Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-03-29

Alaire is gone to La Feria and is in
great danger.
Chapter XVIlI-Dave goes to Las
Palmas and arrives just after the muir.
der of Ed Austin.
Chaptef XIX-He rounds up jose,
gives lin the water cure and gets
from him confession that he killed Ed,
then starts for La Feria to protect
Alaire. whom he knows Longorio will
capture. He instructs Blaze to give
the whole matter the widest publicity
and to send Ellsworth to Washington
to sing battle hymns.
Dave remembered his first CONVERSE
ton with Phil Strange and the fortune.
teller's insistence that some powerful
person was behind Jose Sanchez. More
than three weeks ago Strange had fore
INST something very like tiis murder
of Ed Austin. Dave felt as If he were
The victim Of IN hystcrical inmSlna.
tom. Nevertheless, nc forced himself
to aS... quietly;
rs Jose Sanchez anywhere about /"
The rGnga boss shrugged. ~ sent
him 10 the east pasture this morning"
did he co."
"Eh? So. You suspect Jose of this.
God In heaven Jose is Il wild boy
But wait. I'll ask Juan If he saw him;
YES, and Victoria. too, That is Victoria
you hear squalling In The Kitchen. Wait
here"
Bcnito hurried away, leaving Dave Il
Frey TO perpicX.ty: bit he WIS back
acatn in Il few moments. His face was
grave.
".'osc did not go>io tie east pas.
ire" he said.
where Is he noW?"
mo one seems to know"
Law walked to his horse mounted
and gulloped away. nonlto. who
watched hlHl, saw that he turned to-
ward the river road which led to the
las ialnhS pumping piNnt.
The more Dave thought about Eh
Austin's death, the more certain he be-
ramc that it was in some way con
aectcd With Aaire's disappearance;
and The loose end by which the tanglc
might be unravclcd, It seemed 10 him,
+ lay IN the hands Of Rosa Morales,
Ioscs sweetheart. That Sanchez was
/ The murderer Dave now had little
doubt: hut since the chance of appre-
/ bending him was small. he turnod his
Iatte,Nion TO the girl. He would make
Rosa speak he told himself, If he had
i To use force-this was no time for gen.
lie methods. IF she knew aught of
hcr departure from LAS palmas, he
would find q way to wiring the truth
| from her Dawes face, n tritle too SOM
Der at all times, took on y grimmer
aspect nov, he felt a slow fury kind
ling in his brenst
Years Of experience had taught him
TO be always alert, even during his mo-
mcnts Of deepest preoccupation. and
so, from force of habit, when he came
TO the. pumplorse road he carefully
scanned IT, IN The dust were fresh
hoof-plnts leading toward the river.
Now he knew this rond to be seldom,
uscd, and therefore ne wondered who
could be riding It at a gallop In this
clustering midday heat. A few rods
farther on and his quick eye detected
something else--some tiny object that
brought him from his saddle. Out OF
the rut he picked n cigarette butt, the
fire Of which was cold but the paper of
which was still wet from the smokers
lips. He examined ii carefully; then
he remounted and rode on, pondering
Its Significance.
Dave loped ont Of the thicket and
straight across The clearing to the
MorIes house. Leaving Montrosu's
reins hanging he opened the door mud
entered without knocking. Rosa dp-
penred IN the opening to another room,
her eyes wide with fright at this mp
partition end Dave saw that she was
dressed In her finest, as II for holiday
or for a journey.
"Wherc's your fathcr?" he demanded.
Hes gone to Snngre de CrlstO.
What do you want?"
"When did he gO?"
"Thls morning, curly. He"