The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-08-18

unLll hurOkl mas tnat Sne VIII tell
him nothing; and he won't find out
that before we effect her rescue"
"And you will send after her-|
"AS soon as it's dark enough for our
men to move without being seen-the
strongest force we can spare. and the
best mounted. For the present, how
ever, We must keep this quiet; If the
boys get so much as hint of what's
happened. therell be no holding them.
Not a soul must know"
The gravel of the patio walk
crunched beneath a firm and alert
tread. Parr looked up.
Except ROdman," he amended, rec
Ognizing the newcomer. Him we must
tell, of course; and if anything does
| leak out before we're ready, ne can
control the boys if anybody can"
Throughout this conversation Bud
had neither moved nor made sign to
signify that he understood the subject
Of discussion. And when, some ten
minutes later, Donald and Rodman
tried TO rouse him. he stirred TO the
touch of their hands only to lift up
face from which every trace of intelli-
Chile expression had been erased; its
eyes were blank: its firm lines were
relaxed; its mouth gaped like Gre
tins. The kindly words they spoke to
him had no effect upon a mind I'M
hinged by the anguish it had suffered.
Gently, then. the two men lifted him
and, one on either side, holding his
arms over their shoulders, led him
away 10 bedchamber, undressed him,
bandaged his wounds, and put him to
bed.
Leaving Patria to watch by his bed
side for a time, Donald and Pslsbsry
returned to the library to plan the
rescue.
An hour later Patria in panic found
them there with the news that she had
e left Buds side for a few moments
I thinking him sound asleep, only to find
; the room empty on her return. In an
amazingly short time the man had
] Weakened, dressed and made his es
r cape.
d Their search for him ended half 9
d mile from the house, at the CORA
i where number of the cow-punchers
n had been amusing themselves by try
ing to tame a half a score Of unbrokeI
n bronchos. Bud had found his way
e thither and was babbling out frag
n ments of his story to circle of sym
pathetic but bewildered friends.
D, If IL was too late 10 stop him, Rod
4 mans influence with his employees
W proved to be all that Donald had as
l. serted it was.
d In earliest dark of night, then,
In picked force of fOrty-eight cOw-punch
T. ers, led by Rodman himself, rod
i'd quietly by twos and threes, rendez
u voused at an agreed place, crossed tn
p border in it's most isolated secretion
r and vanished silently into the blac
mystery of Mexico.
10 AIR LANES.
There was little sleep for Patri
that night. Visions of the fate {
% women kidnapped across the bo<de
memories of tales she had heard sine
her arrival at the ranch, haunted he
:. In the cool blue twilight Of daw
she was up and dressing herself in ht
awaiting clothes.
She went down to the patio to fin
Donald there, watching for the da
awaiting the word ii must bring ther
" with a face drawn and haggard wit
:. sleeplessness.
Together they breakfasted poorl
choking down a few mouthfuls of foo
and some coffee, then motored o.
through the still hush Of the newbol
1" day to the aviation field.
Early though they were, they did n
Au forestall the men Of Patria's fiyiI
corps. Already two machines were
the air. aglow with the young .su
IL light, rising like petals of gold win
;. swept through the blue. Six mo
were preparing to rise. The renal
to ing eight biplanes Of the air squadr
y were still nestled in their hangers.
n Her impotence would not let T
ms trfa wait for the reports of those W
er- were already climbing the skies,
Ill specting the countryside south Of [
50 border.
pm Ordering out her own biplane-t
e machine, that is, in which she h
re gained all her practice and experfen
as an aviatrice-she took the pilO
p- seat and, refusing to permit Donald
ar- anyone else to accompany n
ng grasped the controls and shot hol
the switch which operated the sc
es- starter.
no Winging up in long slant, the
plane gained the thousand-foot lev
then began to move southwark in wit
ic- curved sweeps.
er- There was little air astir-just
MS gentle and steady breeze from
tly west. Aerial navigation offered
ng problems TO distract Patria's attenti
ex- from the landscape beneath it. L
of keen. youthful eyes. sharpened by
ed licitude, inspected it closely. missi
no salient feature. Her gaze traC
ed every highroad and tortuous
re- way, probed every covert, pei
I srated every gulley and fold
Ter the foreshortened hills, recognized
TO familiar movement of provincial Nj
-. ;o,r nee ,bot formed tho laDdSc1 u,