The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1917-05-03
CHAPTER vl-Continued.

Law vcntured to remark that none
of Blaze's enemies had grown fat In
prosecuting their feuds, but this was
a subject which the elder man inva-
rinbly found embarrassing, and now
he said:
"Pshaw! I never was the blood
letter people think. Tn as gentle as
n sheep Then to escape further GU
riosity on that point, he suggested that
they round out their rlotous evening
with a game of pool.
The next morning at breakfast Pa.
Iona announced, "Father, you must
help Dave hunt down these cattle
thieves"
"Aln't that sort Of a big orderr
Blaze queried.
perhaps, but you're the very man
to do IL. Ricardo Guzman Is the only
person who knows the Lewis gang as
well as you do"
Jones shook his head doubtfully.
"Don Ricardo has been working up his
own private feud with that outfit. II l
was the kind that went looking for n
fight, l wouldn't have paid freight on
myself from the Panhandle down here.
l could have got n right at home,
any morning before breakfast"
"Ricardo Guzman Is something Of a
black sheep himself" Law spoke up.
"Pshaw! He's all right. l reckon
he has changed u few brands In his
time, but so has everybody else. Why,
that's how old Ed Austin got his
start. If a cowman tells you he never
stole anything, he's either u good liar
or n bad roper. But Ricardo's going
straight enough now"
"Hc has lost his share Of stock" Pa
Iona explained, land he'll work with
you II father asks him. You go along
with Dave"
I'm too busy" Blaze demurred,
land l Amt feeling good. I had bad
dreams all night"
this morning. That new dressmaker
Is coming"
Jones rose abruptly from the table.
II reckon my business can wait.
Hustle up, Dave" A few moments
later, as they were saddling their
horses, he lamented: "What did / tell
you? Here l go, on the dodge from a
dressmaker. l s'pose I've got to live
like n road-agent now, till something
happens"
Don Ricardo Guzman was an Ameri.
can, but he spoke no English. An ac'
cident Of birth had made him a citizen
Of the United States-his father hay
ing owned u ranch which lay north
instead of south OF the Rio Grande,
Inasmuch as the property had fallen
to Ricardo, his sons, too, were Yam
KEGS In the eyes Of the law. But In
all other respects Don Ricardo and
his family differed not at all from the
many Guzmans who lived across the
border. The Guzman ranch comprised
n goodly number OF acres, and, since
live stock multiply rapidly, its owner
had In some sort prospered. On the
bank Of a resaca-a former bed of the
Rio Grande-stood the house, an adobe
structure, square, white and unprotect'
ed from the sun by shrub or tree. Be
hind 1t were sorpe brush corrnls and
n few scattered mud ~jacals, In which
lived the help.
Ricardo had just risen from n siesta
when his two visitors rode up, and h
made them welcome with the best h,
had. In the cool Of the afternoon ri
cardo rode with his visitors, and then
cordial relations being now estab
lished, he began to divulge Information
of value to Law.
Yes, he had endured many depreda'
tons from thieves. 1t was shameful
but doubtless God willed that a certain
amount Of stealing should go on II
the world. The evildoers were Ger
tainly favored by nature. In this local
ity, for the great expanse Of brusl
country to the north and east Offered
almost perfect security, and the river
10 the south, gave immunity from pur
suit or prosecution. The beeves were
driven north into the wilderness, bu
the horses went to Mexico, where thu
war had created IA market for them
The federals had plenty of money L
buy counts.
Whom did Don Ricardo suspect?
The old man was noncommlttal
Suspicion vas n thing, proof wa
quite another; and conviction was diff,
ait under the best Of circumstances