The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-05-19
CHAPTER vI-continued.

Law yentured 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-
riably found embarrassing, and now
he said:
"sPshawl 1 never was the blood
letter people think. I'm as gentle as
sheep" Then to escape further Gu
Tiosity on that point, he suggested that
they round out their riOtOus evening
with a game of pool.
The next morning at breakfast Pa
Ioma announced, Father, you must
help Dave hunt down these cattle
thieves."
.'Ain't that sort of a big order?"
Blaze queried.
perhaps, but you're the very man
TO do it. Ricardo Guzman is the only
Z 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. If l
was the kind that went looking for a
tight, 1 wouldn't have paid freight on
myself from the Panhandle down here.
d could have got one right at home,
any morning before breakfast
RICARDO Guzman is something of a
BLACK sheep himself" Law spoke up.
"PshawI He's all right 1 reckon
the has changed a few brands in his
thine, 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 a good liar
lor bad roper. But Ricardo's going
straight enough now"
''He has lost his share of STOCK" Pa
1oma explained, "and he'll work with
you if father asks him. You go along
with Dave"
I'm too busy" Blaze demurred,
sand 1 amt feeling good. 1 had bad
dreams all night
Il don't want you around me here
This morning. That new dressmaker
Is coming
Jones rose abruptly from the table.
81 reckon my business can wait.
Hustle up. Dave" a few moments
later. as they were saddIing their
horses. he lamented What did l tell
you? Here l so, on the dodge from IL
dressmaker. 1 s'pOse I've got to live
like a 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 hav-
ing owned i ranch which lay north
INSTEAD of south of the Rio Grande
nnasmuch as the property had fallen
Ito Ricardo, his sons, too, were Yam
lkees in the eyes of the law. But in
iall other respects Don Ricardo and
his family differed not at all from the
many Guzmans who lived across the
border. The Guzman ranch comprised
II gOodly number of acres, and, since
Dive stock multiply rapidly, its owner
had in some sort prospered. On the
bank of a resaca-a former bed of the
1Eio Grande-stood the house, an adobe
structure, square, white and unprotect-
led from the sun by shrub or tree. Be
hind it were some brush cOrrals and
ia few scattered mud jacals, in which
lived the help.
Ricardo had just risen from Il siesta
when his two visitors rode up, and he
made them welcome with the best he
had. In the cool of the afternoon Ri
ieardo rode with his visitors and then
cordial relations being now eStab-
Iished, he began to divulge information
of value to Law.
Yes, he had endured many depreda-
ttions from thieves. 1t was shameful,
hut doubtless God willed that a certain
Iamount of stealing should go on in
1.-The world. The evildoerS were GER
kainly favored by nature, in this local
hty, for the great expanse of brush
lcountry to the north and east offered
almost perfect security, and the river
Ito the south, gave immunity from pur-
suit or prosecution. The beeveS were
driven north into the wilderness, but
the horses went to Mexico, where the
war had created u market for them
The federals had plenty of money to
buy mounts.
Whom did Don Ricardo suspect?
The old man was noncommittal.
Suspicion was one thing, proof was
bduite another; and conviction was diff
Icnlt under the best of circumstances.
lWhy. even cows recognition of her
iown calf was not evidence for court,
land alfbis were easily proved Unless
Ithe thieves were caught in the very
lact there was no case against them.
land-por Dios .-one could not be for
lever on guard. Who could tell where
the Indicators would strike next?
Nov, in Mexico one could afford to
lkiH an undesirable neighbor without
$50 much formality. But. thank God
Don Ricardo was not a Mexican. Ne,
he was good American citizen. II
was something to make him sleep well
90 these war times.
sJust the same. I'll bet he'd sleep