The Lamar register., 1923-05-09

The cowboy shifted his dark gaze
to Madeline. Were losing Il few cat
tie on the open range. Night-drives
by vaqueros. Some of these cattle are
driven across the valley, others up in
TO the foothills. So far as can find
out no cattle are being driven south
So this raiding is blind to fool the
cowboys. Don Carlos Is a Mexican
rebel. He located his rancho here d
few years ago and pretended to raise
cattle. All that time he has been
smuggling arms and ammunition across
the border. He was for Madero against
Diaz. Now he is against Madero be
cause he and all the rebels think Ma
dero failed to keep his promises. There
will be another revolution. And all
the arms go from the States acrosi
the border. Those burros told abou'
We're packed with contraband goods
What is my-my duty7 What ha,
II to do with me?" Inquired Madeline
somewhat perturbed.
wal, Miss Majesty. l reckon II
hasn't nothing to do with you," put in
Stillwell. "Thet's my bizness an Stew
arts. But I jest wanted you TO know
There might be some trouble follerin
my orders"
"Your orders?"
II want to send Stewart over to fire
Don Carlos an his vaqueros on the
range. They've got to GO Don Carlo.
is breakin the law OF the United
States. an doin' 1t on our property an
with our hosses. Hev | your perrnis
sion, Miss Hammond?"
"Why, assuredly you have! Still
well, you know what TO do. Alfred
what do you think best7"
It'll make trouble. Majesty. but It'll
got to be done" replied Alfred. Here
you have crowd of eastern friend,
due next month. We want the rang,
to ourselves then. But. Stillweil, h
you drive those vaqueros OF. won't
they hang around In the foothills?
declare they are bad lot"
He'll have to be forced on" repliet
Stewart, quietly. THE Don's pretty
slick. but his vaqueros are bad actors
IT'S Just this way: Don Carlos hal
vaqueros coming and going all tn.
time. They're guerrilla bands, that'i
all. And they're getting ugiier. Their.
have been several shooting -scrape,
lately. It's only a matter OF time I'll
something stirs up the boys here Still
coll. YOU know Nels and Monty ant
Nick"
sure | know 'em. an you're no
mentionin' one more particular cowboy
in my outfit" said Stillwell, with a dr.,
chuckle and IA glance at Stewart.
Madeline OWNED the covert mean
ing. Stewart, | see you carry a gun
she said, pointing to black handl,
protrudlng from a sheath swinging Low
along his leather chaps.
ayes, ma'am."
"Why do you carry it," she asked.
We'll" he said. its net Il prett,
gun-and it's heavy"
She caught the Inference. The CUR
was not an ornament. His keen
steady. dark gaze caused her vague
alarm. What had once seemed coo
and audacious about this cowboy was
now cold and powerful and mystical
Both her instinct and her intelligence
realized the steel fiber of the mans
nature. As she was his employer, she
had the right to demand that be should
not do what was SO chilllngly manifest
that he might do. But Madeline could
not demand. She felt curlously young
and weak. and the five months OF
western life were as II they had never
been. She now had TO do with a ques.
tion involving human life. And the
value she placed upon human life and
Its spiritual Significance was a matter
far from her cowboys thoughts. A
strange idea flashed up. Did she place
too much value upon all human llfei
She checked that. wondering. almost
Mortified at herself. And then her
Intuition told her that she possessed
far stronger power to move these
primitive men than any woman's stern
rule or order
Stewart. do not fully understand
what you hint that Nels and his COM
rndes might do. Please be frank with
me. Do you mean Nels would shoot
upon little provocationT
Mrs Hammond, as far as Nels is
concerned. shooting Is now Just o mat