The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1917-08-02
CHAPTER xIx.-contlnued.

Blaze took the speaker by the shoul-
der and facet him about. Look here"
said he, "Tm b%eginnin' to get wise TO
you. I believe ~you're-the man In the
case" When Dave nodded. he vented
his amazement In a long whistle. After
q moment he asked. WELL. why did you
want me to come here alone, ahead Of
the others1"
Because I want you TO know the
whole inside Of this thing so that o
can get busy when I'm gone because /
want to borrow what money you
have"
"what you amin to pull OFF," Blaze
inquired. suspiciously.
I'm going to find her and bring her
out"
"Youf Why, Dave, you can't get
through. This is a Job for the SOL
diefs."
But Dave hardly seemed to hear him.
"You must start things moving at
once" he said. urgently. "Spread the
news, get the story into the papers.
notify the authorities. Get every In
nuence at work. from here TO head
quarters; get your senator and the
governor Of the state at work. Ellis
worth will help you. And now give
me your last dollar"
Blaze emptied his pockets. shaking
his shaggy head the while. LA Feria
is a hundred and fifty miles In" he re-
monstrated.
by rail from Pueblo, yes. But It's
barely a hundred, straight from here"
you amt got a chance. single-hend-
ed. You're crazy to try It."
Dave turned a sick. colorless face to
his friend. They'll carve n stone for
Longorio IL I do get through" He
called to Montrosa, and the mare came
TO him, holding her head to q side
SO as not to tread upon her dragging
reins.
"Tm most tempted &c 20 with you,"
Blaze stammered uncertainty.
"No. Somebody he's to stay here and
stir things up. II We had twenty men
like you we might cut u way In and
out. but there's no time to organize,
and. anyhow. the government would
probably stop US. I've got a bunch
that Ill make It. II / don't-why, It's
all right"
~, awkwardly; then Blaze managed to
wish his friend luck. III you don't
come back" he said. with a peculiar
catch In his voice, II reckon there's
enough good Texans left to follow your
trail. I'll sure look forward to It,"
Dave took the river bank to Sangre
de Cristo, where. by means of the d.
lapidated ferry, he gained the Mexican
side. Once across. he rode straight up
toward the village Of Romero. When
challenged by an understood soldier
he merely spurred Montrosa forward,
eying the sentry so grimly that he
man did no more than finger his rifle
uncertainty, cursing under his breath
the overbearing airs Of all gringos. Nor
did the rider trouble to make the slight.
est Getour, but cantered the full length
OF Romero's dusty street, the target of
more than one pair of hostile eyes. To
those who saw him, soldiers aud civil
ians alike, II was evident that this
stranger had business, and no one felt
called upon to question It's nature.
There are men who carry an air more
potent than a bodyguard. and Dave
Law was n of these. Before the vii
lage had thoroughly awakened to his
coming he was gone. without a glance
to the right or left. without a word to
anyone.
When Romero was at his back he
rode for a mile or two through a region
Of tiny scattered farms and neglected
garden patches, after which he came
out into the mesquite. For all the
signs he saw. ne might then have been
In the heart Of a foreign country. Mex
leo had swallowed him.
As the afternoon heat subsidized, Mont
rosa let herself out into a freer gal,
and began to cover the distance rapid
ly. heading due west through a lant
Of cactus and dagger, Of thorn ant
barb and b-smble.
The roads were unfenced, the mea
dows desolate; the nuts were frequent
ly u|ntenanted. Ahead the sky burned
splendldly. and the sunset grew NOR
brilliant, more dazzling, until II glori
fled the whole mean, thirsty, crue
countryside.
Dawes eyes were set upon that rio
Of blazing colors, but for the time /
failed to thrill him. In that weller o
changing hues and tints he saw onl,
red. Red! That was the color O
blood; 1t stood for passion, lust, vic
~l-nce; and 1t was a fitting badge o
color for this land OF revolutions an
alarms. At first he saw little else
except the hint OF black despair TO FOL
low. But there was gold In the sunset
too--the yellow gold OF ransom! Tha
was M~exico-red and yellow, blood an
gold, lust and license. Once the rider
fancy began to work In this fashion,
would not rest, and as the sunset gre,
in splendor he found In IL richer meaI
ings. Red was the color of a woman
lips-yes. and a woman's hair. Tn
deepening blue of the high sky owe
hand waa tho hua NJ N carfain vyounanl