The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1917-05-19


tree and boulder on the way-even
that slow-plodding ox-cart with it's
heavy wooden wheels, primitively
spokeless, and its Mexican driver with
his goad trudging beside the yoked
beasts, was like a 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 acros the border in a six
cylinder machine I"
where is the border-I mean, the
boundary liner" Parr inquired.
'Tll show you in a minute" Patria
answered.
And presently, as the a topped a
long, slow upgrade, gaining an emf
nence that overlooked much of that
rolling countryside, she pointed out a,
bridge that spanned a gulley off to the,
right. Y
That's the boundary line, ''ssha saids
that arroyo; beyond the bridge is
Mexico"
as there much of that ssrf Of thing
going on hereabouts -Parr Aturned
to Pillsbury-'gun running, | mean?"
81 hardly think SO. Things have
been yszy quiet In this neck of the
woods. It's 10 the southeast, along the
Rio Grande. that the most of the trou-
bic 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 a 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 a 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 af-
fections.
And Mrs. Pillsbury proved not to
have changed in the least!
Then there was Bess Morgan wait
ing to greet her-a tow-headed little
imp ten years ago, today a slender and
dignified young woman whose serene
poise did not in the least detract 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
-Bess 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 a spontaneous kiss and the
relief, imperceptible to any but an
other woman, with which Bess re-
ceived the news of Patria's betrothal
to Donald, provided even more COM
forting eassuranc to Patria in re-
spect to the affections of Rodman.
ACROSS THE BORDER.
While the hacienda slept in peace,
that primitive oxcart pursued labOri-
ously it's patient, creaking way across
the bridged arroyo and the desert
country beyond toward a far-flung line
of mountains which doomed against
the horizon in serrated array like the
frozen profile of a stormy sea.
Distancing the oxcart as fast as
willing hoofs could run, a horseman
who, leaving the station aimlessly
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 a stray
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 it's fellows.
In the doorway of this hut, some
what contemptuously watching the
%evOlutions of a squad of listless Next
t can infantry in the village plaza, stood
a gentleman in the field uniform of
an officer of the Japanese army.
I Hearing the thud of hurried foot
steps in the deep dust of the street,
the Japanese turned toward the APP
preaching horse an expectant eye.
swell, Gomez?" he said in Spanish.
"Excellency, l 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 for
your vigilance. Goodnight"
As the Mexican disappeared in the