Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1917-06-21
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AROMANCF OF
LDMEXICO
ShH.vAN LOAN
NOVELIZED FROM THE PHO
TOPLAY SERIAL OF THE
SAME NAME, RELEASED BY
THE UNIVERSAL FILM MAN
UFACTURINC COMPANY
EIGHTH EPISODE
The Desert of Lost Souls.


Major Winston pictured the scene in
Washington which resulted in the or
der and then, without comment, hand
ed the laconic message to his aide de
camp, Captain Rutledge.
Diplomatic negotiations be hanged"
glance.
Here we are four hundred miles
into Mexico with Lopez almost in our
grasp-and now they tell us to lie
down and twiddle our thumbs.
81 wish, by Cad, that Washington
was down on the border where Deming
is. Then some of those chicken
skinned politicians under the capitol
dome would realize conditions
IF some of their own women had
been outraged as have been the wives
of Americans in Mexico along the bor-
der, if their homes had been burned
over their heads, if they had seen their
relatives taken from their beds in the
night and shot on American soil by
a mob of pulque-craZy MeXicans, if"
Rutledge crumpled the telegram into
a ball and tossed it into latrine.
my boy" admonished Major Win
ston, 81 have been in the army for
thirty-odd years. I know how they do
things in Washington. Politics-al-
ways politics. But 1 have learned
have learned. Curse in the privacy
of your tent, if you wish, my boy, but
obey orders"
do you mean to say, Major, that
you will give up the attempt to res
cue Liberty-to deliver her over to
that gang? Are you going to permit
her to remain with greaser camp
dogs? The girl will kill herself
before she permits Lopez to lay
hand upon her."
''They have killed our men, Rut-
ledge" the Major at last responded.
''They have destroyed our property.
They have outraged our women. But
Washington moves in devious paths"
The Major turned toward the waiting
aviator.
Report that orders have been re-
ceived twenty-five miles southwest of
the Horton hacienda, that Lopez is
near Los Alamos, fifty miles from our
present camp, that it is impossible for
us to camp here and that we will with
draw to or near the Horton hacienda
and establish headquarters there"
The aviator saluted and withdrew to
his machine.
Pedro, from distance, watched the
aviators preparing to return to their
base with the Majors message. AS he
gazed he saw a figure between himself
and the avfators stealthily creeping
among the sand dunes and taking COW
er behind tufts of grass and cactus
beds.
Pedro decided to investigate. Hur-
rying across the dunes he came upon
a Mexican listening to the conversation
of the aviators.
Lopez will be glad to hear that the
troops are going to give up the chase"
remarked the aeroplane messenger.
''Yes, and while they're having some
more diplomatic negotiations at Wash
ington, Lopez will probably raid a
few more border towns, kill a half
hundred more Americans, outrage more
American women and destroy all the
property they can before we get orders
to go ahead again. Diplomatic nego-
tiationsI scoffed the aviator adjusting
his sand goggles. 81 believe in civil
LIKING them with a Krag or a good old
Lewis machine gum"
Alvira, the Mexican, smiled to him.
self and was on the point of stealing
away with the valuable information
that Washington had given up the
chase when Pedro pounced upon him.
Leaping from the top of the sand
mound, Pedro seized the Mexican spy
from behind with stranglehold- Al
vira gasped and collapsed meekly in
Pedro's arms With his knotty mus
cles standing out like whip cords, Pc
dro then swung the Mexican, half as
large again as himself, to his shout
ders and carried him down to where
the astonished aviators stood
'This spy has been listening to your
remarks" said Pedro. ''IwOuld advise
you both to be little more discreet
in the future. / am taking him down
to Major Winston"
Both aviators laughed as the dimin-
utive Pedro again shOuldered his