Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1922-11-24

II Means Ruin"
forded. spoke TO her, offered my serv-
ices. She replied to my poor efforts at
Spanish in fluent English. She had
fled in terror from her home, some
place down in Sinaloa. Rebels are
active there. Her father was cap
tured and held for ransom. When the
ransom was paid the rebels killed
him. The leader of these rebels was
a bandit named Rojas. Rojas saw
the daughter, made off with her. But
she contrived to bribe her guards, and
escaped almost Immediately before
any harm befeu her. She hid among
friends. Rojas nearly tore down the
town In his efforts to find her. Then
she disguised herself and Travelled by
horseback, stage and train to Casita.
"She had no friends here, no money
She knew Rojas was trailing her.
This talk / had with her was at the
railroad station, where all was hustle
and confusion. No one noticed us, so
l thought. l advised her to remove
the disguise of a nun before she left
the waiting-room. And l got a boy to
guide her. But he fetched her to this
house. / had promised to come in
the evening to talk over the situation
with her.
81 found her, Dick, and when l saw
her-I went stark, staring, raving mad
over her. She Is the most beautiful,
wonderful girl 1 eve saw. Her name
is Mercedes Castaneda, and she be-
longs TO one Of the old wealthy Span
ish families. She has lived abroad
and in Havana. She speaks French
as well as English. She is-but l
must be brief.
"Dick, think, think! With Mercedes
also 1t was love at first sight. My
plan is to marry her and get her far
Their to the interior, away from the
border. 1t may not be easy. She's
watched. So am l. Rojas must have
got word to his friends here; yester-
day his gang of cutthroat rebels ar
rived. and today he came. When !
learned that, l took my chance and
left camp; l hunted up a priest. He
promised to come here. It's time he's
due. But I'm afraid he'll be stopped.
You see, we're over the line"
Are we in Mexican territory now?"
queried Gale. sharply.
81 guess yes, old boy. That's what
complexities it. Rojas and his rebels
have Casira in their hands. II Mer.
cedes is really watched--H her iden.
tity is known. which / am sure Is the
case-we couldn't get far from this
house before I'd be knitted and she
seized"
Good heavens, Thorne. cnn that
sort of thing happen less than a
stones throw from the United States
'iineY" asked Gale, incredulously.
TT al happen, and don't you forget
1t. You don't seem to realize the
over these guerrilla leaders, these
obel captains. and particularly these
bandits, exercise over the mass of
MeXicans. I've seer ROias. He's a
handsome, bold, sneering devil, vainer
than any peacock. He decks himself
in gold lace and silver tFappings, in
all the finery he can steal. He spends
gold like he spills blood. But he is
chiefly famous for abducting women.
The peon girls consider 1t an honor
to be ridden off with. Rojas has
shown a penchant for girls of the bet
ter class"
Thorne wiped the perspiration from
his pale face and bent a dark gaze
out of the window before he resumed
his talk.
Consider what the position of Mer-
cedes really is. Rojas can turn all the
hidden underground influences to his
ends. Unless 1 thwart him he'll get
Mercedes as easily as he can light a
cigarette. But Ill kill him or some
of his gang or her before l let him
get her. This is the situation,
old friend. I've little time to spare.
l face arrest for desertion. Rojas is
in town. l think l was followed to
this hotel. The priest has betrayed
me or has been stopped. Mercedes is
here alone, waiting, absolutely de
pendent upon me to save her from
from She's the sweetest, love-
lest grill . In a few moments
sooner or later there1l be hell here!
Dick, are you with me?"
Dick Gale drew a long, deep breath.
A GOODNESS, a lethargy, and indifPer-
ence that had weighed upon him for
months had passed out of his being.
On the instant he could not speak.
but his hand closed powerfully upon
his friends. Thorne's face changed
wonderfully, the distress, the fear, the
appeal all vanishing ia a smile of
passionate gratefulness.
Then Dicks gaze attracted by some
slight sound, shot ovel his friends
shoulder to see a face at the window
"a handsome. bold. sneering face.