Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1917-12-01
CHAPTER XIX.-Continued.

want me to come here alone, ahead O
the Others?"
Because l want you to know tn
whole inside Of this thing so that yo
can get busy when I'm gone; because
want to borrow what money yo1
have"
'What you amin to pull Off" Blaz
inquired, suspiciously.
I'm going to find her and bring he
out"
you? Why, Dave, you can't ge
through. This is job for the sol
| diers."
But Dave hardly seemed to hear him
"You must start things moving a
once" he said, urgently. "Spread tn,
news, get the story into the papers
notify the authorities. Get every In
fluence at work, from here to head
quarters; get your senator and the
governor Of the state at work. ELS
worth will help you. And now give
me your last dollar"
Blaze emptied his pockets, shaking
his shaggy head the while. LA Feria
Is hundred and fifty miles ill.," he re-
monstrated
by rail from Pueblo, yes. But it's
barely hundred, straight from here"
you amt got chance, single-hand-
ed. You're crazy to try it."
Dave turned a sick, colorless face to
his friend. "They'n carve a stone for
Longorio If l do get through" He
called to Montrosa, and the mare came
to him, holding her head to one side
so as not to tread upon her dragging
reins.
I'm most tempted to go with you,"
Blaze stammered uncertainty.
mo. Somebody has to stay here and
stir things up. If we had twenty men
like you we might cut our way In and
out, but there's no time to organize,
and, anyhow, the government would
probably stop us. I've got bunch
that I'll make it. If / don't-why, it's
all right"
The two men shook hands lingering
ly, awkwardly; then Blaze managed to
wish his friend luck. "If you don't
come back" he said, with a peculiar
catch In his voice, II reckon there's
enough good Texans left to follow your
trail. I'll sure look forward to it."
Dave took the river bank to Sangre
de Cristo, where, by means of the d.
lapidated ferry, he gained the Mexican
side. Once across, he rode straight up
toward the village of Romero. When
by an understood soldier
he merely spurred Montrosa forward,
eying the sentry so grimly that the
man did no more than finger his rifle
curslng under his breath
the overbearlng airs of all gringos. Nor
did the rider trouble to make the slight |
est detour, but cantered the full length |
Of Romero's dusty street, the target Of |
more than one pair of hostile eyes. To |
those who saw him, soldiers and civil |
lans alike, 1t was evident that this |
stranger had business, and no one felt |
called upon to question It's nature. |
There are men who carry an air more |
potent than a bodyguard, and Dave
Law was one of these. Before the viii
age had thoroughly awakened to his
coming he was gone, without q glance |
TO the right or left, without word to
anyone.
When Romero was at his back he |
'ode for mile or two through region |
If tiny scattered farms and neglected |
garden patches, after which he came |
nut into the mesquite. For all the
signs he saw, he might then have been
n the heart Of foreign country. Mex
co had swallowed him.
AS the afternoon heat subsidized, Mont
'osa let herself out into freer gait
md began to cover the distance rapid
y, heading due west through a land
If cactus and dagger, of thorn and
,arb and bramble.
The roads were unfenced, the mea-
lows desolate; the huts were frequent
y untenanted. Ahead the sky burned
and the sunset grew more
more dazzling, until 1t glori-
led the whole mean, thirsty, cruel
countryside.
Dawes eyes were set upon that riot
# blazing colors, but for the time it
allied to thrill him. In that welter of
hues and tints he saw only
ed. Red! That was the color of
Hood; 1t stood for passion, lust, vio-
ence; and 1t was a fitting badge of
olor for this land of revolutions and
larms. At first he saw little else
Except the hint of black despair to fol-
ow. But there was gold in the sunset,
oo--the yellow gold of ransom! That
vas Mexico-red and yellow, blood and
old. lust and license. Once the riders
ancy began to work in this fashion, it
you'd not rest, and as the sunset grew
q splendor he found in 1t richer mean
ngs. Red was the color of a woman's
ps-yes, and woman's hair. The
eepening blue of the high sky over
cad was the hue of certain woman's
yes. A warm, soft breeze out Of the
rest beat into his face, and he remem-
cred how warm and soft Alaire's ]
reath nad been upon his cheek.