The Washington times., 1934-12-18


guarded. I've been there many
times" he answered slowly.
"They were one of the oldest
and richest families in North
Mexico before the last revolu-
ton"
Nora nodded. Later they lost
nearly all they had, and last
month Will rented them the up
per ranch. It's so near I asked
them if they'd supervise your
hacienda-you know, keep the
servants FROM running wild and
seeing that you got a decent
meal once in a while. Like dears,
they both agreed at once. Lolita
especially" Nora smiled. "I've
often suspected that dark-eyed
senorita has a weakness for tall,
worthless gentlemen"
But to Dicks lips no answer
ing smile came. Instead he stood
turning the quirt in his hands,
and when again he looked up
his eyes were troubled, but he
only said, Between all of you, I
should be we'll taken care Of,
shouldn't II"
Then together they ran down
the steps and across to the long
barn where, as they entered,
Dicks white mare whinnied a
glad welcome. In two quick
steps Dick had wrapped both
arms about the little animals
neck and felt her soft, warm
nose nuzzling his shirt. Eagerly
his hand passed over the soft,
sleek coat and his eyes were
still bright as he reached back
and raised the saddle from its
peg.
Silent Ride
Leaving the road, they headed
out through the low sagebrush
to where in the sunlit distance
cleaned the granite face of a
low, almost precipitous rampant
of rock. For thirty miles it
stretched behind Verede, divid'
ing the desert from the hills.
Ever since the oldest settlers
times men had called it THE
Barrier" and as they rode for.
ward Dick watched it thought
fully.
How does Sari expect to get
his ditch around the Barrier?"
he asked at last. "It's this wall
of rock that kept the old timers
from trying to irrigate by build
ing a ditch from Azure Lake to
the desert %
THE ditch will skirt the north
end. It's just question of how
much water they can get, and
they're damming Azure Lake to
double it's size" Slowly she
added, THAT won't help the
ones who have lost their land,
will it?"
do they stand any chance at
all?"
Their case is being dragged
through the courts now. But
with the influence that Sari
has in" she hesitated, lin
certain places, there's not much
to hope for, is there?"
Dick shook his head. He
realized too we'll that with Solon
LoWell's power at Sari's back,
the game would be played out
along lines of Sari's choosing,
and suddenly as he rode a hot
intolerance surged over him
toward men who depend meekly
upon the chances of the law
to right their wrongs. Impa-
tiently he snapped his quirt-
in past days the desert people
had found more ready weapons
to fight their battles with than
lawyers briefs. Perhaps even
now-his jaw squared at the
unSpoken thought.
Eager to be gone, the horses
broke into a swift gallop across
the sage-covered slope, and both
riders fell silent as they began
the winding ascent of the bar
rier. With a little thrill Of
pleasure, Dick watched the girl
ahead of him, sitting her saddle
lightly, with the ease that
comes only from years of rid
ing the hills and desert trails,
her slender body Swaying in
response to every movement Of
the horse, while the sunlight,
warming the soft tones of
brown hair, caused it to glisten
with a thousand CLEANS. Once
she turned, pointing with her
quirt to the desert that lay
mistily shimmering beneath the
sun where, dotted with ranch
houses and checkerboarded with
roads that lay like faded brown
ribbons, the land stretched for
unbroken miles beneath them.
To Be Continued
Co0Hyri~Eh 1874 he TnV.a NOI nI.k-1Lukn,