The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-07-18

over MS shoulder and Jerked out his
orders; then he kicked his tired
mount into a swifter gaIlop. 1t was
he who first broke out into the clear
ing. One glance, and the story was
told.
The hut was but a crumbling skel-
eton of charred poles. Strung out
across the little field of malangas,
yuccas and sweet potatoes were sew
eral hilarious volunteers, their arms
filed with loot from the cabin. Be
hind them strobe an officer bearing
Rosa struggling against his breast.
Esteban drove his horse headIong
through the soft red earth Of the
garden. His sudden appearance
seemed briefly to paralyze the ma
rauders. 1t was a moment before
they could drop their spoils, unsling
their rifles, and begin to fire at him,
and by that time he had covered half
the distance to his sister. A bullet
brought his horse down and the boy
went flying over its neck. Nothing
but the loose loan saved him from
injury. AS he rose to his feet, breath
less and covered with the red dirt,
there came swift thudding of hOOfs
and ASensiO swept past him like q
rocket. Esteban caught one glimpse
of the negro's face, a fleeing vision
of white teeth barred TO the gums, Of
| distended yellow eyes. of fiat, distOrt-
| ed features; then AsensiO was fairly
upon Colonel CObo. The colonel, who
had dropped his burden, now tried to
dodge. AsensiO slashed once at him
with his long, murderous machete,
but the next instant he was engaged
with a trooper who had fired almost
in his face.
Cobos men, led by the terrified Pan
cho Cueto, turned and fed for cover,
believing themselves in danger of an
Inhalation. Nor was the colonel him
| self in any condition to rally them,
for Asensio's blade had clOven one
| full dark cheek to the bone, and the
shock and pain had unnerved him.
The field was small, the jungle was
close at hand. A moment and the in
terlopers had vanished into it, all but
one, who lay kicking among the broad
maIanga leaves, and over whom Assem-
sio kept squirting his terrified horse,
! hacking downward with insane fury.
This was the first hand-to-hand en-
counter Esteban's men had had, and
their swift victory rendered them ferO-
cious Flinging their guns aside, they
went crashing into the brush on the
trail of their enemies.
Rosa found herself in her brothers
arms, sobbing out the story of the out
rage and quivering at every sound of
| the chase. He was caressing her, and
telling her to have no further fears |;
both of them were fairly hysterical.
Evangelina, thanks to her thick skull,
was not dead. In the course of time
under Rosa's and Esteban's ministTa-
lions she regained her senses, Snd
when the other men returned they
found her lying sick and dazed, nut
otherwise quite whole.
Then, there beside the ruins of the
| hut, was a strange scene Of rejoicing.
Asensio recovered now from his bErst
/ of savagery, was fearful, compassion
ate; his comrades laughed and c1at-
tered and Dragged about their pro+lig-
fous deeds of valor. Over and over
| they recOunted their versions of the
encounter, each more fanciful than the
other, until it seemed that they must
have left the forest filed with corpses.
Esteban was grave. He had heard
of Colonel Cobo. and, remembering
that denim-clad figure out yonder In
the trampIed garden, he knew that Sc
rious consequences would follow. The
| volunteers were revengeful; their
colonel was not the sort of man to
forgive a deep humiliation. Doubt
less he would put a price upon the
heads of all of them, and certainly he
would never allow them another en-
counter upon anywhere like even
terms. Then, too, the narrOwness of
Rosa's escape caused the boys heart
to dissolve with terror.
After a conference with Asensio he
decided that they must prepare for
flight, and late that afternoon they all
set out to seek safer refuge, Evange-
lima In tears at leaving her precious
garden plot Their led horse, one of
those Lorenzo had captured, carried
a pitifully light burden-enly some
tools, some pans and kettles. and a roll
of charred bedclothes.
Johnnie O'ReiIIy had no difficulty in
RADIO, but to communicate with him
was quite another matter, inasmuch
as his every step was logged by that
persistent shadow from Nueyitas.
One evening, several days after his
arrival, a sudden rain storm drove
O'Reilly indoors, and as he ascended
to his room he saw that the lamp In
the hallway fared and smoked at ev.
cry gust of wind. 1t was very dark
outside; he reasoned that the streets
would be deserted. Hastily securing
that book which Alvarado, the dentist
had given him, he took position close
inside his door. When he heard the
SOY pass and enter the next chamber
he stole out into the hall and breathed
into the lamp chimney. A moment
later he was safely through the win.
dow and was working his way down
the shed roof, praying that his move
ments had not been seen and that the
tiles were firm. He nimbly scaled the
.