The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987, 1919-07-09
He and Gaucho Raced Away.

war with itself, where every man
must carry his own hope in his own
hand.
They rode across drying streams
and through sun-baked arroyos, along
dry, barren ridges, through little
green valleys, across long wastes
where the coyote hunted. And at
night they came back, worn out by
the merciless grind of the day upon
spent horses whose legs trembled pit
fully under them. And they had
found what they found before-noth-
ing.
Stairway did not stop to eat or to
rest. He drank thirstily at the leap
ing fountain in the patio, and went
Immediately to the house and to the
room which was now an improvised
hospital ward for the accommodation
of Pedro and Celestino.
He found Pedro conscious, very
white and weak from the blood which
he had lost. A doctor had come
from La Panza and had gone, leaving
his simple directions and simpler
medicines.
Pedro would live.
Here a knife had bit deep and had
cost Pedro much blood, but by for
tune and fraction Of an inch no
vital point had been reached.
CelestinO, as white and more weak
than Pedro, lay very still, not having
once regained consciousness. He
might live, for Celestino had a Won
derful store of health and vitality in
that great frame of his. The doctor
would come again, tonight or early
tomorrow.
Pedro" asked Stairway, with a
quick glance at the other bed and
then coming to Pedro's side, show are
things with you?"
"Not so bad, senor," Pedro an,
swered family. "The senorita?"
eve have not found her yet" Stan
way admitted regretfully. "But we
shall find her soon, Pedro Did YOU
see the men who attacked you? Dc
you know where they came from
We had sentinels out all night. They
swore that no men came from across
the border"
Pedro shook his head.
81 was asleep, senior. Then I heard
Celestino call out. 1 thought he wa:
! dreaming. l sat up, half asleep, yoI
know, senior. Then 1 saw. There
were three men, l think. Perhap!
four. I don't know. One struck poo
| CelestinO as he sat up, and another
sprang at him. But then they were
rita cry out, and they struck me owe
the head and put a knife into m,
here"
"And then they rushed into the Sc
norita's room?"
''It is so hard to know what hap
| pened, senior / don't think that the,
went into the senorita's room. Whel
woke my eyes went first to her door
1t is always the first thing which
see when I wake. 1t was closed.
81 think that it was locked. 1 tel
you 1 heard her call out while Celes
tino was being struck, before the
made everything go black for me
There were other men in there.
81 suppose they came through tn
balcony. But these men-where di
they go? How did they come in?
His voice sank to a trembling whis
per- "Senor, can it be that some O
the servants are traitors? That the
have let these men in and let ther
go?"
.That is what / have been thinE
ing all day, Pedro. But you muslin
talk too much this time. I'll com
to see you again"
''Wait a minute, senior. There
one other thing"
Stairway came back swiftly.
"What is it?" he demanded sharpl!
seeing a light in 'Pedro's eyes whic
had not been in them before.
ut is something which l found.
fell from the hand of one of the me
when Celestino struck back at hin
/ had them bring it to me here.
have not talked about it; hav
waited for YOU"
His hand was fumbling under a
blanket, and he brought KEY, ver