The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1919-09-05

Here there was light, a candle burn
ing low upon the floor at the side of
Pedro's couch. And Pedro
They have killed him p 1t was
Gaucho's voice in little expression
less grunt.
Pedro lay upon the floor at the side
of his couch, his body half covered
with the blankets which had fallen
with him, his face very white, smear
OF blood across temple and cheek.
Celestino,the vaquero who had spent
the night at Pedro's side, was not to
be SEEN
Stairway. rushing up the stairs, his
revolver in his hand, bestowed only
one look upon the unconscious Pedro
and rushed at the door of Teresa s
room.
The door was locked. He called.
There was no answer. Everything
was perfectly still. He knocked at
the door loudly, calling again. And
now, when silence answered him, a
great fury swept through him, his
brain seemed to be on fire, his voice
seemed to him to come from great
distance as he shouted for an ak.
The ak came, but he had not waited
for 1t. A heavy chair had splintered
against the oak panels but the panels
themselves We're no obstacle to the
fury of his attack. They burst at
last, his hand found the key in the
lock upon the other side of the door,
the door was flung open.
Nothing, nothing but emptiness and
a wild disorder which told had e
| needed the telling, of the girls alb
ductiOn,
That CRY Of hers had bespoken a
struggle, brief and Intellectual.
And Teresa was gone with nothing
behind to show whittier.
Stairway ran through all the rooms
of her dainty suite, calling. Silence
and emptiness were his answers. He
threw open the windows to her ball
cOny.
Horses" he shouted. "Gaucho,
run to the stables. They are taking
her across the border!'
The vaquero, too, heard the thud
of running hoofs out there in the
darkness beyond the oranges. under
stood, and sped upon his errand.
Here is poor Celestina, senor," said
Esteban. He was kneeling on the
little landing a few PAGES removed
from the spot where Pedro lay. Il
think that he is dead. They have
struck him on the head. Jesus Ma
ria I! but it is nasty blow, and from
behind"
Stairway scarcely heard the man.
He was looking for ladder, seeking
to see how Teresa had been carried
from the house.
There was nothihe.
He thought that there had been
many men here; that man below
had caught the girl In his arms as
she was dropped down to him; he
shuddered at the thought, and once
more was running, now down the
stairs, which he took almost at a
bound, through the dim corridors, and
toward the drawing room.
1.-The senorita?" several voices were
clamoring at him. Have they
harmed her? Blood of the Savior,
have they dared lay hand upon her?'
"She is gone" he answered crisply.
Listen. .eompaneros. This is the
work of Tore yonder. You know that.
Bait you must not harm him-yet !!
There is time. See that he does not
escape. If he does not bring the Sc
norita back to us safe. unharmed-
then we shall know what to do, shall
we not, companeros?"
They answered him by silence and
the quick turning of black, fierce eyes
upon the man who had this second
thing to answer to them for. Tore
summoned his old bravado and the
smile which went with it.
Tore did not speak, but, turning
away, made cigarette, Captain Jul
arez. seemingly just awakened, threw
his blanket aside and sat up on his
couch, his eyes rowing from face to
face, coming to rest at last upon Tor
res as though he were awaiting a
leaders move. His eyes were as
grave as Torres, his sense of crisis
as clear.
(TO BE CONTINUED0