The Snowflake herald., 1917-09-14
IDENTIFY Tad Lewis had come prepared

ment she and Paloma were safely in
side. Dusty, cobwebbed windows let
in faint ghost-glow of moonlight, but
prevented clear observation of any
thing outside; Alaire's fumbling fin"
gers found the latch and began to
lift a window, when someone spoke,
Just outside the building.
"What did you discover?" inquired
a voice which neither woman recog-
nized. Paloma clutched blindly for her
companion; the two eavesdroppers
stood rooted in their tracks. The
pounding of their hearts sounded loud
ly. Since the building was little more
than a wooden shell, they could plainly
hear the answer:
'"The house is full of greasers. 1
can't tell who they are"
A third man spoke, this time in
Spanish "That was Tad Lewis who
just came, senor."
There followed some whispered
words indistinguishable to the listen
ers, then a rustic of bodies moving
through the tall grass and weeds.
Paloma placed her lips close to
Alaire's ear. "Who are those peOpleY
she breathed.
81 don't know. They must be the
ones who came in that strange auto
mobile"
Paloma chartered viciously: every
body in Texas is here. | wish we'd
thought to scatter tacks behind us"
Cautiously they swung the door back
and looked out. The open space along
the river bank was leveled by the
moonlight; from Morales house, to
The women waited.
A few moments, then a number of
men appeared. Paloma judged there
were at least a dozen, but she was
too excited to count them. AS they
came struggling toward the pumphouse
one of them called back:
Morales! Put out your lights"
Both women recognized Tad Lewis as
the speaker.
Alaire had stubbornly refused to
charge her husband with any active
share in this evil business, but her
faith in Ed suddenly vanished when
she heard him say:
"Hush You're making too much
noise. You'd better scatter out, too,
for there's no telling where they'll
land" Alaire leaned weakly against
the door. 'G'm going to leave, and let
.you-all attend to the rest" he was
saying. But Tad Lewis halted him as
he turned from the group.
"Where are you going, Ed? You left
your cas- back yonder by the road. l
almost ran into it,"
'Eh? What are you talking about?
My car is over by Morales house"
"Senor Austin is in a great hurry"
sneered someone in Spanish. "Once
more he leaves all of the fighting to
his friends"
"That's Adolfo Urbina," painted Pa
Iona. "I know him." Stung by this
open charge of cowardice, Austin be-
gan a voluble defense, but in the midst
of it General Longorio addressed him
sharply.
'You will stay here, senor. Nobody
leaves this place."
ST told you l wouldn't be a party to
the business" Ed declared hotly. "You
forced me to come in the first place"
eyes! And now force you to stay"
Longorio's stand appeared to please
Lewis, who chimed in with the words:
"That's right, Ed. You've got to stick,
for once in your life."
'What do you mean, you nearly ran
into my car back yonder" Austin
asked after moment.
Saint that your machine yonder by
the thicket?' inquired Lewis. 'If it
amt, whose is it?" AS no one an
swered, he started in the direction he
had indicated; but at that moment a
man came running from the river bank,
crying softly:
'Look out They come"
A man passed swiftly by the crack
of the half-open door and scarcely ten
feet beyond. He was followed by three
others.
The first of the newcomers, acting
as spokesman for his party, stepped
out into the moonlight and cried loud
ly: "Hello, men What's goin' on
here?" 1t was an American voice; it
had a broad, slow Texas drawi.
The group of plotters turned; there
was a startled murmur, then Tad
Lewis answered:
"Hello! Who are you! What do
you ,want?"
81 reckon we must have got off the
road" announced the stranger. Then
he peered out across the river. "Say!
Amt that a slziff yonder?" he inquired.
swell, it don't look like a steam
boat" Lewis laughed disagreeably.
"We're havin' little party of our own.
1 reckon you fellows had better beat
it. Understand"
The outposts that had been sent to
cover the bank in both directions were