Vernon Parish Democrat. (Leesville, La.) 1917-193?, 1921-05-05

mix in its wealth." Ricardo reminded |
him.
"Well?"
"Pm the only man that can help
you. By the way, do not order your
machinery shipped until after l am
seated firmly on the throne of my IA
TIERS"
"Why?"
ITS been framed with Sarros to
let you spend your money on that con-
cession and get the mine in running
order; then a fake suit, alleging an
error in the government survey, will
be fled. 1t will be claimed that the
concession given your friend, Geary,
is, by virtue of erroneous government
surveys, the property of a citizen of
SObrante. The courts here do as Sar-
ros tells them. You are to be kicked
out, busted, and despairing, and your
nicely equipped little mine will be
taken over as q government monopoly
and run for the benefit of the govern
ment, to-wit, Sarros and his satellites.
We had to cook up a dirty deal like
that to save your life OF course now
that l have warned you in time, you
are safe. We schemed a proposition,
| however, that worked both ways. 1t
| enabled us to save you and to save
us, by permitting the shipment, free
of suspicion, of arms for the rebels
that are to attack the city from with
in. Naturally 1 had to cache their
arms within the city-and that was a
hard problem until you. happened
along Thank you, fairy godfather"
"My thanks are due you, Ricardo.
I'm for you, first, last, and all the
time, and against this Sarros outfit.
By the way, how do you purpose NOV
! ing your machine guns"
"We'll have to carry them, guess"
"Wel, I'll have a small auto-truck
delivered in Buenaventura by that
time. You might arrange to armor
it with sheet steel; and with cou-
pie of machine guns mounted in it,
and a crew of resOlute Americans be-
hind the machine guns, you could ca
per from one end of the city to the
other and clear a path for your in
fantry."
THANK you, my friend. I'll Dor
row the motor truck and arrange to
armor it. That's a bully idea Are
you bound for Buenaventura nOw?"
Webster nodded. "Then," Ricardo
suggested, "Tll meet you in my room
at Eel Buen Amigo next Wednesday
night at II and explain the details of
my plans to you if you care to hear
them l think they're alright my
self, but somehow think I'd feel more
certain of them if you approve them"
"TH be there, Rick, and the day
you run that outlaw Sarros off the
grass you'll know why l am for you"
"Good-by, old man. You will new
er know how grateful you have made
me-"
Ruey shook hands with Webster
and rode off through the timber, leav-
ing John Stuart Webster to pursue
the even tenor Of his way, until at
length he arrived once more in Bue-
naventura and sought accommodations
at the Hotel MateO. And there, as he
entered the lobby and gazed through a
glass door across the patio and into
the vernnda, he saw that which dis
turbed him greatly. In a big wicker
rocker Dolores Ruey sat, rocking gent
" and busily stitching on a piece of
fancy work!
Billy Geary gone back to the Unit
ed States, and Dolores was still in
Buenayentura Amazing! Why,
what the devil did Billy mean by
letting her have her own way like
that? Of course, they hadn't been
married, or she would not now be out
there on the veranda, and, of course,
they hadn't quarreled, because that
was an impossibility, and, Of course,
Billy had departed alone for the U,
s. A.. else he would have returned to
their camp in the hills back of San
Miguel de Padua.
"Wen, l know what I'm going to
do" Webster decided. I'm not going
to be led into temptation while Bill
Tvs not on the job-sO I'll not put up
at the Hotel MateO after all. I'll
Just sneak around to Eel Buen Ami
90 and fix it with that old Mother
jerks not to tip off my presence in
town to Dolores Ruey until l can get
the lay of the land and see what the
devil has happened to all my we'll
laid plans"
He retreated out the front door and
called a carriage, into which he was
about to step, bag and baggage, when
Don Juan Cafetero came rushing up
in great excitement. "Sure, where are
We goin' now, sor. Is there no room
for We in the Hotel MateO"
"Thelr beds have jiggers in them,
and l just remembered that" Web
ster fbbed. Hop in, John, and wen
drive around to Mr.. Geary's lodgings
in III Buen Amigo"
but l come trough the patio just
now" Don Juan explained, IAN who
should I meet but the young Teddy"
"You Internal scoundrel Did you
fell her l was in town.
. "Sure did, sOr. An why nOt?"
} "None of your internal business
You've spoiled everything. You're a