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

This was late In the afternoon of a
day In the middle of April. Alfred
and Florence were with Madeline on
the porch.
Madeline saw the mar she remem-
bered. but with a singularly different
aspect. His skin was brown his eyes
were piercing and dark and steady /;
he carried himself erect; he seemed
preoccupied. and there was not a trace
of embarrassment In his manner.
"Wal, Gene, I'm sure glad to see
you," Stillwell was saying. "Where
do you hail from?"
Guadalupe canyon" replied the
cowboy.
Stillwell whistled.
"'Way down therel You don't mean
you follered them boss tracks tibet
far?"
All the way from Don Carlos
rancho acros the Mexican line. l took
Nick Steele with me. Nick Is the best
tracker In the outfit. This trail we
were on led along the foothill valleys.
First we thought whoever made it was
hunting for water. But they passed
two ranches without watering. AT
Seaton's wash they dug for water.
Here they met a pack-train of burros
that came down the mountain trail.
The burros were heavily loaded. Horse
and burro tracks struck south from
Seaton's to the old California emigrant
road. We followed the trail through
Guadalupe canyon and across the bor-
der. On the way back we stopped at
Slaughter's ranch, where the United
States cavalry are camping. There
We met foresters from the Peloncillo
anything they kept it to themselves.
So we hit the trail home"
oval, / reckon you know enough? 2"
inquired Stillwell, slowly. miss Ham,
mond can't be kept in the dark much
longer. Make your report to her."
The cowboy shifted his dark gaze
to Madeline. Were losing a 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 l can find
out no cattle are being driven south.
So this raiding is a blind to fool the
cowboys. Don Carlos Is a Mexican
rebel. He located his rancho here a
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 across
the border. Those burros l told about
were packed with c~ontraband goods"
"What is my-my duty? What has
it to do with me?" inquired Madeline,
somewhat perturbed.
wal, Miss Majesty. l reckon 1t
hasn't nothing to do with you," put In
Stillwell. '"Thet's my bizness an Stew
arts. But l 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 off the
range. They've got to go. Don Carlos
Is breakin' the law of the United
States, an doin' it on our property an
with our bosses. Hev l your permits
sion, Miss Hammond?"
"Why assuredly you have! Still
well, you know what to do. Alfred,
what do you think best?"
It'll make trouble, Majesty, but it's
got to be DONE" replied Alfred. "Here
you have a crowd of eastern friends
due next month. We want the range
to ourselves then. But, Stlilwell, if
you drive those %vaqueros off, won't
they hang around in the foothills? 1
declare they are a bad lot"
He'll have to be forced Off" replied
Stewart, quietly. "The Don's pretty
slick, but his vaqueros are bad actors.
It's just this way: Don Carlos has