Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-10-16
HEART OF THE SUNSET RsREx 3: BEACH sE.Ae II
! Harper a Bros.


for the land IL thirsty Tomorrow. n this
rain holds, we shall ride together--you.
Pedro and l. Those thieves do their stealing
when they leave no tracks"
Raoul. the younger son. volunteered 10
20 IN place OF his father. but Ricardo would
not hear OF a..
Am I 10 old that must lie abed5" he
cried. mo- We three shall ride the fences,
and u We encounter n cut wlre--diaholo -
we shall have n story 70 tell eh7"
The sky was leRden. the rain still fell In
the morning when Dave and his two CONS
panions set out Until noon they rode. their
sickers dripping. their horses steaming
then they ate an uncomfortable lunch under
tho IN ckest blackberry tree they could find
after which they resumed their patrol. RI.
cardo's tongue at length ran down under
THIS discomfort, andc the three riders se,
their saddles silently, swaying to the tire
less foN-trot - their horses. their eyes en-
gagged In watchtul scrutiny
At last Pedro. who was ahead refined IN
and pointed the others saw where the
barbed-wire strands OF the fence they had
been following were slipped. A number OF
horse and calf tracks led through the OPEN
Ing. and after an examination Ricardo an.
nounced:
There are two men. They have come
and gone, with tho calves tied neck and
neck"
THAT is Las Paimas, isn't i?" Law in.
dicated the pasture into which the trail led
Father and son answered, Isl, senor."
For n time the Ranger lounged sidewise
In his saddle. studying the country before
| him. The land was open and comparatively
| nat; II was broken by tiny clumps OF mes
| quite and low. sprawling beds OF cactus
Perhaps n half-mile away. however. began
long narrow patch OF woods with the
| tops OF occasional oaks showing, and this
ran parallel with the fence for consid
erable distance.
They took them in yonder, to brand" he
said, STRENGTHENING himself. Maybe wen
be In time"
side by side the three men rode or Guz-
| mans land following thu tracks TO the
nearest point OF woods; there Law stopped
| to give his directions.
| Pedro, you ride down this side Ricardo
| you skirt the outside l shall keep 20 the
| middle. Walk your horses, for l shall &c
slowly" lie slipped his carbine from ia
scabbard; the others did the same
But Dawes plan did not commend itsel
| TO Ricardo: the old mans face pucxered int,
| an expression OF doubt. and removing hi,
hat. he ran hand over his wiry, short
| cropped, white hair
"Senor," he protested. "I know somethin,
about these men. and they will not sai
| to learn that you are an officer. Perhnp
l had better ride with you"
But Law declined the well-meant offer
and with n dubious shake of the head RI
oardo rode away, while Dave guided Bessi
Belle into tho grove.
The mare seemed to know that some
thing unusual was afoot. Perhaps som
nervous tensity of her rider made ltIsl
felt perhaps with equine sagacity she ha,
understood from the first the nature O
this scouting expedition. Dave was ia
clined TO believe the latter--he had ofte
averred that Bessie Belle knew quite a
much as or more than he At any rat
she picked her way with admirable care
her hoofs made almost no sound upon IN
wet soil; only the complaint OF the sattll
feathers or the swish of a wet branch ros
above the steady patter OF the ralndrop,
II was not necessary to guide her; sh
selected the openings of her own free will
her small, sharp ears were alert and he
eyes searched the glades intently.
Dave smiled at this excess of caution an
stroked Bessie Bellies wet neck encouI
agingly. whereupon she turned her hea
and II seemed to the rider that she nodde
her complete understanding. Law coul
have kissed her.