Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1917-06-28
NINTH EPISODE.
A Daughter of Mars.

Liberty now had two weapons, the
guards rifle and the revolver she had
found under the blanket. The sight of
Lopez and Manuel laughing as they
talked beside the cases of ammunition
gave her an idea.
Slowly she raised the rifle between
the bars of the cell window and pulled
the trigger.
A tremendous explosion followed as
the bullet struck a case of dynamite.
Lopez and Manuel were buried beneath
a mountain of sand. Attracted by the
| mysterious explosion, a hundred SOL
diers came running to their aid.
They helped carry Lopez into the
| hut which he made his quarters.
"A few bad cuts, but otherwise neith-
| err of them are seriously injured" re-
marked the surgeon after a cursory
| examination.
A half mile from the explosion Pedro
and Rutledge lay snuggled behind a
sand mound.
That's strange" remarked Rut-
ledge. 81 was just drawing a bead on
that pile of cases when up she went"
Bob and Pedro had tethered their
where they lay hidden
st guess we had better get back to
the horses remarked Rutledge. ''They
will be Investigating soon, and we don't
want to be caught without our
mounts
Upon reaching the top of the next
sand knoll Rutledge made a disheart-
ening discovery. Their horses were
gone!
"Now we are up against it," declared
Rutledge savagely.
The Mexicans, never suspecting that
Liberty had fired the shot which blew
up their ammunition, had now sepa-
rated into bands and were securing
the surrounding desert for the Amerf-
in the vicinity. Two of Lopez horse
men topped the rise hundred feet
from Rutledge and Pedro.
Pedro and Bob hurrfedly scurried
across the sand and without waiting
a moment jumped to the backs of the
horses. The two Mexicans cried out in
fright as the Americans sprang up be-
hind them. Pedro, with his superior
| strength, was able to grasp his man
| with strangle hold which prevented
I
| Rutledge had his hands full. His man
turned upon him savagely. whipping
out his knife at the same moment.
terrific struggle followed. The
Mexican succeeded in reaching his re-
volver after Rutledge had wrenched
his knife from him. Before Rutledge
could prevent him the Mexicah had
fired warning shot, which attracted
the attention of the Mexicans in the
valley.
Some miles farther on Pedro'S Mex
| lean also began to show fight. The why
| young scout made short work of him,
| however
Bob now realized that it was his life
| against the Mexican's, and when the
| latter, after firing shot to attract
| his fellow bandits, turned the barrel
| on him, Rutledge shot without hesita-
| ton and ducked as the Mexican's bull
| let whizzed by his head. The Mexi-
| can dropped dead.
Using the bandits body as a shelter,
| Bob now turned his attention to the
| Mexicans who were drawing in upon
| him.
This is the finish,'' thought Rut-
| ledge, unless Pedro gets back in time
with Winston and the boys"
Liberty, waking from her afternoon
| siesta, walked to the window of her
| cell to gaze upon the havoc created by
| the explosion of the ammunition and
| dynamite Across the sands she saw a
body of Medcans leading a familiar
| figure toward the hut which Lopez
made his headquarters
Bob Rutledge,'' she gasped. as the
| figures drew closer
The bandits halted in front of Lo-
| pez's cabin where Liberty could see
and hear everything that passed.
well, my gallant American cap
| sain," sneered Lopez, 81 suppose you
/ nre after Liberty over there in the
| hut?' Lopez pointed to the white
faced girl who peered out from behind
| Americanism.