Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1923-10-18
A Romance
By Zane Grey
Copyright By Harper and Brothers

She turned to see Helen sliding down
! bank with a perplexed and troubled
| cowboy. Ambrose sternly and hero
ically prepared to carry her. back to
the others. He laid hold of her. In
fury, with eyes blazing. Helen whis-
pered
"Let go of mel Majesty, what does
this fool mean?"
Madeline laughed. She knew Helen,
and had marked the whisper, when or
dinarily Helen would have spoken Inn
| periously, and not low. Madeline ex-
planned to her the exigency Of the sit
uation. Il might runy but I'll never
| scream" said Helen. With that Am
brose had to be content to let her stay.
However, he found her place some
what farther back from Madeline's po-
| sition, where he said there was less
danger Of her being seen. Then he
| sternly bound her to silence, tarried
moment to comfort Christine, his wife,
acting as maid to the ladies, and re-
turned to where Madeline lay con-
cealed. He had been there scarcely
moment when he whispered:
II hear bosses. The guerrillas are
comm"
Madeline's hiding place was well
| protected from possible discovery from
below. She could peep over kind of
| parapet, through an opening in the
tips of the pines that reached up to
the cliff, and obtain commanding view
of the camp circle and its immediate
surroundings. She could not, however,
see far either to right or left of the
camp owing to the obstructing foliage.
Presently the sound of horses hoofs
quickened the beat of her pulse and
| caused her to turn keener gaze upon
the cowboys below.
Although she had some inkling of
the course Stewart and his men were
to pursue, she was not by any means
prepared for the Indifference she saw.
Frank was asleep, or pretended to be.
Three cowboys were lazily and uncon-
cernedly attending to campfire duties,
such as baking biscuits, watching the
ovens, and washing tins and pots. The
elaborate set of aluminium plates, cups,
ETC., together with the other camp fix
lures that had done service for Made
lines party, had disappeared. Nick
Steele sat with his back to log, smok-
ing his pipe. Another cowboy had Just
brought the horses closer into camp,
where they stood waiting to be sad
died. Nels appeared to be fussing over
pack. Stewart was rolling a Gig
arctic. Monty had apparently nothing
to do for the present except whistle,
which he was doing much more loudly
than melodiously. The whole ensem-
BILE gave an impression OF careless in
difference.
The sound of horses hoofs grew
louder and slowed its beat. One of the
cowboys pointed down the trail, toward
which several of his comrades turned
their head for a moment, then went
on with their occupations.
Presently shaggy, dusty horse
bearing lean, ragged, dark rider rode
into the camp and halted. Another
4 followed, and another. Horses with
Mexican riders came in single file and
stopped behind the leader.
"Buenos dias, senor," tremendously
said the foremost guerrilla.
By straiDing her ears Madeline
heard that voice, and she recognized
it as belonging to Don Carlos. Stewart
answered the greeting in Spanish, and,
waving his hand toward the campfire,
added in English, Get down and eat"
The guerrillas were anything but
slow in complying. They crowded to
the fire, then spread In a little circle
and squatted upon the ground, laying
their weapons beside them. The cow
boys were not cordial in their recep.
ton of this visit, but they were hos.
pitable The law of the desert had
always been to give food and drink to
wayfaring men, whether lost or hunted
or hunting.
"They appear to be friendly enough .
whispered Madeline. Ambrose, tell
me explain to me-the real thing"
"Sure. Gene thinks they're after
you ladies-to carry you off, But
Gene Oh, Genes some highfalutin
in his ideas lately. Most of us boys
think the guerrillas are out to rob-
that's ALL"
Whatever might have been the Sc
cret motive Of Don Carlos and his men
they did not allow 1t to interfere with
hearty appreciation of generous
amount Of food. Then, as each and
every one began to roll and smoke tho
Inevitable cigarette Of the Mexican
there was a subtle change In manner
They smoked and looked about the
camp, off into the woods, up at the
crags, and back at the leisurely COW
, boys. They had the air Of men waiting
for something.
"Senor," began Don Carlos, address
] ing Stewart. AS he spoke he sweep
( bis sombrero TO indicate the CAM
: circle.
az Madeline could not distinguish hi
0 words, but his gesture plainly indi
Gated question in regard to the res
e Of the camping party. Stewards repl.
and the wave Of his hand down tn