The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1921-02-18

doing this for the sake Of saving that
mining concession the SarrOs govern
ment gave my friend, Geary. I'm
above doing a thing like this for mon
ey-for myself. II seems to me / must
do It to guarantee the happiness Of
two people / love: My friend, Geary,
and the girl he's going to marry. l
reject your prOmlssory note and your
promise of a deed of gift for that con-
cession, and accept only your graft
tude. There are no strings to this
loan, because II isn't a loan at all.
It's a bet If you lose, I'll help you
get out Of the country and absolve
you Of any indebtedness to me. How
ever, II you should win, know you'll
reimburse me from the national treas
ury."
"And you DO not desire a bonus"
Nothing that will cost the citizens
Of this country one penny Of their
heritage. I'm going TO bet this mon
ey-bet It, understand, not loan It.
However, If you want to be a sport
and grant me a little favor in return,
you cam"
"Fire away"
"After give you this money, l
don't want the doctor and the colonel
to kiss me to show how grateful they
are"
"YOu wonderful felIowi Jack Web
ster, II had a sister l should want
her to marry you"
"Show how little you'd think Of
your sister-staking her to a senti-
mental jackass. Shall cable the
money to New Orleans in the morn
ingT
"That will do very nicely"
ITO whom shall cable the mon
eyP"
"Send It to the Picayune National
bank of New Orleans, with instruc-
lions to credit account No. 246. ].
p. p, trustee. In this little game
we are playing, my friend, It is SAT-
er to deal in numbers and initials
rather than names. The local cable
office leaks quite regularly"
every well, Ricardo, I'll attend to
It first thing in the morning. Go to
1t and win, or theFe1l be several new
faces whining around the devil, not
the least of which will be mine. When
you charge, remember you're charg-
ing for my s40.O00-and go through
with It. worked rather hard for
that $4,000, and If must lose 1t, !
do not want to do It in a half-hearted
fight. Give me, at least, bloody run
for my money. I'll have a reserved
seat somewhere watching the game"
"If you'll take my advice, you'll go
aboard La Estrellita and stay there
until the issue is decided. When the
first gun is fred, 1t signals the open
season on mining engineers who butt
in on affairs of state"
"Whati And mo with a healthy
bet down on the RESULT hope I'm
better sport than that"
you're lncorrlglble. Be careful,
then, and don't get yourself ported by
stray bullet"
"Shall l see you fellows before the
blow-OffT
II scarcely think So"
"Then If you're through with me,
I'll bid you all good-by and good luck.
I'll have dinner with you in the pal
ace Sunday evening"
MAY / bring a guestT
"By all MEANS"
Webster shook hands with the trio
and departed for his hotel. For the
first time in many years he was heavy
Of heart crushed. "Neddy Jerome
was right" he soliloquIzed. "This is
the last place on earth for me to have
come to. I've made Neddy sore on
me, and he's lost patience and put an
other man in the Job he promised me
I've raised Billy's hopes sky-high and
had to bet $4,000 to keep them there
I've been fool enough to fall in love
with my friends fiancee; I'm a hu.
man cats paw, and the finest thing !
can do now is to go out next Sunday
morning with that machine gun com.
pany from Leber's warehouse and gel
killed."
CHAPTER XIV.