Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1917-11-16
Copyright BY Harper g Brothers

night, like this?" she asked. II shall
be surprised if we are not assassinated
before morning"
ssHe must have meant it, Alaire
spike with conviction she did not
entirely feel. sFather O'Malley aroused
the finer side Of his nature"
Perhaps" agreed the priest. "Some-
where in him there is fear of God"
But Dave was skeptical. 'More like
~ fear of the gringo government, !"
said he. 'Longorio is a fourflusher.
When he realized he was licked he
tried to save his face by grandstand
play. He didn't want to let us CO."
"Then what is to prevent him from
well, 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, shall be
happy, for at last one of my dreams
has come true" He reached out and
patted her. you've no idea what q
coward was until you came. But the
moment I saw you all my fears van
ished. I was like lost child who sud-
denly sees it's father; in your arms
felt perfectly safe, for the first time in
all my life, think. II 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 marriage9"
"Won't the circumstances explain
lft?''
Perhaps. And yet It seems ages
since learned-what happened to Ed,
but in reality It's only few hours.
Won't people talk?"
Dave caught at the suggestion. 81
see. Then let's keep it secret for the
present"
With little reckless laugh she con-
fessed, Elm afraid I'll find it 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.
It 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 wakeful dog. But as morn
ing came and the east began to glow
Dave told the priest:
"We've got .tos hide out during the
day or We'll get into trouble. Besides,
these women must be getting hungry"
ST fear there is something feminine
about me-" confessed the little man.
'Im famished, too"
At the next rancho they came to they
applied for shelter, but were denied ;
n 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 cart the
driver of which refused to answer
his sight thev saw that he had halted
his lean oxen and was staring after
them curiously. Later, when the sun
was well up and the world had fully
awakened, they deserted mounted
man, evidently cowboy, riding
through the chaparral. He saw them,
too, and came toward the road, but
after brief scrutiny he whirled his
horse and galloped off through the cac-
tus, shouting something over his Shout
der.
sThis won't do" O'Malley declared,
uneasily. 81 don't like the actions of
these people. Let me appeal to the
next person we meet. / can't believe
they all hate u.s.
Soon they came to rise in the road,
and from the crest of this elevation be-
held ahead Of them a small village of
white houses shining from the shelter
of grove. The rancheria was perhaps
two miles away, and galloplng toward
it was the vaquero who had challenged
them.
"That's the Rio Negro crossing y
Dave announced. Then spying a little
house squatting a short distance back
from the road, he said: WED better
try yonder. If they turn us down We'll
have to take to the brush"
O'Malley agreed. eyes, and we have
no time to lose. That horseman is go
| ing to rouse the town. I'm afraid
we're-in for it"
Dave nodded silently.
Leaving the beaten path, the refu-
gees threaded their way through cac-
tus and sage to gate, entering which
they approached the straw-thatched
jacal they had seen. A naked boy baby
watched them draw near, then scuttled
for shelter, piping an alarm. A man
appeared from somewhere, at sight of
whom the priest rode forward with a
pleasant greeting. But the fellow was
unfriendly. His wife, too, emerged from
the dwelling and joined her husband in
warning Father 0'Malley away.
'Let me try" Alaire begged, and