Gilpin observer., 1916-12-21

stony-eyed general adjudged him and
his men adequately fitted to stop a
gap in the fighting line.
One day, day differing in no re-
spect from many others which had
gone before, John was asked to sane
ton bit of scout work along noun
tain track leading well into the inte-
rior. An experienced sergeant was
anxious for the duty, but, to the young
commanders open dismay, Madge Kerr
was wishful to accompany him. Q
The sergeant promised that the lady
would not be allowed to run any need
less risks, so, against his better judg-
ment, John gave the requisite permis-
sion. In so doing he quite unwittingly
fired train which metaphorically
blew up a powder magazine, because
Madge and the sergeant We're cap
tured, and by no less important per-
son than Sebastian Pancho himself!
1t was singular fact, when the pair
was brought into the outlaws camp,
and Pancho discovered that one of his
| prisoners was a woman, there could
not be the slightest doubt that the
| two had never met before! The SER
| geant was treated roughly, and bound
| in mercileSs cOwhide thongs, but Pan
chO affected an almost chivalric air
| in addressing Madge.
"You are not engaged in woman's
work, senora," he said, sweeping Off
| his sombrero with flourish, but far
| be 1t from me to offer the slightest
incivility to one of your beauty. And
now that can look ut you closely, let
me congratulate you on being Il most
charming soldierI"
He ran bold eye over her faultless
lines, but Madge did not finch. Here
| was man, Il mere male creature
whose untamed passions and unpleas-
| ant attributes were very much on the
| surface, and well she knew how to
handle him. She smiled defantly.
"Your repute has gone before you,
senor," she cried. mo one has ever
imagined that you make war on
women!"
Assuredly, the situation was match
less in its irony. Here was Madge
Kerr, the new Joan of Arc who had
enflamed her country with her cry of
Get PanchO" telling that arch villain
himself that he was regarded by his
| opponents as a sort of Chevalier Bay
ard And here was the man who had
wronge1 her quite evidently the will
ing slave Of an unknown goddess!
There was only one tent in the tum-
| bledown camp, and the rebel leader in
dictated with fine gesture that 1t was
wholly at the senorita's disposal. With
much ceremony and fiorid words, he
lifted the flap and bowed her within.
Madge did not know that Pancho's
| fatuous admiration had been witnessed
with acute disfavor by n handsome
half-caste girl who approached while
| these courtesies were being exchanged.
Had Rogers been present he could
have watched her, because Pancho and
Rogers had become very intimate dur
ing the latter's visit to chihuahua, and
everyone knew that the wildly pretty
Juanita was deeply enamored Of the
bandit.
Meanwhile, Burton was not only
much worried by the failure of the
sergeant and Mrs. Kerr to return, but
had given further cause for discomfit-
ure by regrettable discovery made
that day. A neighboring picket had
surprised small group of rebels and
captured several OF them. These men
were brought in, and their arms were
examined with interest. Their rifles,
very serviceable weapons, were marked
with the letters "B" and "R," inclosed
in u diamond-shaped device. In a
word, they were the output of the Bur-
ton and Rogers foundry!
How had these guns reached Mex
leo? 1t was Il question hard to an
swer. When John put it to his man.
ager, the latter professed the utter
most bewilderment. He counseled re-
ticence, however.
"There's no use In making song
about It," he said doggedly. "Gun rum
/ ming is nothing new on this frontier,
and our stuff may have passed through
many hands before it reached those
of Pancho."
| Perforce, John had to remain con-
tent, but he knew In his heart that the
explanation was Il lame one, and de-
termined to slft the matter to the ut
most at more convenient period.
| Strong patrols were sent out, but no
news of the missing pair was received
until the sergeant himself rode In ut
sunset on the second day. He told
an exciting story.
MRS. Kerr has managed to get into
| the good graces of Pancho," he an
nounced. "But she's in nastler fix
than she guesses. because Pancho's
! girl, Juanita, is mad with jealousy, ana
even let me escape so that ! might
guide troops to the camp. BY that
means she counts on getting square
with PanchO and the lady!'
This statement, unsavory in many
respects, could have but one outcome.
A strong force was gathered hastily,
and struck the trail with the sergeant