Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1926-06-03
CHAPTER II--cOntinued

''Thees knife Is for all the enemy 0
El Nido." He patted the hilt OF tn
weapon with a ned OF complacency an
a keen look at Caleb. who was WOE
deringly amused. Was the man hal
crazed7 Did his twisted brain con
slider the stranger he had been OF
dered to escort as a possible menac
TO FL Nidol
''The puma was an enemy7' h
asked.
"Sf senior. Eet lay there on tina
bough that overhangs the stream, thu
sycamore. On that bank, on the turf
below, play la senorita Betty. Hei
mother is then dead one ~year, ID
senorita she is two. Dios She is II
charge OF Maria an she, thees Maria
has tie her by one long reebbon to the
trunk so she shall play weeth her
flowers an not fall cen the creek. May
the Mother of God forgeev Maria An
me also, Luis PadIllaI Senior, am in
love with Maria, we are to wed. I hav'
leave my work, hav' follow down
the canyon to talk weeth Maria We
hav' leetle quarrel. JUS to make up.
She run 1eetle way from me. fol-
Tow. In the wood we make up. ST.
An we forget the senorita.
"Diosl OF sudden Maria scream
an point There is the puma on the
Dough. Eet crouch to spreeng. The
leetle one look up an laugh at the
great, cat. An make to leap. Then
am young an very queek, senior.
SanctIssima Maria. eet is muy bueno,
eet is YER good that / ami"
Now Padilla was rolling cigarette
with a murmured, "eef you permit,
senor," riding out OF the water up to
the little plateau where the thing had
happened with face as suddenly void
Of emotion as II a light had been
switched off behind a shade, intent
only upon inhaling the smoke OF his
cigarette, seated with one leg across
the saddle horn. Caleb and the Don
had followed him. The last pun taken,
Padilla flung away the wisp of the
cigarette end into the stream with a
savage gesture and slid to the ground.
Again he was in his role, now giving
pantomime to aid his words In con-
Turing up the happening.
"Eet is by the mercy Of the Good
God that Maria tie the child, senior.
could not reach the ieet1e senOrita In
time but reach that reebbon an
snatch her back-soi JUS as that
puma spreeng. see heem above me,
all spread. He blot out the sun an,
as snatch back the baby. he yell, like
FL Diablo himself His eyes shine,
his teeth, see his red mouth, / smell
the steenk of his breath, try to dodge
as he strike an too strike, weeth my
knife. He come on me like the fall of
the cleef. We roll over like two beast.
Senior, cannot tell Jus what happen.
Eet is not the one who fight who can
tell the story. Maria, she did not see.
She hol' the baby La her arm. an she |
see only the end.
but / know / am all blood, my
blood an the blood of that lion, hot.
The smell. of eet make us both mad.
theenk he has empty my belly. Dios,
be claw me like thees - And Padilla
-aked himself down his shrunken side
With suggestive fingers He slash my
lace one time when dodge. One time
am down an eet Is CROWN all dark.
de take my arm like a dog take
zone. Senior. hear those teeth on
ny bone. An stab. steek, / cut
We roll into the creek. Ne, / theenk
am almos' gone that time, but the
water bring me back. Eet fiow from
ne red with my blood But eet flow
ed from the puma also. Senior, he Is
Iead--muerte
when ! get better find the va
Iueros who breeng me back to FL
lido take also the body of that lion.
they hev' for me that skin. Senior,
ct is not much good. that skin. My |
.nife has spoil eet But there is
nOugh to make two little rug. One
or Marie, one for me. Those rug
ach IN our two room'-Maria an
line-beneath the erucihx When we
ray we kneeI on those rug an we
ever forget our oath"
Again the fire OF his speech sud
emily died out and he rolled another
cigarette.
you are not married to Marian
sked Caleb. ii
mo. senior. That was seventeen
ears ago. We wait Eet was the
reat fault OF Maria. also Of me. that Z
g leave la senorifa. Senior Clinton &
n not puufsh- He apaV mas, s,s,,lne- an. :
Ter mg money which 7 40 n6g take. 4
ut we've punish each the other.
e punish that love which make Us b
lreless. We take the oath to God \
I'd the Mother Of God that we watch
ways over the senoFifa. Some day Z
srhaps she marry. then Maria an d
ais marry also, eef she is marry the e
'cd man who take care Of her. But v
4 any man try 70 harm thu senorifa- b
Lots PMailia. wAo keel the puma. q