The Huttig news., 1917-05-19

safe over there. If war is declared, a | good many of them will never be heard | from. He knows that. He's got her safe. She can't get out"
 Blaze was very grave when next he l spoke. "Dave, this is bad-bad. l can't understand what made her go. | Why, she must have been out of her | 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 I sands of American women in the same 1 danger? What steps can the govern ment take with diplomatic relations suspended? Those greasers are filling their jails with our peopie-roundin 'em up for the day of the big break. No, Longorio saw it all comiig--he'S no fool He's got her; she's in there trapped"
 Blaze took the speaker by the shonl- utI anu ldtCN tiiIi ufpii. Lboh utEeI said he, "Im beginnin' to get wise to you. believe you're-the man in the case" When Dave nodded. he vented his amaZement in long whistle. After q moment he asked, Well, why did you want me to come here alone, ahead of the otherS?"
 'Because I want you to know the whole inside of this thing so that you can get busy when I'm gone because I want to borrow what money you have"
 "What you aimin' to pull off?" Blaze inquired. suspiciously.
 "I'm going to find her and bring her out"
 "You? Why, Dave, you can't get through. This is a job for the sol diers."
 But Dave hardly seemed to hear him. You must start things moving at once," he said, urgently. Spread the news, get the story into the papers, notify the authorities. Get every in fuence 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 me your last dollar"
 Blaze emptied his pockets, shaking nnagsy ieau tne walie. La Feria is hundred and fifty miles in" he re- monstrated.
 'By rail from Pueblo. yes. But it's barely hundred, straight from here.'
 You ain't got chance, single-hand- ed. You're crazy to try it.a
 Dave turned sick, colorless face to his friend. They'll carve stone for Longorio if 1 do get through" He called to Montrosa, and the mare came to him, holding her head to one side so as not to tread upon her dragging reins.
 "rm most tempted to go with you Blaze stammered uncertainty.
 "No. Somebody has to stay here and stir things up. If We had twenty mer like you we might cut our way in and out, but there's no time to organize, | and. anyhow, the government would l probably stop us. I've got hunch that I'll make it. If I don't-why, it's 
 all right"
 The two men shook hands lingering ly, awkwardly: then Blaze managed to wish his friend luck. If you don't come back" he said, with a peculiar catch in his voice, "I reckon there's i 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 di- lapidated ferry, he gained the Mexican side Once across he rode straight up toward the village of Romero. When challenged by an undersized soldier he merely spurred Montrosa forward, eying the sentry so grimly that the man did no more than finger his rifle uncertainty, cursng under his breath the overbearing airs of all gringos. Nor did the rider trouble to make the slight est detour. but cantered the full length | of Romero's dusty street, the target of more than one pair of hostile eyes. To those who saw him, soldiers and civil 1 ians alike, it was evident that this stranger had business, and no one felt cdlleu upon tO QueSliOu us HdlHtt. There are men who carry an air more potent than bodyguard, and Dave Law was one of these. Before the vil lage had thoroughly awakened to his coming he was gone, without a glance to the right or left, without word to anyone.
 When Romero was at his back he rode for a mile or two through region of tiny 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 ico had swallowed him.
 As the afternoon heat subsided, Mont rosa let herself out into freer gait and began to cover the distance rapid- ly, heading due west through land of cactus and dagger, of thorn and barb and bramble.
 The roads were unfenced, the mea-