The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-08-01

hand-that open country out there.
So we claim AL Hammond, an may
we be true to him. An, friends, |
think it fittin' that we drink to his
sister an TO our hopes. Heah's to the
lady we hope to mike our Majesty
Heah's to the nan who'll ON ridin'
out of the West, a fine. big-hearted
man with a fast boss an a strong
rope, an may he win an hold her!
come, friends, drink"
A heavy pound of horses hoofs and
a yell outside arrested Stillwell's
voice and halted his hand in midair.
The patio became as silent as an
unoccupied room.
Through the open doors and win
dows of Madeline's chamber burst the
sounds Of horses stamping to a halt,
then harsh speech of men, and a low
cry of a woman in pain.
Rapid steps crossed the porch, en-
tered Machines room. Nels appeared
in the doorway. Madeline was sur
prised to see that he had not been
at the ~dinner-table. She was dis
turbed at sight of his face.
Stewart. you're wanted outdoors"
called Nels, bluntly. Monty, you
slope out here with me. You, Nick,
an StillwellI reckon the rest of you
he'd better shut the doris an stay in
side"
Nels disappeared. Quick as a cat
Monty glided out. Madeline heard
his soft, swift steps pass from her
room into her office. He had left his
guns there. Madeline trembled. She
saw Stewart get up quietly and with
out any change of expression on his
dark, sad face leave the patio. Nick
Steele followed him. Stillwell dropped
his ~wine-glass. As it broke, ~shivering
the silence, his huge smile vanished.
His face set into the old cragginess
and the red slowly thickened into
black. Stillwell went out and closed
the door behind him.
Then there was a blank silence. The
enjoyment of the moment had been
rudely disrupted. Madeline glanced
down the lines of brown faces to see
the pleasure fade into the old familiar
hardness.
whats wrong?" asked Alfred, rath-
er stupidity. The change of mood had
been too rapid for him. Suddenly
he awakened, thoroughly aroused at
the interruption. 'Im going TO see
who's butted in here to spoil u din
ner," he said. and strobe out.
He returned before any one at the
table had spoken or moved, and now
the dull red of anger notified his fore
head.
Its the sheriff of FL Cajon!" he
exclaimed, contemptuously. pat
Have With some of his. touch dep
uties come to arrest Gene Stewart.
They've got that poor little Mexican
girl out there tied on a horse. Con-
found that sheriff! !"
Madeline calmly rose from the table,
eluding Florence's r~etreating hand,
and started for the door. The cow
boys jumped up. Alfred barred her
progress.
alfred, I am going out" she said.
NO, 1 guess not" he replied.
That's no place for you. Maybe
there1l be a fight. You can do moth
ing. You must not CO."
perhaps 1 can prevent trouble"
she replied.
As she left the patio she was aware
that Alfred, with Florence at his SIDE
.-1 tI,n aaRrhn~c kahfnd u,Ar. DO.
ing to follow her. When she got out
of her room upon the porch she heard
several men in loud, angry discussion.
Then, at sight of Bonita helplessly
and cruelty bound upon a horse, pale
and disheveled and suffering. Made
line experienced the thrill that sight
or mention of this girl always gave
her. 1t yielded to a hot pans in her
breast-that live pain which so
shamed her. But almost instantly, as
a second glance showed an agony in
Bonita's face, her bruised arms where
the rope bit deep into the flesh, her
little brown hands stained with blood,
Madeline was overcome by pity for
the unfortunate girl and a woman's
righteous passion at such barbarous
treatment of one of her own sex.
The nan holding the bride Of the
horse on which Bonita had been bound
was at once recognized by Madeline
as the %big-bodied, bullet-headed guer-
rilla who had found the basket of wine
in the spring at camp. Redder of
face, blacker of beard, coarser of as
pect, evidently under the influence of
liquor, he was as ierce-looking as a