American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-09-18

easy. Bess viii come to no harm
until Huroki finds that she will tell
him nothing; and he won't find u
that before we effect her rescue"
And you will send after her-T'
"As soon as it's dark enough for our
men to move without being seen-the
strongest force we can spare, and the
best mounted. For the present, how
ever, we must keep this quiet; If the
boys get so much as a hint Of what's
happened, there1l be no holding them.
Not a soul must know"
The gravel of the patio walk
crunched beneath a firm and alert
tread. Parr looked up.
Except Rodman," he amended, rec
ognizing the newcomer. Him we must
tell, of course; and if anything does
leak out before we're ready, he can
control the boys if anybody can"
Throughout this conversation Bud
had neither moved nor made a sign to
signify that he understood the subject
Of discussion. And when, some ten
minutes later, Donald and Rodman
tried to rouse him, ne stirred to the
touch Of their hands only to lift up a
face from which every trace Of intelli-
gible expression had been erased; its
eyes were blank; its firm lines were
relaxed; its mouth gaped like a Gre
tins. The kindly words they spoke to
him had no effect upon a mind IN
hinged by the anguish it had suffered.
Gently, then, the two men lifted him
- - IATIF.- IL.
arms over their shoulders, led him
away to a bedchamber, undressed him,
b~andaged his wounds, and put him to
bed.
Leaving Patria to watch by his bed
side for a time, Donald and Pillsbury
returned to the library to plan the
rescue.
An hour later Patria in panic found
them there with the news that she had
left Buds side for a few moments,
thinking him sound asleep, only to find
the room empty on her return. In an
amazingly short time the man had
wakened, dressed and made his es-
cap
Their search for him ended half a
| mile from the house, at the corral
where a number of the cOw-punchers
1 had been amusing themselves by try
ing to tame a half a score of unbroker
! bronchos. Bud had found his way
q thither and was babbling out frag
n ments of his story to a circle of sym
pathetic but bewildered friends.
If it was too late to stop him, Rod
mans influence with his employee
Y proved to be all that Donald had as
serted it was.
In earliest dark of night, then,
n picked force of forty-eight cOw-punch
+ ers. led by Rodman himself, rod
d quietly by twos and threes, rendez
/ voused at an agreed place, crossed tn
} border in its most isolated secretion
= and vanished silently into the blacl
mystery of Mexico.
d AIR LANES.
u There was little sleep for Patri
that night. Visions of the fate Q
n women kidnapped across the border
u memories of tales she had heard sine
u her arrival at the ranch. haunted hel
r In the cool blue twilight of daw
; she was up and dressing herself in he
Il awaiting clothes.
She went down to the patio to fin
a Donald there. watching for the da,
j. awaiting the word it must bring then
Is with a face drawn and haggard wit
" sleeplessness.
u Together they breakfasted poorl.
IA choking down a few mouthfuls Of foo
+ and some coffee, then motored OF
through the still hush Of the newbor
Ia day to the aviation field.
Early though they were, they did NJ
10 forestall the men of Patria's iyir
corps. Already two machines were
the air, aglow with the young su
IL light, rising like petals of gold win
:" swept through the blue. Six mo-
were preparing to rise. The renal
to ing eight biplanes of the air squadrC
y were still nested in their hangers.
n Her impotence would not let P
ms tria wait for the reports of those WI
r. were already climbing the skies. I
speeding the countryside south of Il
IS border.
phi Ordering out her own biplane-tl
- mutAluts lhdl L. III NhANh ~ A.
re gained all her practice and experien
as an aviatrice-she took the pilO'
Ip- seat and, refusing to permit Donald
err anyone else to accompany h
ng grasped the controls and shot hoI
the switch which operated the sc
es- starter.
no Winging up in a long slant. the
plane gained the t~housand-foot lev
then began TO move southwark in wiC
fc- curved sweeps.
err There was little air astir-just
his gentle and steady breeze from
tly west. Aerial navigation offered
.ng problems to distract Patria's attenti
from the landscape beneath it. II