The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1917-07-02

tree and boulder on the way-even
that slow-plodding ox-cart with its
heavy wooden wheels, primitively
spokeless, and its Mexican driver with
his goad trudging beside the yOked
beasts, was like brightly cOlOred il
lustration from the Book of Yester-
day.
"They, at least, don't change" she
said to ROdman, nodding toward the
cart with its load of straw.
NO" he agreed with a thoughtful
frown; "the only thing that resigns the
Greaser to the march of civilization is
an opportunity to do murder with a
modern magazine rifle or run guns and
ammunition across the border in six
cylinder machine!"
"Where is the border-I mean, the
boundary liner Parr inquired.
III show you in a minute" Patria
answered.
And presently, as the car topped q
long, slow upgrade, gaining an emf
nence that overlooked much Of that
rolling countryside, she pointed out a
bridge that spanned gulley of to the
right.
That's the boundary line," she said
that arroyo; beyond the bridge is
Mexico"
''Is there much of that sort Of thing
going on hereabouts ?'-Parr turned
to Pillsbury-''gun running, mean?"
II hardly think so. Things have
been very quiet in this neck Of the
woods. It's to the southeast, along the
Rio Grande, that the most of the trou-
BILE has occurred, to date.
Three miles beyond the point where
the road forked, one arm running down
to the bridge at the border, the car
drew up in front Of the Claiming ha-
cienda, a century-old structure built
upon rambling lines of Spanish archi-
lecture.
/ With cry of delight Patria felt her
self folded in the aged arms Of Rod.
mans mother-a slight and delicate
little woman who had for many years
been q second mother to Patria, the Or
phaned, only when the little girl went
East to complete her education yield
ing place to Mrs. ,Wrenn in Patria's A.
fections. ..
And Mrs. Pillsbury proved not to
have changed In the leastl
Then there was Bess Morgan wait
Ing to greet her-a tow-headed little
imp ten pears ago, today slender and
FdisniAed young woman whose serene
peise didsnet In the least detraet from
her ability to ride harder and faster
and shoot straighter than any man or
woman within. two days journey Of
the Claiming ranch.
Sister of Bud Morgan, now foreman
Of the Claiming cowpunchers-an up
standing youngster of five-and-twenty
Bless lived with her mother and
brother some twenty miles from the
hacienda. She had ridden over to well
come an old rival for the affections Of
Rodman Pillsbury.
Their ancient enmity thawed to the
warmth Of spontaneous kiss and the
relief, impercepdble to any but an
other woman. with which Bess re-
ceiyed the news of Patria's betrothal
to Donald, provided even more COM
forting reinsurance to Patria In re-
spect to the affections Of ROdman.
ACROSS THE BORDER.
While the hacienda slept In peace,
that primitive 0xcart pursued lab0ri-
ously Its patient, creaking way acfoss
the bridged arroyo and the desert
country beyond toward far-flung line
Of mouneains which doomed against
the horizon in serrated array like the
frozen profile Of stormy sea. -
.Distancing the oxcart as fast a.
willing hoofs could run, q horseman
who, leaving the station aimlessIy
shortly after the departure Of Patria's
party for the hacienda, had spurred
his steed to its swiftest pace as soon
as he felt secure from observation. ar
rived in the early evening at q strag-
Cling row Of adobe huts which figured
as the nearest Mexican village.
Twilight was still bright when he
dropped from his tagged animal and
sought one Of the dwellings which
wore a slightly less unkempt appear.
ance than its fellows.
In the doorway Of this hut, some
what contemptuously watching the
evolutions Of squad of listless Next
can infantry in the village plaza, stood
a gentleman in the field uniform OF
an officer Of the japanese army.
Hearing the thud Of hurried foot
steps in the deep dust of the street,
the japanese turned toward the ap-
preaching horse an expectant eye.
"Well, Gomez?' he said in Spanish.
"Excellency, I have to report that
the Claiming girl, with Captain Parr
and a small company of friends ar
rived from the East this afternoon"
The Japanese nodded gently. MANY
thanks" he said in an Indifferent
voice. "You will be duly rewarded fol
your vigilance. Goodnight
As the Mexican disappeared in the
gathering darkness, the japanese
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