The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1922-11-20

He Was Very Weak, Yet He Would
Keep Mercedes Hand and Gaze at
Her With Unbe!ievina Eyes.
Mercedes at once. Is there a padre
hereY
"Yes. But are you wise In letting
any Mexican, even priest, know Mer-
cedes is hidden in Forlorn River?"
1T couldn't be hidden long,"
Gale was compelled to acknowledge
the truth Of this statement.
I'll marry her first, then I'll face
my problem. Fetch the padre, Dick.
And ask our kind friends to be wit
nesses at the ceremony"
Much to Gales surprise, neither
Bedding nor Ladd objected to the idea
Of bringing padre into the house
hold, and thereby making known to at
least one Mexican the whereabouts Of
Mercedes Castaneda. Belongs eau
tion was wearing out in wrath at the
persistent unsettled condition Of the
border, and Ladd grew only the cooler
and more silent as possibilities Of
trouble multiplied.
Gale fetched the padre, little,
weazened, timid man who was old and
without interest or penetration. Ap-
parently he married Mercedes and
Thorne as he told his beads or num-
bled prayer. It was Mrs. Bedding
who kept the occasion from being a
merry one. and she insisted on not
exciting Thorne. Gale marked her
unusual pallor and the singular depth
and sweetness Of her voice.
Thorne could not be kept in bed,
and all in day, it seemed, he grew
so we'll and so hungry that his friends
were delighted, and Mercedes was
radiant. In few days his weakness
disappeared and he was going the
round Of the fields and looking over
the ground marked out in Gales plan
Of water development. Thorne was
highly enthusiastic, and at once staked
out his claim for one hundred and
sixty acres of land adjoining that of
Belding and the rangers. These FIVE
tracts took in all the ground necessary
for their operations, but in case of
the success Of the irrigation project
the idea was to increase their squatter
holding by purchase of more land
down the valley. A hundred families
had lately moved to Forlorn River;
more were coming all the time; and
Bedding vowed he could see vision
Of the whole Altar valley green with
farms.
Meanwhile everybody in Belongs
household, except the quiet Ladd and
the watchful YaQui. in the absence of
disturbance Of any kind along the bor-
der, grew freer and more unrestrained,
as If anxiety was slowly fading in the
peace of the present. Jim Lash made
trip to the Sonoyta oasis. and Ladd
patrolled fifty miles Of the line east
ward without incident or sight of raid
ers. Evidently all the border hawks
were in at the picking Of Casita.
The February nights were cold, with
dry, icy, penetrating coldness that
made a warm fire most comfortable.
Belongs household congregated In
the sitting room, where burning mes
quite logs cracked in the open fire
place. E~fSe " H
There came a low knock at the door.
1t may have been an ordinary knock,
for 1t did not disturb the women: but
to Bedding and his rangers it had a
subtle meaning. -
"Who's that?" asked Bedding. asshe
slowly pushed back his chair and
looked at Ladd.
''Yaqui," replied the ranger.
"Come in," called Bedding.
The door opened, and the short,
square, powerfully built Indian en-
tered. He carried a rifle and strobe
with impressive dignity.
"Yaqui, what do you want?" asked
Belding. and repeated his question in
Spanish. -