The Snowflake herald., 1917-08-03


into a jargon Of Oaths and exclama-
tionS.
"Right in the MOUTH The fellow
was in death before he realized it."
"See! 1t is as we thought, Pedro !;
one of Lewis! Use! Use! Use
What sight"
"Who is he?" Queried the officer.
"PinO Cara, one of the worst !"
chimed the two Guzmans.
Ricardo was dancing in his excite
ment. 81 told you that Lewis knew
something. The other one got past
me, but l cannot shoot like-this."
1t was difficult to secure a connected
story from Ricardo, but he finally
made it plain that at the first reporf
the other thief had fled. exposing him
self only long enough for the old MAI
to take a quick shot in his direction.
Ricardo had missed, and the miscre-
ant was doubtless well away by this
time. He had ridden a sOrrel horse,
that was all Ricardo could remember.
Law looked only briefly at the grlle-
some results of his craftsmanship
then he turned back to the body of his
beloved mare. Ricardo noticed at
length that he was crying; as the
Ranger knelt beside the dead thor
oughbred, the old Mexican whispered
to his son:
"Valgame Dios! This is a strange
fellow. He weeps like a woman. He
must have loved that horse as a man
loves his wife. Who can understand
these gringos?" After a time he ap-
preached cautiously and inquired !:
''What shall we do with this hombre,
senior? Pedro has found his horse"
Law reused himself With his own
hands he gently removed Bessie Bellies
saddle, bride and blanket, then he
gave his orders.
''Tll take your horse, Ricardo, and
you take-that fellows. Get a wagon
and move him to Jonesville."
"And you?"
I'm going to follow that man on the
sorrel."
The dead mans saddle was left be-
side the body; then when the ex-
change of mounts had been effected,
and all was ready, Law made a re-
quest that amazed both father and son.
IF I'm not back by morning, 1 want
you to bury my mare" His voice
broke; he turned away his face. "Bury
her deep, Ricardo, so-the coyotes
can't dig her up; right where she fell.
I'll be back to see that it's done right.
Understands
"Bueno! I understand perfectly.
She was a pretty horse. She was your
bonita, eh? Well, you have a big
heart, senior, as a brave man should
have. Everything shall be done as
you wish; | give you my hand on it,"
Ricardo reached down and gripped
Laws palm. "We will name our pas
ture for her, too, because it is plain
you loved her dearly. So, then, until
tomorrow"
Law watched his two friends ride
away, then, with a miserable ache in
his throat, he mounted and rode off
to pick up the trail of the man on the
Sorrel pony.
The fellow had ridden in the direc-
tion of Las Palmas, which Dave Judged
must be fully twelve miles away, and
when they continued to maintain this
course the Ranger became doubly in
terested. He risked his own interpre-
tatiOn of the riders intent and pushed
on without pausing to search out the
trail step by step. At the second gate
the signs indicated that his man was
little more than an hour ahead of him.
The prospect of again seeing the
ruddy-haired mistress of Las Palmas
stirred Law more deeply than he cared
to admit. Nevertheless, he was uncom-
fortably aware that she had a hus-
band. Not only so, but the sharp con-
trast in their positions was disagree
able to contemplate; she was unbeliev-
ably rich, and a person of influence in
the state, while he had nothing except
his health, his saddle and his horse
No; no horse now. she was gone.
The mist and an early dusk prevent
I'd him from seeing Las Palmas itself
Until he was well in among the irr1-
gated fields. A few moments later,
when he rode up to the Outbuildings,
le encountered a middle-aged Mexican,
who proved to be BenitO Gonzalez the
range boss.
Dave made himself known, and Be
'nito answered his questions with ap-
parent honesty. No, he had seen moth
ing Of sOrrel horse or a strange rider,
but he had just come in himself.
Doubtless they could learn more from
Juan, the hOrse-wrangler, who was
somewhere about.
Juan was finally found, but he
proved strangely recalcitrant. He ad-
mitted that he had seen a horse of
the description given. Probably it be-
longed to some stranger.
Dave changed his tactics. "Oiga y he
said, sternly. 'Do you want to go to
jail?' Juan had no such desire. "Then