The Winslow mail., 1923-07-06

| him till morning That was the best
l could do. was sure lucky to come
up with the band so soon. 1 had fig
ured right. knew that guerrilla chief.
He's a bandit in Mexico. It's a busi-
ness with him. But he fought for
Madero, and 1 was with him a good
deal. He may be a Greaser, but he's
white"
"How did you effect my releaseT
II offered them money. That's what
the rebels all want. They need money.
They're lot of poor, hungry devils"
Il gathered that you offered to pay
ransom. How much?"
'Two thousand dollars Mex. 1 gave
my word. I'll have to take the money.
l told them when and where I'd meet
| them"
Certainly. I'm glad I've got the
money" Madeline laughed. "What a
strange thing to happen to me! I
wonder what dad would say to that ?
Stewart, I'm afraid he'd say two thou
sand dollars Is more than I'm worth.
But tell me. That rebel chieftain did
not demand money!?
"No. The money is for his men.
We were comrades before Juarez. One
day I dragged him out of ditch. I
reminded him. Then II told him
something II thought"
Stewart I know from the way he
looked at me that you spoke of me. /
heard Don Carlos name several times.
That interests me. What have Don
Carlos and his vaqueros to do with
this?"
"That Greaser has all to do with It,"
replied Stewart, grimly. "He burned
his ranch and corrals to keep us from
getting them. But he also did It to
draw all the boys away from your
home. They had deep plot, all right.
I left orders for some one to stay with
you. But AL and Stillwell, who're both
hot-headed, rode off this morning.
Then the guerrillas came down."
"WeIl, what was the idea-the plot
as you call it?"
'To get you," he said, biuntIy.
"Me! Stewart, you do not mean my
capture-whatever you call twas
anything more than mere accident?"
II do mean that. But Stillwell and
| your brother think the guerrillas want
ed money and arms, and they just hap
pened to make off with you because
! you ran under q horses nose"
"You do not incline to that point of
view?"
81 don't. Neither does Nels nor Nick
the Greasers. Look how the vaqueros
chased Flo for your
"What do you think, then?"
''Td rather not say. Once I heard
Nels say he'd seen the Greaser look at
you, and If he ever saw him do it
again he'd shoot him."
"Why, Stewart, that is ridiculous.
To shoot man for looking at wom-
an! This is a civilized country"
"Well, maybe it would be ridiculous
in a civilized country There's some
things about civilization I don't care
for"
what, for instance?"
"For one thing, I can't stand for the
way men let other men treat women"
"But, Stewart, this is strange talk
from you, who, that night came"
She broke off, sorry that she had
spoken. His shame was not pleasant
to see. Suddenly he lifted his head
and she felt scorched by flaming eyes.
Suppose 1 was drunk. Suppose l
had met some ordinary girl. Suppose
1 had really made her marry me- Don't
you think would have stopped being
a drunkard and have been good to
herr"
Stewart, I do mot know what to
think about you," replied Madeline.
Then followed short silence. Made
line saw the last bright rays Of the set
ting sun glide up over a distant crag
Stewart rebridled the horse and looked
at the saddlegirths.
II got off the trail. About Don Car
los I'll say right out, not what Nels
and Nick think. but what know. Don
Carlos hoped to make off with you for
himself, the same as if you had
been a poor peon slave-girl down In
Sonora. Maybe he had a deeper plot
than my rebel friend told me. Maybe
he even went so far as to hope for
American troops to chase him. The
rebels are trying to stir up the United
States. They'd welcome Intervention.
But, however that may be, the Greaser
meant evil to you, and has meant 1t
ever since he saw you first. That's
ALL"
Stewart, you have done me and my
family a service we can never hope to
repay"