The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1919-12-05
By JACKSON GREGORY

I Celestino, the vaquero who had spen
the night at Pedro's side, was not II
, 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 al
the door loudly, calling again. And
now, when silence answered him, q
great fury swept through him, his
brain seemed to be on fire, his voice
seemed to him to come from a great
distance as he shouted for an ak.
The ak came, but he had not waited
for it. A heavy chair had splintered
against the oak panels, but the panels
themselves were no obstacle to the
fury Of his attack. They burst al
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 lie
needed the telling, of the girls alb
ductfonI
That cry of hers had bespoken .
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 bal
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." safe
Esteban. He was kneeling on the
little landing a few PAGES removed
from the spot where Pedro lay. 81
think that he is dead. They have
struck him on the head. Jesus Ma.
ria J but it is nasty blow, and from
behind"
Stairway scarcely heard the man
He was looking for a ladder, seeking
to see how Teresa had been carried
from the house.
There was nothing.
He thought that there had beer
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 q /,
pound, through the dim corridors, and
oward the drawing room.
"The senorita?" several voices were
,lamoring at him. "Have they
harmed her? Blood of the Savior, :
AVE they dared lay hand upon her?' :
"She is gone" he answered. crisply
Listen, companerOs. This is the II
york of Tore yonder You know that d
,ut you must not harm him-yet u
here is time. See that he does not II
scape. If he does not bring the Sc W
orita back to us safe, unframed W
hen We shall know what to do, shall II
re not, companeros% 81
They answered him by silence and 81
ne quick turning of black, fierce eyes c'
pom the man who had this second OF
hing to answer to them for. Tore
his old bravado and the B
nile which went with it. W
Tore did not speak, but. turning sc
way, made cigarette, Captain Jul. &C
-ez, seemingly just awakened, threw or
Is blanket aside and sat up on his 81
,uch, his eyes rowing from face tc III
zee, coming TO rest at last upon Tor 81
IS as though he were awaiting q ex
ader's move. His eyes were as re
ave as Torres, his sense of a crisis -
clear.
frro I,Tr c-0NyrINJTEDA