Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-10-28
THE DAILY NOVELETTE,
Among the Thisfles
By RUSSELL CLAYTON

Ordinarily, the scene spread before
him---a vast sea of dusty brown pampas
grass splotched intermittently with the
rose purple crowns OF giant ,onS,a tn,staes anu i
gentlnian sky-would have held all AL
lan's attention. AS IL was, he was won
dering who had just shot at him--ani
why.
Suddenly, as he topped the slight ele-
walton OF a vizcacha mound, and even as
he saw with pleasure the low, fas-
rooted buildings of the isolated ranch
house he was seeking, his horse plow-
ing through some devious tunnel OF the
prairie-dog-like vtzcacha, stumbled, 1eil,
and threw his rider
Fraser contrived to- get clear and
had turned to seize the bride when a
second shot put an end to the animals
struggles and a third grazed Frasers
ankle. Instinctively he dropped, and,
concealed in the grass. wormed his way
to a clump of thistles grown shoulder
high to a man on horseback.
After what seemed hours and was, IN
fact, several minutes, he discerned, rid
ing cautiously, a brigandish sort OF per-
son with peering eyes and rifle cooked.
As he reached what Allan surmised was
the dead horse. his vigilance relaxed
ror an instant and Alan. his Winchester
raised, covered him from his screen OF
thistles.
HANDS up!" he shouted. then tried to
recall what Spanish equivalent he should
have used.
But the sinister aperture terminating
a gun speaks an Esperato universally in
telligible and the gaucho's arms flew
siSyward.
Thus it was that Alan Fraser arrived
at the Rancho Cordoba, riding an out
laws horse and driving a captive outlaw
before him. And even as he wondered
II the sprawling structure actually shell
tered the fugitive winthrop, on whose
trail he had long casually wandered.
young woman advanced through the
doorway and gazed questioningly upon
him.
would a girl whom he had never seen
look like when eight years had added
their changes to the description he had
of her. For an Anglo-Saxon, she was
dark. She was also beautiful; sutnis =. ,o,
picked up during his brief stay in Ro-
sario. Alan explained.
The girl nodded several times. At
his conclusion, she shrugged her shoul-
ders and indicated with a gesture Of her
slim, Drowned hand the suilen prisoner
Turn him loose" she bade Alan per-
emptorily. returning Spanish for Spanish
and. as she hesitated. she stamped her
other horse. But look at our situation !!
Little can we afford to gain the ill-wilt
Of these wild Gauchos
And Alan. seeing the point. obeyed.
That night, lying Wakelul on MS
couch, Alan siftcd, masticated and di-
gested the scraps of information, some
OF which he had gathered as he roamed
about the corrais and garden. and some
of which had been told him by the dark
eyed Aldea during a brief talk in the
moonlit patio.
Aidea's father, the owner for many
years OF Rancho Cordoba. was dead. Her
mother was an invalid who kept to her
room and saw no one. The girl herself
was convent educated and spoke no Eng
lish. The ranch was rapidly disintegrat-
ing from neglect although there was evi-
dence aplenty that at some time or Other
considerable money had been expended
on the place.
That money-ah! That money. Was
it, or was II not, once lying in the vault
of the Toronto Hospital Trust? Was