The Lamar register., 1917-10-24
CHAPTER XIV.
A Grateful Peon.

lnrOusn the night at ner nuSDanu
side. The strain of the last few hours
had been so intense, the relief at her
deliverance so keen, that now she felt
curiously weak, and she kept close to
Dave, comforted by his nearness and
secure in the knowledge Of his strength.
Although he was unusually taciturn
and rode with his chin upon his breast,
she attributed his silence to fatigue.
Now and then, therefore, she spurred
to his side and spoke softly, caressing-
ly. At such times he reached for her
hand and clung to 1t.
Dave was indeed weary; he was, IN
fact, In sort of stupor, and not infre-
| quently he dozed for a moment or two
In his saddle. Some two hours out
| from La Ferin the riders halted at a
point where the road dipped into a
rocky stream-bed; then, as the horses
drank, Dolores voiced n thought that
had troubled nll of them.
"If that bandit really means to spare
US, why did he send us away in the
night, like thIs?" she asked. 81 shall
be surprised If we are not assassinated
before morning"
"He must have meant IT," Alaire
spoke with n conviction she did not
entirely feel. "Father OMalley 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
ly fear Of the gringo government"
said he. "LongOrio is n fourfusher
When he realized he was licked he
tried to save his face by n grandstand
play. He didn't want to let us 60"
Then what is to prevent MIN 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: "No
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 a
coward l was until you came. But the
moment l saw you all my fears van
lshed. / was like lost child who sud
denly sees its 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 time in
great contentment that required no
speech. Then Ahirc asked:
Dear. have you considered how we
are going to explain our marriage"
Wont the circumstances explain
it?"
Perhaps. And yet 1t seems ages
since learned-what happened to Ed
but In reality it's only n few hours
Won't people talk7"
Dave caught at the suggestion. q
see. Then let's keep 1t secret for the
present"
With n little reckless laugh she con
fessed. 'I-rm afraid I'll find it diff
cult to be conventional"
MY wifei' 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 wakeful dog. But as morn
iog came and the east began to glow
Dave told the priest:
we've got to hide out during the
day or wen get into trouble. Besides,
these women must be getting hungry"
II fear there is something feminine
about me-" confessed the little man.
I'm famished, too"
At the next rancho they came to they
applied for shelter but were denied ;
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 a 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 curlously. 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, bu'
after brief scrutiny he whirled his
horse and galloped Off through the cac
tus, shouting something over his shoul
der.