Arizona state miner., 1926-08-21
CHAPTER II--Continued

El NidO." He patted the hilt of the
weapon with nod of complacency and
8 keen look at Caleb, who was won
deringly amused. Was the man half
crazed? Did his twisted brain con-
slider the stranger he had been or
dered to escort as a possible menace
Co Ell Nido?
'"The puma was an enemy?' he
asked.
"Si senior. Eet lay there on that
bOugh that overhangs the stream, the
sycamore. On that bank, on the turf,
below, play la senorita Betty. Her
mother is then dead one year, la
Genorita she is two. Dios! She is in
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 Padil1a Senor, am in
love with Maria, we are to wed. hav'
leave my work, I hav' follow down
the canyon to talk weeth Maria We
hav' leetle quarrel JUS to make up.
She run leetle way from me. 1 fol-
low. In the wood we make up. 81.
An we forget the senorita.
'Dios OF sudden Maria scream
an point. There is the puma on the
bough. Eet crouch to spreeng. The
leetle one look up an laugh at the
great cat An make to leap. Then
I am young an very queek, senor.
Sanctissima Maria, eet is muy bueno,
eet is ver' good that 1 am!
Now Padilla was rolling a 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 if 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 puff 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-
juring up the happening.
''Eet is by the mercy of the Good
God that Maria tie the child, senior.
I could not reach the leetle senorita in
time but I reach that reebbon an
snatch her back-so! JUS as that
puma spreeng. l see heem above me,
all spread. He blot out the sun an.
as 1 snatch back the baby, he yell, like
Ell Diablo himself. His eyes shine,
his teeth, see his red mouth, 1 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 eleef We roll over like"two beast.
Senor, i 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 in her arm, an she
see only the end. <~=
'But / know. 1 am aH+fblood, my
blood an the blood of that; lion, hot.
The smell of eet make us both mad. L
theenk heshas empty my belly. Dios,
he claw me like thees!" And Padilla
raked himself down his shrunken side
with suggestive fingers. He slash my
face one time when I dodge. One time
am down an eet Is CROWN all dark.
He take my arm like a dog take a
. bone. Senor, / hear those teeth on
my bone. An / stab, 1 -ateek, l cut
We roll into the creek. Me- theenk
am almos' gone that time, but the
water bring me back Eet flow from
me red with my blood. But eet flow
red from the puma also. ..Senor, he is
dead-muerte
"When I get better l find the va
Queros who breeng me back to Ell
Nido take also the body of that lion.
They hev' for me that skin. Senor,
eet is not much good that skin. My
knife has spoil' eet. Rt1t there is
enough to make two little rug. One
for Maria, one for me- Those rug
each in our two room'-Maria an
mine-beneath the cruciffx.. When we
pray we kneel on those rug an we
never forget our OATH"
Again the fire of his speech sud
denly died out and he rolled another
cigarette.
= "YOu are not married to Marian
asked Caleb.
"NO, senior. That was seventeen
years ago. We wait -Eet was the
great fault of Maria, also of me, that
we leave la senorita. Senor Clinton
did not punish. He geev me praise an
offer me money which L. do not take.
But we've punish each the other
We punish that love which make us
careless. We take the oath to God
and the Mother of God that we watch
always over the senoritaf Some day
perhaps she marry, then Maria an
Luis marry also, eef she is, marry the
good man who take care of her. But
eef any man try to harm the senorita.
( Luis Padiila. who keel the puma.