The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1917-10-18

night, like this?' she asked. II shall
be surprised II we are not assassinated
before morning"
"He must have meant It." Alaire
spoke with n conviction she did not
entirely feel. "Father O'Malley aroused
the finer side of his nature"
Perhaps" agreed the priest. ~Some-
where In him there is a fear OF God"
But Dave was skeptical. "More like
Iy a fear of the gringo government"
said he. "Longorio is a fourfiusher.
When he realized he was licked he
tried to save his face by a grandstand
play. He didn't want to let US CO."
"Then what is to prevent him from
we'll, from having us followed?"
Alaire inquired.
Nothing" Dave told her.
AS they climbed the bank and rode
onward into the night she said: mo
matter what happens. dear. i shall be
happy. for at last one of my dreams
has come true" He reached out and
patted her. you've no idea what a
coward I was until you came. But the
moment / saw you all my fears van
ished. I was like a lost child who sud-
denly sees its father; In your arms I
felt perfectly safe, for the first time In
all my life. / think. IL couldn't bear
to go on without You, after this"
Dave found nothing to say; they
rode along side by side for a time in
a great contentment that required no
speech. Then Alaire asked:
"Dear. have you considered how we
ARE going to explain our m~arriagef"
wont the circumstances explain
it?'
Perhaps. And yet 1t seems ages
since I learned-what happened to Ed.
but in reality it's only a few hours.
Won't people talk?"
Dave caught at the suggestion. 81
see. Then let's keep 1t secret for the
present"
With q little reckless laugh she con-
fessed, Tim afraid Til find 1t diff
cult to be conventional"
my wife" he cried in sharp agony.
Leaning far out, he encircled her with
his arm; then, half lifting her from
her saddle, he crushed his lips to hers.
1t was his first display of emotion since
Father O'Malley had united them.
There were few villages along the
road they followed. and because of the
~lateness Of the hour all were dark,
hence the party passed through with
out exciting attention except from an
occasional wekeful dog. But as morn
ing came and the east began TO glow
Dave told the priest:
We've got to hide out during the
day OF we'll get into trouble. Besides.
these women must be getting hungry"
II fear there Is something feminine
about me-" confessed the little man.
"Tm famished, too"
At the next rancho they came to they
applied for shelter, but were denied I;
In fact, the owner cursed them so
roundly for being Americans that they
were glad to ride onward. A mile or
two farther along they met q cart the
driver of which refused to answer
their greetings. AS they passed out Of
his sight they saw that he had halted
his lean oxen and was staring after
them c~uriously. Later, when the sun
was well up and the world had fully
awakened. they deserted a mounted
man. evidently a cowboy, riding
through the chaparral. He saw them,
too. and came toward the road, blu.
after q brief scrutiny he whirled his
horse and galloped or through the cac
tus, shouting something over his shoul
der.
"This won't do" OMnlley declared
rncas!iy ~ acnst IKE the actions Of
these people. Let me appeal to ths
next person we meet. ! can't believs
they ali hate u.s..
Soon they came to q rise in the road
and from the crest Of this elevation be
held ahead Of them . small village Of
white houses shining from the shelter
Of q grove. The rsncheria was perhaps
two miles away, and %gaIloping towart
It was the vlquero who had challenged
them.
THAT'S the Rio Negro crossing
Dave announced Then spying . LITTLE
house squatting = short distance bacl
from the road. he said: WED bette
try yonder. II they turn rs down wei
have to take to the brush"
OMalley agreed. -ras and we hav,
no time to lose. That horseman II 80
Ing TO rouse the town I'm afrais
we're--in for It"
Dave nodded silently.
Leaving the beaten path. the refu
gees threaded their way through cac
tus and sage to I gate, catering which
they approached the straw-thatches
jacal they had seen. A naked boy baby
watched tncm draw near. then scuttIes
for shelter. piping IN alarm. A mai
appeared from somewhere, at sight O
whom the priest rode forward with I
pheasant greeting. But The fellow wal
unfricndly. His wife. too. emerged iron
the dwelling snc Joined her husband h
warning Father O'Malley away.
SLet me Try" Alaire begged, and
spurred her horse up to the group. Sh'
smiled down 1t the country people
saying: 1--WE hsve Travelled = ionI