Macon beacon., 1917-08-31
CHAPTER Xlx.-Continued.

10
Blaze took the speaker by the shoul-
DER and faced him about. Look here"
said ne, I'm beginnin' to get wise TO
you. believe you're-the man In the
case When Dave nodded. he vented
Ills ama2ement in long whistle. After
a moment he asked, "Well, why did yeu
want me to come here alone, ahead of
the OtherS?"
because | want you to know the
"hole inside of this thing so that you
can get busy when I'm gone; because
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 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
fluence at work, from here to head
quarters; get your senator and the
Ssvernor Of the state at work. ELS
worth will help you. And now give
me your last dollar"
Blaze cmpted his pockets, shaking
his shaggy head the while. la Feria
IS hundred and fifty miles in" he re-
monStratcd.
by rail from Pueblo, yes. But it's
barely hundred, straight from here"
You amt got chance, single-h9nd-
: ed. You're crazy to try it."
Dave turned a sick, colorless face to
his friend. They'll carve a stone for
Longorio if l do get through" He
called to Montrosa, and the mare came
10 him, holding her head to one side
SO as not to tread upon her dragging
reinS
I'm most tempted to go with you"
Blaze stammered uncertainty.
NO Somebody has to stay here and
stir things up. If we had twenty men
+ llkS you we might cut our way in and
ouE but there's 40 time to organize,
and, anyhow, the government would
probably stop US. I've got a hunch
that I'll make it. If | don't-why, it's
nl right"
The two men shook hands lingering
ly, oWllwardly; then Blaze managed to
wish his friend luck. IF you don't
come back" he said, with 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 d.
lapidated ferry, he gained the Mexican
side. Once across, he rode straight up
toward the village OF Romero. When
challenged by an understood soldier
he merely spurred Montrosa forward,
eying the sentry so grmly that the
man did no more than finger his rifle
uncertainty, cursing under his breath
the overbearing airs of all gringos. Nor
did the rider trouble to make the slight
est det0ur, 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
ianS alike it was evident that this
stranger had business, and no one felt
called upon to question its nature.
There are men who carry an air more
potent than bodyguard. and Dave
Law WAS one of these Before the vii
lage had thoroughly awakened TO his
coming he was gone without a glance
10 the right or left, without word to
anyone.
When Romero was at his back he
rode for mile or two through a 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
leo had swallowed him.
As the afternoon heat subsidized, Mont
rosa let herself out into q freer gait
and began to cover the distance rapid
ly, heading due west through a land
of cactus and dagger, of thorn and
barb and hramble.
The roads were unfenced, the mea-
dows desolate; the huts were frequent
ly untenanted. Ahead the sky burned
splendidly, and the sunset grew more
brilliant, more dazzling. until 1t glori-
fed the whole mean, thirsty, cruel
HcOuntryside.
Il Dawes eyes were set upon that riot
itof blazing colors, but for the time 1t
failed to thrill him. In that welter of
changing hues and tints he saw only
red. Red! Tlht was the color of
blood; it stood for passion, lust, vio-
lence; and 1t was fitting badge of
color for this land of revolutions and
alarms. At first he saw little else
except the hint OF black despair to fol-
low. But I;ere was gold in the sunset,