Evening star., 1924-10-05

What" cried yasquez. thou art
not dead? Big one. / rejoice"
Thanks. Who keeps my horse"
II know not" declared NaSQueZ
and this was true, for he had sold
the horse weeks ago. Thoughtfully
his eyes, which had widened at the
appa parition of a man he had seen dead
in the bushes, narrowed again.
1t was not the wild beasts Of the
of Ell Caiman. FL Caiman had not
died. What, then. of the baby of the
Americans? A golden thought. for
it is well known that all Americans
are rich.
When they had drunk he said
abruptly. watching the face of his
guest: Listen, thou. The parents
of the child are here"
THE. child? Which child?" said Ell
Caiman. and even his hands that
trembled with weariness grew still
The shoemaker smiled. "Caiman,
1 am no fool. Where is the baby?"
which baby?" said the. big man
doggedly.
But he was only a hewer of wood,
not clever enough to cope with
Vasquez the shoemaker. His heavy
face twitched; his eyes dropped and
shifted.
Come" said Vasquez II will show
thee the father"
FL Caiman, for his brain could com.
pass no other defense.
"Of the child" snapped Vasquez
with Dardonable asperity. BE not A
blockhead. Caiman. 1t is the child
of Americans. They will pay great
ransom. We shall be rich9'
FL Caiman clung desperately to his
futile pretense of ignorance. Adroit-
ly the shoemaker shifted ground
"Speak-the bebe lived?"
1T died" said Ell Caiman with re-
lief. 1T died"
"A pity. Eh. we'll" said the shoe
maker piously. what God wills must
be-" and crossed himself-and smiled
III CANAAN cheerfully accepted the
IL suggestion that they visit the
Inn of the Red Rose Now in the
hostelry of the Red Rose lodged the
foreigners. AS they entered the bar
NaSquez spoke words aside to the
porter: and the American, came
"Senor," said Vasquez, this is the
man that has your child"
And the father cried. trembling.
Where is he? Where is my boy?"
FL Caiman took off his hat: des-
he could manage only his futile,
Which boy, senor?"s
He was edging toward the door
The American leaped on him, shook
him, shouting, Where is heo Where
is he? No. you don't"
The American himself was big
man. a strong man with the added
strength of frenzy; but FL Caiman.
wasted with illness though he was.
or hr. ho
and the shoemaker with the other:
there was the breath destroying
smash of two bodies in collision.
They collapsed on the damp tiled
floor and FL Caiman was gone
Within the hour the dauntless po-
lice had captured his donkeys doing
placidly in the street; the very next
day they sailed into the hills and
surrounded his hut. They shouted
to him to surrender, but nothing hap
pened. They prepared to pour fierce
volleys of lead into that dwelling of
iniquity; but the frantic father brok
from them and ran in. They saw
him burst in the door and disappear.
After a discreet interval, following
they found him standing stupidly in
the middle of the bare dirt floor. hold
ing in his hands a small garment
Shamefully he was weeping.
But life goes on. though many in
cidents remain unclosed After a
time the Americans departed re-
turning to the great city of Guada-
lajara. taking their sad memories
with them. And in secluded valley
beyond the mountains Ell Caiman
came on the very flower of woman
hood washing clothes by a river of
little stones.
He came to a halt beside her, MUIR