Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-08-03
The Daily Story
Copyrighted. 1919. by Associated Literary Bureau
A Fhght-By Everett 2. Clarke.

| some forty miles northward from Tam
pico into the state of Tamaulipas tc
pay a man from whom his employers
had bought some oil property $1,000
and get a deed for the land. There
was no railroad to the place Of hts
destination. and he proceeded on horse
back He carried the money In his hip
pocket underneath his revolver.
This was when the Constitutionalists
were about to march upon Tampico
Mexico has never been free from brig.
ands, and it was not to be expected
| that in such troublous times the road
would be safe. But the property was
| known to the purchasers to be very
valuable, and they were anxious to get
| it into their possession. They were
willing to risk their funds and Cam
eron was willing to risk carrying them.
| He would be largely the gamer If he
succeeded in paying for the property
! and securing deed, because the COM
pany that employed him was a very
large concern. and it was worth his
while to find favor with it.
| He carried no provisions with him.
calculating to get what he needed
along the way. He had made half the
distance when at evening he came to
an adobe house, at which he conclud-
ed to stop for supper. Riding up to
the door he called to those within, and
the door was opened by half breed
girl about eighteen years old. She was
quite good looking for a Mexican.
though dark complexioned and with
coarse hair.
Cameron had been in Mexico long
enough to speak the language tolerably
well and asked her If he could get some
supper. She went back into the house
and presently returned with a man, to
whom the traveller repeated his re-
quest, adding that he would like to stay
the night. The man after looking him
over scrutinizingly assented. Cameron
dismounted, put his horse under shed
and entered the house. He found there
another man besides the one who had
received him.
Cameron did not quite like the looks
of the men. As for the girl, she seem
ed to be in condition of captivity At
any rate, they gave her orders harshIy.
and she did their bidding apparently
because she could not help herself
She cooked the supper, consisting of
tamales and tortillas, the latter thin,
light, wafer-like cakes, being very de-
licious.
After supper both the men left the
house, and Cameron sat on the veranda
smoking his pipe. The girl was within
clearing the table and washing the
dishes. Presently she came out wiping
plate and said to him:
''Senor, / would advise you not to
lodge In this house tonight"
why so?' asked the American,
starting
"These men are bandits. They killed
my father, with whom l lived, and
have since forced me to do their house
work. l am awaiting an opportunity
to return to the Rio Grande. 1 lived
on this side of the river, but if can
reach it l will cross into United States
territory. Then 1 shall fear nothing"
Dudley Cameron was a chiyalrous
fellow and withal at an age wherein
the greater the risk the greater its at
He was on his way north
ward. The girl also wished to go
northward, and he felt under obliga-
lions to her for the warning she had
given him. To ride away into safety,
leaving her to be tyranniZed over by a
couple of bandits, did not accord with
his sense of honor. AS soon as she had |
spoken the last words she went back |
into the house to finish her chores. |
While she was doing so Cameron |
thought over the situation. When she |
had finished she came out and said:
For the love of heaven, senior. do |
not let them suspect that / have limited |
to you what they are. Do not say, I |
have changed my mind and will con-
tinue my journey tonight At bed |
time go to your room and pretend to |
sleep, but instead of doing so let your
self down from the window to the |
distance is not great
mount your horse and ride away"
why should these men trouble me?"
''The one who admitted you has seen
you at Tampico and knows you are an
employee of the oil people They do
not believe that you are travelling with
'ut money, at least for your expenses"
Cameron made no reply to this. He
was thinking. How fortunate that
his girl was on hand to warn him. He
'elt very grateful to her. Had she not
lone so he would probably have been
murdered and robbed during the night.
Now, if he could not honorably ride
lway before the return of the men he
'ould at least stand on the defensive in
lis room and beat retreat through
he window. Then It occurred to him
hat by taking the girl with him he
would be freed from the obligation to
wait their return. Had he not so
much money with him he would risk
t. AS it was. he did not like putting
n jeopardy funds which had been in
rusted to bis care. He wondered IL
he girl would go with him.
Have you a horse
''Pepita. My name is Pepita Con-
ales. There are horses in the stables
elonginG TO the bandits"
AT what time do they usually re- /