The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1917-07-12
CHAPTER xlll-Continued.

Alairc drove rs swiftly as she ,larri
following the blurred streak nj gray
chat WAS the road, and taking the
bumps with utter rrckieSSnrSS Ahead
20umed the dark ridge OF the river
thickctS. dense rampant o! mesquite.
but even before they wore Sheltered
from the moonlight pnlomn saw the
2ightS of another automobile upproach-
mig along the main-travrlri highway
behind thcm-thr lights, evidently, OF
Tad Lewis machine. 4 momrur later
Alnirc'S car drove into the black shud-
owS. 1t had been Il short, swift. cxcit-
ing ride. "Young Eds" runubout could
not be many minutes ahead Of them
The women got out, then breasted
Gne high grass and brnmbles between
their hiding place and the pumphousc
road. A hundred yards away they
gould now see the ghostly Rio Grnndc,
SIS saffron surface fulntly Silvcrrd by
the low moon lights CLEANED from the
windows of Morales house. In the
distance the vague outlines OF the Mex
acan shore were resolving themselves,
and far beyond twinlled the evidence
chat some bclnted citizens or Romero
were still awake.
Paloma had brought with her the
2ong-bnrrclcd rifle and this sh"
clutchcd ncrvouSly as she and .Auire
stood whispering. Conditions were ia
vornble for an approach to the pump
house itself They had nearly reached
eheir goal when out into the clearing
behind them, with metallic rattle AMI
hrr In Il
'nlomn whispered cxcitedly.
''I'hc-e's the Lewis outfit at last"
I'm the Lewis car were several men.
They descended hurrlcdly. and when
sSne of them ran around the front Of
the car to turn OFF its lights, both WON
all saw that he carried Il rifle. Evl-
IDENTITY Tad Lewis had come prepared
for desperate measures
A small door gave entrance to the
rnmphousc. and into the lock Of this
MrG. Austin fitted a key; the next mo-
Bicnt She and pnlomn were safely in
eide. Dusty, cobwcbbcd windows let
In faint ghoSt-glow Of moonlight. but
prevented clear observation OF any
iShing outside; Alnire's fumbling fin
gers found the latch and began to
Elft window. when someone spoke,
Just outside the building.
what did you discover?" inquired
II voice which neither woman rccog-
niZcd. Paloma clutched blindy for her
companlon; the two eavesdroppcrs
stood rooted In their tracks. The
'poun1ing of their hearts sounded loud
Iy. Since the building was little more
fhnn wooden she'll they could plainly
near the answer:
'"The house Is full Of greascrs.
cant tell who they are"
A third man spoke. this time in
Spanish. "That was Tad Lewis who
just came, scnor."
There followed some whisncr,d
words indistinguishabe to the listen
ers, then Il rustic OF bodies moving
through the tall grass ana weeds
Paloma placed her lips close to
Alalre's ear. "Who are those proplr?"
she breathed.
II don't know. They must be tbc
ones who came in that strange nuto.
a2nobile."
PalOma chartered viciously: "Eyery.
Gody In Texas is here. wish we'd
thought to scatter tacks behind us,"
Cautiously they swung the door bac,,
and looked out. The open space along
the river bank was leveled by the
moonlight; from Morales house, to
their right, came the sound Of voices.
The women waited.
A few moments, then number Of
xnen nDDenred p1lOma jtIdped thera
were mt least dozen. but she was
xoo excited to count them. AS they
game struggling toward the pumphouse
sne OF them called back: @