The Benson signal., 1916-10-07

time. NOW 1t was Wlnklng and twin
king with an evil light as the padre
cupped it in his brown palms.
81 know it is here" he said slowly,
"and yet cannot see it. shall never
see it, yet will the old shrine be the
richer for my wanderings. l know it
is green, and l can feel it's long, pear
shaped tongue that the sea gave it."
He shook it; the pearl tongue gave
out one clear note.
"Will you not come with us, padre?"
Dorothy spoke very gently, as one
speaks to child.
WHITTIER, then?"
"To our own land, where there is
no war, no trouble, no murder, no op-
preston"
Eyes; it is to that land travel when
the good God gives surcease from
labor Till then"
A whiplike crack from the darkness
Jared across the silences of the night
"a long, whiplike crack, followed by
a loud, clear note, accompanied by q
sharp explosion. The old man fell
prone upon his back, amid hundred
twinkling fragments Of the Bell.
Wilkes dashed out of the shed.
"a Mauser!" he snapped. Some
greaser trying for last shot smashed
the Bell and killed the old man! Come
on! Let's get out of here quick!"
Start the motor!" called Kynaston.
"I'll be with you in a jiffy."
\ CT ko h0Ys fhn fWoo
ments of the Bell-the precious frag-
ments which would substantiate his
story at the coming investigation and
which would clear him Of the charge
of having stolen the relic.
A moment later, as he ran around
to the front of the house again, the
machine was ready, purring, painting,
and Earring under it's engine.
Throw in your clutch!" cried
Wilkes. Were all here and we're all
ready"
Kynaston leaped to his place, showed
down the pedal, threw his clutch into
the low and pulled it back to second
| The machine took the curve below the
| house, shooting forward like projec.
| tile on the trail that showed steel
brown in the dusk.
tits touch and co." muttered the old
man. Nolan, keep the ladies down" "
His gray beard blew back over his
shoulder; in the wind his eyes mar.
rowed to pin-points.
Throw her wide open, son!" he
commanded.
Kynaston's foot pressed the gasoline
control and the car shot forward faster
tered fires they went, greeted by yells
and an occasional shot. Past the lines
where the troops were forming, toward
the house whittier Kynaston had been
taken, a prisoner; the house in which
Upton had been murdered.
Keep her goin' and throw her as
wide open as you cant" said Wilkes.
'T can hardly hold her as it isl"
painted Kynaston. she's pulling like
runaway locomotive on a down
grade"
It was true. They had left the trail.
and were heading northwest across
the unfenced mesa, certain Of five
mile fiat with nothing worse than a
prairie-dog mound, bunch Of grease.
wood, a sage-bush between them and
the much-desired line. Behind them
they heard the hammer OF pursuing
hoofbeats; apparently every mounted
man left in camp was after them.
A storm of shots swept over and
about them, one impinging on the iron
that old Upton had so wisely placed
above the engine. Wilkes reached
back without looking and forcad Doro
thy, who was about to rise. again to
her knees.
Keep down." he growled in kindly
voice. eve can't take a chance now;
we're too near the line"
Rock and bush and stunted tree
stood out in silhouette as il drawn in
India ink against silver background
Behind them they heard yells and
shouts and shots.
And then, coming toward them on a
run. they saw a number of mounted
men. For a moment Kynaston believed
they were caught, but it was for a mo
ment only. A shout from a dozen
lusty troopers told him it, was Ameri
can cavalrymen in Mexico-across the
line at last.
The pursuing Mexicans turned and
fed into the darkening night. But the
car continued on, though at lessen
ing pace, and in a few minutes they
shot past great stone monument
whitewashed, four-square, that marked
the limits of anarchy and murder.
"It's like American cavalry the
| world over-on hand in the nick
time!" said Kynaston.
They ran up the hill and over it and
halted on the farther slope below the
crest. 1t was then that Kynaston, get
ting down from the car, helped Doro
thy first of all from the tonneau, and
catching her in his arms, kissed hel
openly before them all.
"An' that" said Wilkes, to whose
~xo Muo To~n xxyo q o1ip Sc ~xvlot