Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1917-03-17

great deal to learn and much to oc-
cupy his mind, and many day of /
hard routine work had to pass before |
a stony-eyed general adjudged him and
his men adequately fitted to stop a |
gap in the fighting line.
One day, a day differing in no re-
sDect from E,any others which had
gone before, John was asked to sane
ton Il bit of scout work along noun
tain track leading well into the inte-
rior- An experienced sergeant was
anxious for the duty. but, to the young
commanders open dismay. Madge Kerr
was wishful to accompany him.
The sergeant promised that the lady
would not be allowed to run any need
less risks, SO, against his better jucg-
ment, John gave the requisite permis-
SIGN. In so doing he quite unwittingly
fired a train which metaphorically
blew up powder magazine, because
Madge and the sergeant were cap
tured, and by no less important per-
son than Sebastian Pancho hfInSelfi
1t was u singular fact, when the pair
was brought into the outlaws camp.
and Pancho discovered that one of his
prisoners was a woman, there could
not be the slightest doubt that the
two had never met beforei The SER
geant was treated roughly, and bound
in merciless cowhi5e thongs. but Pam
cho affected an almost chivalric air
in addressing Madge.
"You are not engaged in woman's
work, sonora he said sweeping off
his sombrero with a flourish, ''but far
be it from me to offer the slightest
| incivility to one of your beauty. And
row that can look at you closely, let
me congratulate you on being a most
charming soldier 70
He ran a bold eye over her faultless
lines, but Madge did not finch. Here
was a man, mere male creature
whose untaned passions and unpleas-
ant attributes were very much on the
| surface, and we'll she knew how to
handle him. She smiled defiantly.
your repute has gone before you,
senor," she cried mo one has ever
imagined that you make war on
women -
Assuredly, the situation was match
\ less in its irony. Here was Madge
Kerr, the new Joan of Arc who had
| enfiamed her country with her cry of
! get PaEcho ~ telling that arch villain
| himself that he was regarded by his
| opponents as a sort of Chevalier Bay
| ard And here was the man who had
wronged her quite evidently the will
ing slave of an unknown goddess!
There was only one tent in the tu3n-
| bledown camp, and the rebel leader in
Dictated with a fine gesture that it was
| wholly at the senorita'S disposal. With
| much ceremony and horid words, he
| lifted the flap and bowed her within.
Madge did not know that Pancho's
| fatuouS admiration had been witnessed
with acute disfavor by handsome
| half-caste girl who approached while
| these courtesies were being exchanged.
Had Rogers been present he could
| have watched her, because Pancho and
Rogers lad become very intimate dur
| ing the latter's visit to chihuahua, and
| everyone knew that the wildly pretty
Juanita was deeply enaniored of the
bandit.
Meanwhile, Burton was not only
much worried by the failure of the
sergeant and Mrs. Kerr to return, but
had given further cause for discornfit-
ura by regrettable discovery made
that day A neighboring picket had
! surprised small group of rebels and
captured several of them. These men
Were brought in, and their arms were
! examined with interest. Their rifles.
very serviceable weapons, were marked
| with the letters 'sB'' and 'R,'' inclosed
in dia-Iond-shaped device. In a
word, they We're the output of the Bur
| ton and Rogers foundry
How had these guns reached Mex
| fco? 1t was a question hard to an
swer. When John put it to his man
ager the latter professed the utter
most bewilderrnent. He cou.seled re-
ticence however
| There's no use in making song
/ about it." he said doggedly- Gun run
/ ming is nothing new on this frontier,
and our stuff may have passed through
many hands before it reached those
! of Pancho.''
! Perforce, John had to remain con
| tent, but ne knew il his heart that the
| explanation was a lame one, ard de-
| terIIined to sift the matter to the ut
| most at a more convenient period.
| Strong patrols were sent out, but no
news of tie missing pair was received
! until the sergeant himself rode il at
| sunset on the second day. He told
an exciting story
Mrs. Kerr has managed to get into
| the good graces of PanchG," he an
nounced. "But she's in a nastier fix
l than she guesses, because Pancho's
.1<~rr II