The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1917-08-02
CHAPTER xlx.-continued,

CHAPTER xlx.-continued.
Blaze took the speaker by the Shout
der and faced him about. "Look here"
said he, "I'm beginnin' to get wise to
you. l believe you're-the man in the
case" When Dave nodded, he vented
his amazement in a long whistle. After
a moment he asked, swell, why did you
want me to come here alone, ahead Of
the others?"
Because I want you to know the
whole inside of this thing so that you
car get busy when I'm gone; because 1
want to borrow what money you
have"
"What you amin to pull off" Blaze
inquired, suspiciously.
SIN going to find her and bring her
out"
"You? Why, Dave, you can't get
through. This is a 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
nuence at work, from here to head
quarters; get your senator and the
governor of the state at work. Ellis
worth will help you. And now give
me your last dollar"
Blaze emptied his pockets, shaking
his shaggy head the while. LA Feria
Is a hundred and fifty miles in" he re-
monstrated.
by rail from Pueblo, yes. But it's
barely a hundred, straight from here"
you amt got a chance, single-hand-
ed. You're crazy to try it..
Dave turned a sick, colorless face to
his friend. They'll carve a stone for
Longorio if I do get through" He
called to Montrosa, and the mare came
to 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.
mo. Somebody has to stay here and
stir things up. If we had twenty men
like you W might cut Jul way in and
out, but there's no time to organize,
and, anyhow, the government would
probably stop us. I've got a bunch
that I'll make it. If I don't-why, it's
all right"
The two men shook hands lingering
~, awkwardly; then Blaze managed to
wish his friend luck "If you don't
come back" he said, with a peculiar
catch in his voice, II 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 di-
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 grimly 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 detour, 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 it's nature
There are men who carry an air more
potent than a bodyguard, and Dave
Law was one Of these. Before the vii
lage had thoroughly awakened to his
coming he was gone, without a glance
to the right or left, without a word to
anyone.
When Romero was at his back he
of tiny scattered farms and neglected
garden patches, after which he came
nut into the mesquite. For all the
signs he saw, he might then have been
in the heart Of q foreign country. Mex
leo had swallowed him.
AS the afternoon heat subsidized, Mont
rosa let herself out into a freer gait
and began to cover the distance rapid
ly, heading due west through a lane
Of cactus and dagger, Of thorn an6
barb and bramble.
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 it glori,
fed the whole mean, thirsty, crue
countryside.
Dawes eyes were set upon that riot
of blazing colors, but for the time II
failed to thrill him. In that welter OF
changing hues and tints he saw only
red. Red! That was the color o.
blood; it stood for passion, lust, VIC
lence; and it was a 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 there was gold in the sunset
too-the yellow gold of ransom! That
was Mexico-red and yellow, blood and
gold, lust and license. Once the riders
fancy began to work in this fashion, i,