The Raymer enterprise., 1919-09-04
CHAPTER xxviI-continued.


-t2-
The night was bright with stars.
Bright as day, isn't til" Because her
soice was curt. and she had not used
ais name. the rising infection helped
little! Hateful, to stumble over
rut In the road or course. he'd make
her take his arm! OF course!
Richard grasped her elbow. She
walked along. her head high. her
cheeks flaming. anger surging through
her ut his touch.
Stupid to press this companionshlp
this awkward silence on her. II he
thought she was going to entertain
him. as Gerty did. with her swift chat.
ter. he'd be surprised! Any other two
people would fall into easy give-and.
take. but what could she. Innes Har-
din. find to chatter about with this
man stalking along. grimly grasplng
her armi Close as they were, his touch
reminding her every minute. between
them walked her brother and her
brothers wife-and there was the
Mexiean-hateful memoryl OF course
she could not be casual. And she
would not force II. He had brought
this about. Let him talk. then!
Oppressive that silence. Then II
came to her that she would ask him
the question that his coming had abort
ed. A glance at his face found him
smiling. He found 1t amusingf Not
for worlds, then, would she speak. And
they stalked along. Unconsclously she
had pulled herself away from him. He
took her hand and put 1t In the crotch
1f his arm. That's better" he said
She wondered II he were still smiling.
Their path led by his tent. Neither
OF them noticed subdued light
through the canvas walls. As they
reached the place figure darted from
the door,
"Oh. senior. thought you would
never come" II was the wife OF NAL
doneao. Her expression was lost on
Innes. The face was QuIyering with
terror.
Mr.. Richard" hines. words like
lcicles. IL will leave you here. 1t Is
quite unnecessary to come farther"
Quite unveiled her meanlngl
1t came SO quickly that he was not
ready, nor indeed had Gerty's lnnuen.
ioes yet reached him. But the situation
was uncomfortable. He turned sharp
ly to the Mexican.
Come w." he took her roughly by
the arm. She would wake up the camp
with her crying. He pat her In chair.
"Now tell your story" The woman
had got to be nuisance. He couldn't
have her coming around like this. He
had seer Tat look In the girls eyes
"Murderedl Who did you say was
murdered?"
She lifted a face. frightened Into
haggardness. "Maldonado and the
girl"
The night was stripped TO the trag.
edy. "You found them1"
Her face was lifted imploringly to
him. "0h, senior. 1t was not I. BY the
Mother OF Christ. 1t was not L"
Richard was not sure. Her fear
made him suspect her. "Who was It,
you Think"
Felipe" she gasped. "He got away
from the rurales-he came back. He
went home-there was no one there.
Sons one told him where she had
gone. He came to Maldonado's. Lu.
"rezia. the eldest, opened the gate. He
vas terrible, she said. He rushed past
her. And when he came out his hands
we're red. The children heard cries
They were afraid to go In. got there
last night went In. They were not
quite cold-I was afraid to stuy. II
would look like me. senior. VIII they
take me. senorf" She was wreck
VI terror
mot II what you tell me Is true.
Now. get to bed. I'll give you some
thing that will make you sleep" He
austied her out and prepared the
irnught.
lie wondered as he got into bed as
to the truth of her story. Disgusting.
such animal terror! Awkward hole,
that. Fate seemed possessed to queer
him with those HardInsl