The Raymer enterprise., 1917-07-26
CHAPTER Xlll-continued.

-1S@
Alaire drove us swiftly as she dared,
following the blurred streak OF gray
that was the road and taking the
bumps with utter recklessness. Ahead
loomed the dark ridge OF the river
thickets, II dense rampant of mesquite.
But even before they were sheltered
from the moonlight Paloma saw the
lights of another automobile approach
Ing along the main-trayeled highway
behind them-the lights, evidently, of
Tad Lewis machine. A moment later
Alaire's car drove into the black shad-
ows. II had been short, swift, excit-
lng'fide. "Young Eds" runabout could
not be many minutes ahead of them.
The women got out, then breasted
the high grass and brambles between
their hiding place and the pnmphouse
road A hundred yards away they
could now see the ghostly Rio Grande.
Its saffron surface falntly sllvered by
the low moon lights cleaned from the
windows of Morales house. In the
distance the vague outlines of the Mex
lean shore were resolving themselves,
and far beyond twinkled the evidence
that some beated citiz 'us OF Romero
Nerc still awake.
Paloma had brought with her the
long barreled rifle, and this she
clutched uervously as she and Alalre
stood whispering. Conditions were IA
vorable for an approach TO the pump
house itself. They had nearly reached
their goal when out into the clearing
behind them, with metallic rattle and
ching. burst another automobile, and
Palomn whispered excltedly.
There's the Lewis outfit at last"
In the Lewis car were several men
They descended hurrledly, and when
one of them ran around the front OF
the cnr to turn of Its lights, both won.
en- saw that he carried rifle. Evil
IDENTIFY Tad Lewis had come prepared
for desperate measures.
A small door gave entrance to the
pumphousc, and into the lock OF this
Mrs. Austin fitted key; the next mo-
mcnt she and Paloma were safely In
side. Dusty, cobwebbed windows let
10 faint ehost-glow of moonlight, but
prevented clear observation of any
thing outside; Alalre's fumbllng fin
gers found the latch and began to
lift a window, when someone spoke,
Just outside the building.
"What did you dlscover?" .nqulred
q voice which neither wcmdn recog-
nizcd. Paloma clutched blindly for her
companion: the two savesdroppers
stood rooted In tbei. tracks. The
pounding of their hearts sounded loud
ty Since the building was little more
than wooden shell, they could plainly
hear the answer:
"The house Is full of greasers. /
can't tell who they are'
A third man spoke, this time In
Spanish. ."rhat was Tad Lewis who
just came, senor."
There followed some whispered
words 'ndistingulshable to the listen
ers, tien rustic of bodies moving
through the tall grass and weeds.
Paloma placed her lips close to
Alaire's ear. "Who are those people?'
she breathed.
Il don't know. They must be the
ones who came In that strange auto-
mobile"
Pnloma chattered vlciously: EVERY
body In Texas Is here. | wish we'd
thought to scatter taeks behind us"
Cautiously they swung the door back
and looked out The open space along
the river bank was leveled by the
moonlight; from Morales house, to
their right, came the sound of voices.
The women waited.
A few moments, then number of
men appeared. Paloma judged there
we're at least dozen, but she was
too excited to count them. As they
mme struggling toward the purphouse
one nf them called back: