Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1923-09-06

him till morning. That was the besi
/ could do. I was sure lucky to come
| up with the band so soon. / had fig
ured right. I knew that guerrilla chief
He's bandit In Mexico. It's a bust
ness with him. But he fought fol
Madero, and / was with him a good
deal. He may be a Greaser, but he's
| white"
How did you effect my releaseY
i offered them money. That's whal
the rebels all want. They need money
They're lot of poor, hungry devils
Il gathered that you offered to pay
ransom. How muchT
1.-TWO thousand dollars Mex. l gave
my word. I'll have to take the money
told them when and where I'd meet
them"
Certainly. I'm glad I've got the
money" Madeline laughed. what a
strange thing to happen to me! !
wonder what dad would say to that
Stewart, I'm afraid he'd say two thou
sand dollars is more than I'm worth.
But tell me. That rebel chieftain did
not demand money!"
mo. The money is for his men.
We were comrades before Juarez. One
day dragged him out Of ditch. i
reminded him. Then IL told him
something IL thought"
Stewart, know from the way he
looked at me that you spoke Of me. /
heard Don Carlos name several times.
That interests me. What have Don
Carlos and his vaqueros to do with
sthis?"
THAT Greaser has all to do with it,
replied Stewart, grimly. HE burned
his ranch and corrals to keep us from
getting them. But he also did 1t to
draw all the boys away from your
home. They had deep plot, all right
left orders for some one to stay with
you. But AL and Stillwell, who're both
hot-headed, rode off this morning
Then the guerrillas came down"
swell, what was the idea--the plot
-as you call it?"
ITO get you," he said, bluntly.
mel Stewart, you do not mean my
capture-whatever you call twas
anything more than mere accldent?"
Il do mean that. But St!llwell and
your brother think the guerrillas want
ed money and arms, and they just hap
pened 30 make off with you because
you an under horses nose"
you do not incline to that point OF
vfew?"
Il don't. Neither does Nels nor Nick
Steele. And we know Don Carlos and
the Greasers. Look how the vaqueros
chased Flo for your
what do you think, .then?'
I'D rather not say. Once / heard
Nels say he'd seen the Greaser look at
you, and If he ever saw him do it
again he'd shoot him."
why, Stewart, that is ridiculous.
To shoot man for looking at wom-
an! This Is civilized country"
well, maybe it would be ridiculous
in civilized country. There's some
things about civilization / don't care
for"
What, for instance?"
For one thing, I can't stand for the
way men let other men treat women"
But, Stewart, this is strange talk
from you, who, that night came"
She broke off, sorry that she had
spoken. His shame was not pleasant
to see. Suddenly he lifted his head,
and she felt scorched by flaming eyes.
Suppose was drunk. Suppose l
had met some ordinary girl. Suppose
had really made her marry me. Don't
you think would have stopped being
drunkard and have been good to
her?'
Stewart, / do not know what to.
think about you," replied Madeline.
Then followed short silence. Made
line saw the last bright rays Of the set
ting sun glide up over distant crag.
Stewart rebridled the horse and looked
at the saddle-girths.
II got off the trail. About Don Car
los I'll say right out, not what Nels
and Nick think, but what know. Dvn
Carlos hoped to make off with you for
himself, the same as if you had
been a poor peon slave-girl down In
Sonora. Maybe he. had deeper plot
than my rebel friend told me. Maybe
he even went so fur as to hope for
American troops to chase him. The
rebels are trying to stir up the United
States. They'd welcome Intervention.
But, however that may be, the Greaser
meant evil to you, and has meant It
ever since he saw you first. That's
OIL"
Stewart, you have done me and my
family a service we can never hope to
repay"