The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-05-30

dons,' he said. dow strange it was
for Madeline to hear English spoken
in a soft, whinlngly sweet accent
The gracious hospitality of Don Car
los has passed with his house"
Stewart stepped forward and, thrust
ing Don Carlos aside, he called, Make
way, there! -
The crowd fell back TO the tramp Of
heavy boots. Cowboys appeared stag
gering out of the corridor with long
boxes. These they placed side by side
upon the floor of the porch.
Now. Have, we'll proceed with our
business" said Stewart. you see
these boxes. don't you?"
81 reckon | see a good many things
round hyar," replied Have, meaningly.
"Well, do you intend to open these
boxes upon my say-so?"
"NOt' retorted Have. ITS not my
place to NEEDLE 18th property as come
by express an all accounted fer regu-
lar"
"TIl open them. Here. one of you
boys, knock the tops off these boxes"
ordered Stewart. "No. not you, Monty.
You use your eyes. Let Body handle
the ak. Rustic, ncwi'
Monty Price had jumped out of the
crowd into the middle of the porch.
The name in which he gave way to
Body and faced the vaqueros was
not significant of %friendliness or trust.
Stewart, you're dead wrong to bust
open them boxes. That's ag'in' the
law" protested HAVE, trying TO inter
fere.
Stewart pushed rim back. Then Don
Carlos, who had been stunned by the
appearance of the boxes, suddenly be
came active in speech and person.
Stewart thrust him back also. The
Mexican's excitement increased. He
wildly gesticulated he exclaimed
shrilly in Spanish. When, however, the
lids were wrenched open and an inside
packing torn away he grew rigid and
silent. Madeline raised herself behind
Stlllwell to see that the boxes were
full of rifles and ammunition.
4iltIt. 1dNE : w INT IN 4 lt1i AOus
demanded Stewart. 81 came over here
to take charge of this ranch. l found
these boxes hidden In an unused room.
l suspected what they were. Contra
band goods"
"Wal, supposin' they are? I don't
see any call fer sech ALFRED fuss as
you're maxim. Stewart, l calkilate
you're some stuck on your new job an
wan to make a big show before"
Have, stop singing that kind Of
talk" interrupted Stewart. you got
too free with your mouth once beforel
Now here, I'm supposed to be consult
ing an officer of the law. VIII you
take charge of these c%ontraband
goods? %
Say, you're holdln' on high an
mighty" replied Have, in astonish-
ment that was plainly pretended.
"What're you drivin' at?7
Stewart muttered an i~mprecation.
He took several swift strides across
the porch; ne held out his hands TO
Stillwell as if to indicate the hopeless
ness of intelligent and reasonable arbi-
tration; he looked at Madeline with a
glance eloquent of his regret that he
could not handle the situation to please
her. Then as he wheeled he came face
to face with Nels, who had slipped for
ward out of the crowd.
Madeline gathered serious import
from the steel-blue meaning flash of
eyes whereby Nels communicated
something to Stewart. Whatever that
something was, 1t dlspelled Stewards
impotence. A slight movement of his
hand brought Monty Price forward
with a jump. In these sudden jumps
of Monty's there was a suggestion of
restrained ferocity. Then Nels and
Monty lined up behind Stewart. 1t
was a deliberate action, ven to Made
line, Enthusiastically formidable. Pat
Hawe's face took on an ugly look his
eyes had a reddish CLEAN. Don Carlos
added a pale face and extreme merry
business 10 his former expressions of
agitation. The cowboys edged away
from the vaqueros and the bronzed,
bearded horsemen who were evidently
Hawe's assistants.
I'm driving at this" spoke up Stew
art, presently; and now he was slow
and caustic. Here's contraband Of
war! Have, do you get that? Arms
and ammunition for the rebels across
the border! I charge you as an officer
to confscate these goods and to arrest
the smuggler-DOn Carlos"
These words of Stewards precipltat-
ed a riot among Don Carlos and his
followers, and they surged wildly
around the sheriff. The crowd around
Don Carlos grew louder and denser
| with the addition of armed vaqueros
and bare-footed stable-boys and dusty
booted herdsmen and blanketed Mexi-
cans. the last of whom suddenly
slipped from doors and windows and
round corners Shrill cries. evidently
from Don Carlos. somewhat quieted
the commotion. Then Don Carlos
could he heard addressing Sheriff
Have in an exhortation of mingled
English and Spanish. He denied, he
avowed. he proclaimed, and all in rap
id. passionate utterance.
1t seemed TO Madeline that Don
Carlos denied knowledge of the boxes
of contraband goods. then knowledge
of. their real contents. then knowledge
of their destination, and. finally. every