretty frown. Truly
she was the flower OF some neighbor
ing hacienda. lie decided as he noted
the Spanish Coioring Of her complex
ion. though she wore the trinity cut
garments Of an American girl-a short
snowy linen skirt and shirt waist
with loose sleeves rolled back T.
rounded elbows. Her uncovered heaC
showed her hair arranged in tive
loose braids hanging far below he
slender waist.
Come" she said suddenly. Conn
to my father"
he admired the girls quick tread, 81
different from the IanguOrous glide o
her cOuntrywOmen, and attributed it t.
the free. open life which she had en-
jOyed as the daughter Of q ranchero
He was aware that she was under
going some perturbation on his &C
count, for she frequently looked bacl
! at him and always with that distrust
full glance Of her brown eyes.
3 Presently he noticed that her ham
always rested lightly on her right hip
: and then he saw there was a tin,
/" holster. from which protruded tn
ivory handle Of a revolver His owl
hand sought his weapon then. for I
the daughter was suspicious the fathe
might be openly hostile.
r They topped a rise of ground and cam
: upon a smooth. we'll made road WING
ing toward a distant red rooted builC
ing set in the midst Of q chestnu
grove. North. east and west stretche
3 a magnificent cattle range. Herds az
I peared Ike blOts in the distance. TIL
nerders were black moving specks 0
the vastness Of the grassy plain. 4
they went forward a horseman rod
D from the gates and, turning to Ii
west. galloped madly along a pail
shaded road. At the sight OF him Il
girl uttered sharp exclamation al