Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-03-01
GOLD

got endorsements from somewhere,
and is holding out !"
DO you think Wen have trouble
here?" asked Dick, excitedly.
Sure. Some kind of trouble
sooner or LATER" replied Belding
gloomily. Anyway, my boy, as soon
as you can hold bride and a gun
your be on the job, don't mistake
me-"
with Laddy and Jfm?" asked
Dick, trying to be cool.
Sure. With them and me. and by
yourself"
Dick drew a deep breath, and even
after Bedding had departed he forgot
for a moment about the letter in his
hand. Then he unfolded the paper
and read:
Dear Dick-You've more than saved
my life. To the end of my days youll
pc the one man to whom I owe every
| thing. Words fail to express my feelings.
RMS must be a brief note. Bedding is
waiting, and used up most of the time
writing to Mercedes.
SUBJECT, of course, to advice from Belding.
rake care of her, Dick for my life is
wrapped up in her. BY all means keep
her from being seen by Mexicans. We
are sitting tight here-nothing doing.
IT things quiet down before my com
mission expires, I'll get leave of absence.
run out to Forlorn River, marry my
beautiful Spanish princess, and take her
TO civilized country. where, I opine,
every son of gun who sees her will lose
MS head, and drive me mad. Dick. harken
70 these glad words: Rojas is in the hos
p1tal. was interested to inquire He
had smashed finger, q dislocated collar
pone, three broken ribs, and fearful
cash on his face. He'll be in the hospital
for month. Dick, when / meet that pig
headed dad Of yours I'm going to give
him the surprise of his life.
Send me line whenever any one
comes in from F. r., and inclose Mer-
cedes' letter in yours. Take care of her
Dick, and may the future hold in store
for you some OF the sweetness 1 know
now! Faithfully yours.
''THORNE."
While Dick was eating his supper,
with appetite rapidly returning to nor
NAL, Ladd and Jim came In. Their
friendly advances were singularly
welcome to Gale, but he was still
backward. He allowed himself to
show that he was glad to see them,
and he listened. 1t took no keen Judge
of human nature to see that horses
constituted Ladd's ruling passion.
s'Shore it's cinch Beldin' is agoin'
to lose some of them animals of his"
bo coid tEVo11 aoy, coo ,.,I, -, = 81 80
think thereH be more dom on the Dor
der here than along the Rio Grande."
'Look-a-here, Laddy; you CANT be-
lieve all you hear" replied Jim, seri-
ously. Il reckon we mightn't have
any trouble
Back up, Jim. Shore you're stand
in on your bride. There's more dom
than the raidin' of q few bosses. An
Forlorn River is goin' to get hers I"
Another dawn found Gale so much
recovered that he arose and looked
after himself; not, however, without
considerable difficulty and rather dis
heartening twinges Of pain.
Some time during the morning he
heard the girls in the patio and called
to ask if he might join them. He re
sceived one response, a mellow, "Si,
senior" It was not as much as he
wanted, but considering that it was
enough, he went out In the shade of
a beautiful tree, he found the girls.
Mercedes sitting in a hammock, Nell
upon a blanket.
"What a beautiful tree!" he ex
claimed. II never saw one like that.
What is it?'
"Palo VERDE" replied Nell.
Senior, palo verde means green
tree" added Mercedes.
Little by little Dick learned details
OF Nell's varied life. She had lived
in many places AS a child she re-
membered Lawrence, Kansas, where
she studied for several years. Then
she moved to Saltwater, Oklahoma.
from there to Austin, Texas, and on to
Waco, where her mother met and mar
ried Bedding. They lived in New
Mexico awhile, in Tucson, Arizona, in
Douglas, and finally had come to lone
ly ForIorn River
Mother could never live in one
place any length of time" said Nell.
"And since we've been In the South
west she has never ceased trying to
find some trace Of her father. He
was last heard Of in Nogales fourteen
years ago. She thinks grandfather
was lost in the Sonora desert.
And every Mace we 90 is worcn OI,
/ love the desert. But I'd like TO go
back to Lawrence-or to see Chicago
or New York-some of the places Mr..
Gale speaks of / remember
the college at Lawrence, though was
only twelve. I saw races and once
real football Mr.. Gale, Of
course, you've seen games?"
eyes, a few replied Dick; and he
laughed q little. It was on his lips
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