The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1917-05-10
CHAPTER viii.
Following Up the Trail.

Following Up the Trail.
Dave was glad that he had swal-
lowed young Eds" incivility, not only
for his WI sake, but for the sake Of
Alairc. After all, he argued, It was
barely possible that Ed had spoken the
truth. There were many sorrel horses;
the evidence of those ruin-washod hoof-
prints was far from conclusive: even
the fact that Urbina belonged To the
Tad Lewis outfit was no more than II
suspicious circumstance. And yet, ear
ncStly us he strove to convince himself
Of these possibilities, the Ranger could
not down the conviction that the ranch
or had lied and that he himself was on
the right track.
II was late when he arrived AT his
destination. but Lewis house was dark,
and II required some effort to awaken
the owner. When Tad ut last APP
pcurcd, clad In undcrshirt and trOu-
sers, he greeted the Ranger with II lev.
elcd rifle: but when Dave had
made known his identity, he invited
| him in, though with surly reluctance.
Lewis was n snndy-complcXioned
man Of about forty. with colorlcss
brows and II mean. shifty eye. For
mcrly a cowboy, he had by the eXer-
else of some natural ability acquired II
good propcrty-and II bad reputation.
Just how or why he had prospered
was Il mystery which his neighbors
never tired Of discussing.
Tad. it seemed, resented any inter
,,,Ia 80 btp SCOT nVl Shnxrnl tln
fact plainly.
Yes, he employed n fellow named
Urbina. What was wanted Of him?
Law explained briefly.
"Why, he's one Of my best men y
laughed the rancher. ale wouldn't
steal nothing"
"Well, / had to shoot another good
man Of years" Dave said quietly.
Lewis fell back II step. (which one?
WhoT" he inquired quickly.
"Pino Garzn." Dave told OF the
meeting ut the branding fire and its
outcome. He was aware, meanwhile,
that Lewis family were listening, for
behind a half-open bedroom door he
could hear an excited whispering.
"Killed the first shot. eh?" Tad was
dumfounded. "Now, l never thought
Pine was that bad. But you never can
tell about these Greasers, can you?
They'll all steal II they get n chance.
let Pine go, bout n week back but
he's been hangin' around. amin to
, visit some of his relatives up In the
, brush country. 1t was probably one
Of them old Guzman saw. Anyhow, it
| couldn't of been Adolfo Urbina; he
was over to Las Palmas all the after
, noon"
"Did you send him there?"
: "Sure. Ed Austin can tell YOU"
|. "Where Is Urbina now?"
81 reckon he's asleep somewhere,
Wen dig him up and talk TO him, If
you say So"
But Adolfo Urbina was nowhere to
: be found. No II had seen him since
about seven o'clock. nor could II be dis.
covered where he was spending the
4 night. Dave remembered that 1t had
been about seven when he left Las Pal
mas. and nscertained, indirectly, that
Tad had n telephone. ON his way from
e Austin's Law had stopped at n rancho
4 for II bite to eat, but he could forgive
himself for the delay II, rs he sur.
n missed, Urbina had been warned by
[ wire Of his coming.
g "That's too bad. amt 1T" Lewis
said. "But he'll be around again In the
G morning, ana I'll get him for you. You
leave II to me-"
There was plainly nothing to do but
accept this offer, since 1t could avail
nothing to wait here for Urbina's re-
turn. Unless the fellow gave himself
d up. he probably could not be found
now that the alarm was given, withou,
h Il considerable search - In view OF
k which Dave finally remountcd his Dor
rowed horse and rode away In the di
o rection OF Jonesville.
II was after daylight when he dis
p mounted stifly at Blaze's gate. II,
o was wet TO the skin and despatched
'. with mud; he had been almost con
q stantly In the saddle for twenty-foul
hours, and Don Rlcardo's COW pony
was almost exhausted.
II Blaze and Paloma, of course, wer,
10 tremendously interested In his story.
l. "Say, now, that's quick work." tht
IS latter exclaimed, heartily. "You'r'
some t~hlef-bustcr, Dave, and II you'll
Is just stay around here little calves caI
A. grow up with some comfort"
1t When Dave rode 10 Joncsville. afte,
breakfast, he found that the body %
m his victim had been brought In durlni
the night, and that the town was al
It ready buzzlng with news Of the encoun
IL ter. During the forenoon Don Ricard,
and his sons arrived, bringing addi
n tional Information, which they prompt
% ly impaired to the Ranger. The Guz
~ mans were people of action. All three
" Of them had spent the night on horse
back. and Pedro had made n discovery
N On the day previous CARA had beel
seen riding In company with u maj
ID astride n sorrel pony, and this ma
le had been recognized MS Adolfo Urbinu