Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1923-04-14
"serious7 For Me, If Pm Discovered,
II Means Ruin"

"serious7 For Me, If Pm Discovered,
It Means Ruin"
in town. Any moment we might have
trouble. l ought to be ready for duty
within call. If I'm discovered 1t
means arrest. That means delay
the failure of my plans-ruin."
Thorne bent over closer with his
dark eyes searchingly bright.
"What would you say, Dick Gale,
if / told you that you're the one man
I'd rather have come along than any
other at this crisis of my life?"
The earnest gaze, the passionate
voice with its deep tremor drew Dick
upright thrilling and eager conscious
of strange, unfamiliar impetuosity.
"ThOrne, l should say l was glad to
be the fellow" replied Dick.
Their hands locked for the moment,
and they sat down again with heads
close over the table.
"Listen." began Thorne in low,
swift whisper, "a few days. a week
ago-it seems like a yearl-I was of
some assistance to refugees fleeing
from Mexico into the States. They
were all women, and one of them was
dressed as a nun. Quite by accident
saw her face. It was that of a
beautiful girl. l observed she kept
aloof from the others. I suspected a
disguise, and, when opportunity af-
forded, spoke to her, offered my serv-
ices. She replied to my poor efforts at
Spanish in fluent English. She had
fled in terror from her home, some
place down In Sinaloa. Rebels are
active there. Her father was cap
tured aud held for ransom. When the
ransom was paid the rebels killed
him. The leader of these rebels was
a bandit named Rojas. Rojas saw
the daughter, made off with her. But
she contrived to bride her guards, and
escaped almost Immediately before
any harm befell her. She hid among
friends Rojas nearly tore down the
town in his efforts to find her. Then
she disguised herself and travelled by
horseback. stage and train to Casita
"She had no friends here. no money
she knew Rojas was trailing her.
This talk I had with her was at the
railroad station, where all was hustle
and confusion No one noticed us, so
l thought | advised her to remove
the disguise of nun before she left
the waiting-room. And l got boy to
guide her But he fetched her to this
house / had promised to come in
the evening to talk over the situation
with her.
81 found her, Dick, and when l saw
her-I went stark, staring, raving mad /
over her. She is the most beautiful, !
wonderful girl I ever saw. Her name !
is Mercedes Castaneda, and she be- |
longs to one of the old wealthy Span |
ish families. She has lived abroad |
and in Havana. She speaks French |
as well as English She is-but l /
must be brief.
"Dick, think, think With Mercedes
also it was love at first sight. My |
plan is to marry her and get her far
ther to the interior, away from the
border. 1t may not be easy. She's
watched. SO am /. Rojas must have
got word to his friends here; yester
day his gang of cutthroat rebels ar
rived, and today he came When I
learned that, / took my chance and
left camp; l hunted up priest He
promised TO come here. It's time he's
due But I'm afraid he'll be stopped.
You see, we're over the line"
Are we in Mexican territory now?"
queried Gale, sharply
Il guess yes, old boy. That's what
it, Rojas and his rebels
have Casita in their hands, If Mer-
cedes is really watcl%d-if her iden-
tlty is known, which / am sure is the
case-we couldn't get far from this
house before I'd be knitted and she
seized"
"Good heavens Thorne, can that
,ort of thing happen less than a
itone's throw from the United States
ine?" asked Gale, incredulously.
at can happen, and don't you forget
t. You don't seem to realize the
,ower these guerrilla leaders, these
ebel captains, and particularly these
,andits, exercise over the mass OF
iexicans. I've seen Rojas. He's a
handsome, bold, sneering devil, vainer
han any peacock. He decks himself
q gold lace and silver trappings, In
II the finery he can steal. He spends
old like he spills blood. But he Is
hiefiy famous for abducting women.
The Deon girls consider 1t an honor