The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1917-06-21
CHAPTER xni--Continued.


Alaire drove ns swiftly rs she dared.
following the blurred streak of gray
that was the road. and taking he"
bumps with utter rccklcSsncss. Ahead
doomed 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 malu-travclcd highway
behind thcm-thc lights, evidently, of
Tad Lewis machine. \ moment later
Alaire's cur drove into the black shad-
ows. 1t had been n short, swift, eXcit.
ing ride. young Eds" runabout could
not be many minutes ahead of them.
The women got out, then breasted
the high grass and hrambles between
their hiding place and the pumphouSc
road. A hundred yards away they
could now see the ghOstly Rio Grandc,
its saffron surface family silvcred 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
uti AuT NY bill lNlIlhltu lit 'Ni'ltH''
that some belated citizens OF Romero
were still awake.
raloma had brought with her the
long'barreled rifle, and this she
clutched nervously as she and Alairc
stood whispering. Conditions were ia
vornble 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
clung. burst another automobile, and
Pnloma whispered ~excitedly.
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 car to turn OF It's lights, both wom-
en- saw that he carried a rifle. Evil
IDENTIFY Tad Lewis had come prepared
for desperate measures.
4 small door gave entrance 10 the
pumphouSc, and into the lock Of this
Mrs. Austin fitted II key the ncx mo-
ment she and raloma were safely In
side. Dusty. Cobwebbed windows let
in n faint ghoSt-glow of moonlight, but
prevented Clcpr observation of any
hing outside; Aluirc's fumbllng fin
gers found the latch and began to
lift II window, when someone spoke,
just outside the building,
"Whnt did you discovery" inquired
Il voice which neither woman rccog.
nizrd. Palomn clutchod hllndly for her
companion the two eavcSdroppcrs
stood rooted in their tracks. The
pounding uf their hearts sounded loud.
ly. Since the building was little more
than II wooden shell, they could plainly
hear the answer;
THE house Is full OF greasers. /
cant tell who hey are
A third man spoke, this tim" I'm
Spanish, "Thut was Tad Lewis who
just came, senior"
words indistlnguishablc To the listen
crs, then n rustic Of bodies moving
through the tall grass and weeds.
Paloma placed her W, close Ia
A~laire'sca "Who are those peOplcf'
she breathed.
II don't know. They must he tho
n g who came In that strange auto,
mobile"
Paloma chattered vlciously: EVERY.
body In Texas Is here. / wish we'd
thought 10 scatter tacks behind us
Cautiously they swung the door back
and looked cut. The open space alon.
the river bank was lcyeled by III,
,..uIl.IV. f-.u, N..l.as - -
their right, came the sound Of voices
The women waited.
A few moments, then a number %
men appeared. Paloma judged ther'
were ~ least n dozen, but she wa
too 'gcitcd 10 count them. As the,
came "~'rugsl!ng toward the pumphous'
u Cf ~, IA called back: