Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-04-02

nuI, hdc must nave ncen ont or ner
head. But we've got to do something.
We've got to burn the wires to Wash
ington--yes. and to Mexico City. We
must get The government TO send sol
diers after her. What have we got 'em
for. anyhOw?"
Washington won't do anything.
What can be done when there are thou
sands Of American women In the same
danger? What steps can the govern,
ment take with diplomatic relations
suspended? Those Sreasers are filling
their. tails with our people-rounding
'em up for the day of the big break.
No i.ongorin saw il all coming-he's
no fool. Hes got her; she's in there
trapped
Blaze took the speaker by the Shout
der and faced him about. Look here"
said he, TN beginnin' to get wise to
you. believe y0u're--ihe man In the
case" When Dave nodded he vented
his aiaazement in long whistle. After
a moment he asked, "Well, why lid you
want me to come here alone ahead of
The othcrs?"
because want YOU to know the
whole inside Of this thing so that you
can get busy when I'm gone: because |
want to borrow what money you
have :"
"What you amin to pull OFF," Blaze
inquired. suspiciously.
"IH going to find her and bring her
out"
'You? Why, Dave, you can't get
through This is II job for the sol
tllcrs."
But Dave hardly seemed to hear him.
you must start things moving ut
once" he said. urgently. Spread the
news, get the story into the papers,
notify the authorities. Get every in
luence at work. from here to head
quarters; get your senator and the
governor Of the state at work. ELS
worth will help You. And now give
ttie tVVI iilSt NOiItiIs
.Waze cnlptiel his pockets, shaking
his shaggy head the while. ia Feria
Is Il hundred and fifty miles ill.," he re-
monstrated.
"By rail from Pueblo. yes. But it's
barely hundred. straight from here"
"You amt got n chance. single-hand-
ed. You're craxy 10 try it,
Dave turned a sick, colorless face TO
his friend They'll carve Il stone for
LongOrio il do get through" He
called to Montrosa, and the mare came
to him, holding her head to ore side
so as not to tread upon her dragging
reins.
I'm most tempted to go with YOU
Blaze stammered uncertainty.
mo. Somebody has to stay here and
stir things up. If we had twenty men
like you we might cut our way in and
out but there's no time to organize.
and, anyhow, the government would
probably stop us. I've got Il hunch
that I'll make 1t. If don't--why, It's
all right
The two men shook hands lingering
ly. awkwardly; thea Blaze managed to
wish his friend luck. IF you don't
come back" he said, with n peculiar
catch in his voice, 81 reckon there's
enough good Texans left to follow your
trail. I'll sure look forward to It,"
Dave took the river bank TO Sangre
de Cristo, where. by means of the Iii
lapidated ferry, he gained the Mexican
side. Once across. he rode straight up
toward the village of Romero. Wher
challenged by an understood soldier
he merely spurrcd Montrosa forward,
| ewing the sentry so grimly that the
innn did no more than finger his rifle
uncertainty, cursing under his breath
the overbearing airs Of all grngos. Nor
did the rider trouble to make the slight
est dctOur, but cnntered the full length
of .Komero's dusty. street the target OF
IHUTe lHul ouc I,lbT VI itoStiie cteS. ~
those WIN saw him. soldiers and civil
lqns alike, it was evident that this
/ stranger had business and no one felt
chilled upon to question its. nature.
There are men who carW an air more
potent than Il hodyguard, and Dave
Law was one Of these. Before the vii
lage had thoroughly awakened to his
comng he was gone. without~a glance
to the right or left, without Il word to
anyone.
| When Romero was at his back he
rode for mile or two through region
of tny scattered farms and neglected
garden patches, after which he came
out into the mesquite. For all the
signs he saw, he might then have been
In the heart Of foreign country. Mex
leo had Swallowed ,hiin- .-,-se ,.t
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