The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1917-04-19

expectin' is Il Mexican, and day before |
Yesterday he killed a man over in Jim
Wells county. They got me by phone
at HebbrOnville and told me he'd left.
Hes headin' for the border, and he's
due here about sundown, now that Ar
royo Grande's dry. was aimln' to
let YOU ride his horse"
"Thcn-yOu're an onicer?"
"1es'm. Ranger. So you see I can't
help you to get home till nv mon
comes. Do you live around here ?"
The speaker looked up inquiringly, and
after an instant's hesitation the woln-
an said quietly:
81 am Mrs. Austin" She was CRATE
ful for the gloom that hid hcr face 81
rode out this way to examine tract
of grazing land"
1t seemed fully q minute before the
Ranger answered; then he said, in
casual tone, II reckon Las Palmas is
quite a ranch, ma'am."
Yes. But we need more pasture"
II know your La Feria ranch, too. 1
was with General Castro when we had
that fight near there"
you were Madersta?"
1esm. Machine-gun man. That's q
ilne country over there. Seems like
me Almighty got mixed and put the
McNicnns on the wrong side Of the
Rio Grande. But reckon you haven't
seen much of La Feria since the last
revolution broke out"
NO. We have tried to remain neu-
tral, but" Again she hesitated. "Nr.
Austin has enemies. Fortunately both
sides have spared La Feria."
, Law shrugged his broad shoulders
oh, we'll, the revolution isn't over!
A ranch in Mexico is my idea of a bad
!. investment" He rose and, taking his
blanket. sought favorable spot upon
which to spread it. Then he helped
: Mrs. Austin to her feet--her muscles
had stiffened until she could barely
stand-after which he fetched his sad
die for n pillow. He made no apolo-
!. gies for his meager hospitality, nor did
. his guest expect any.
When he had staked out his horse
Tor the night he returned to find. the
=, woman rolled snugly in her covering
' ms IN cocoon. The dying embers flick.
!, cred into flame md lit her hair redly
- She had laid off her felt hat, and one
:. looSencd braid lay over her hard pil
- low. Thinking her asleep, Law stoot
w. motionless, making no attempt to hide
20 20 his expression Of wonderment until
- unexpectedly, she spoke.
>, What will you do with me whcr
is your Mexican comcs?" she said.
We'll, mn'am, I reckon I'll hide vol
ia out IN the brush till tame him"
,r Thank you. I'm used to the open.
* He nodded as If he we'll knew that
" she was; then, shaking out his slicker
n. turned away.
,e AS he lay staring up through the
thorny mesquite branches that roofeC
nm lnndequately from the dew, he
marveled nightly. A bright, steady
Il, burning star peeped through the leaves
at him, and as he watched it he remem
q bered that this red-haired woman Will
n the still, white face was known far ant
wide through the lower valley as eth,
IN Lone Star" Well, he mused, the namt
fttcd her; she was if reports were
: true, quite rs mysterious quite as colo
and fixed and unapproa chable. as thu
ute implied. knowledge of her iden
tity had come as shock, for Law
'>iiN" SoilttIiIIlS VI nCr history, ana t(
find her suing for his protection was
quite thrilling. Tales Of her pale
beauty were common and not tame
i but she was MI and more than She
Y had been described.
! She had not been too proud and colo
!. to let him help her. In her fatigue
she had allowed him to lift her anC
to make her more comfortable. Ho
&, against his palms-palms unaccus
toned to the touch Of a woman's fest
j he felt the contact Of her naked feet
rs at the moment when he had placed
them in the cooling water. Her feeble
resistance had only called attention tc
her sex-to the slim whiteness of he,
ankles beneath her short riding skirt
! Following his first amazement Mt be
holding her had come a fantastic ex
PLANTATION of her prcsence-for a mo-
lnent or two it had seemed as if the
fateS had taken heed Of his yearnings
and had sent her to him out of the
dusk-wld fancies, like these, bottle,
men who are much alone.