Evening star., 1935-03-26
CHAPTER Nj.
NEATE0

to bolt from line, threw him
fiat on his face and beat his
l. back raw with their whips.
Afterward they threw him
inside the threshold, since he was
not able to walk. and over that prone
body the rest of the condemned Stum'
bled.
Once inside, each man made for
bunk in desperate scramble. These
hunks rose in tiers of five deep. with
narrow aisleS between them. The
swifteSt or the strongest took the low
est hunks, not because they were SIM
ply easier to reach but because dur
ing the night the foul stencil of hu-
manity kept rising in the air.
But many who Jagged too far be-
hind in the general rush got no place
whatever for the night. And most Of
those who failed were the men who
had been in the valley so long that
the labor, the climate, the frightful
food had worn them to frail shell.
They would die soon.
What the friar could see made him
drop to his knees.
He was still praying when a bull
toned voice beloved through the
room: "Who says that friar is here?
Who says that big man, giant,
priest or a friar Is here with us?"
The friar leaped from his prayer to
his feet
"Mateo" he cried.
He heard a grunting answer and
then the humping Of heavy footballs.
Toward that sound he hurried in turn.
And suddenly the tremendous grasp
Of MateO Rubriz was on him. He put
his huge arms around the bandit and
crushed him with an embrace. It
was like hugging huge rounded
barrel.
How have they brought you here?
The dog Estrada-was it he? Answer
me. brother-Mateo-m friend"
II came with Ell Keed to find you.
Mateo."
ITO find-me? Here? You came
willingly? Willingly. do you say.
PaScual?"
"Ay, willingly"
And Ell Keed-he is here? Where
is he?"
In the hands of Juan-Silva."
San Juan of Capistrano. forget all
my prayers. Remember only this last
one-let the hands of Ell Keed close
on the windpipe of the devil Juan
Silva!"
Rubriz began to beat his breast
with his great hands.
What have done that God should
be so good to me?" he said. He re-
covered his voice and went on: But
told you'll have always told you, Pas
cual-that the saints had marked me
out for great thing Otherwise. why
should they have given me two such
friends as you and Ell Keed?"
Mateo cried out as though in pain.
Now I am ready to die" he said.
1T would be better to pray,
brother" said the friar. pray for Ell
Keed."
II shall pray" said Mateo Rubriz.
"And yet I have a better hope than
prayer. For the three Of us-what
fools they were to let the three of US
come into this one valley! We shall
find things to do. Do you doubt
that?"
"I know that the mind of FL Keed
is never quiet. 1t stirs even at night.
I have heard him call out softly in
his sleep. Sometimes Of horses. some
times of guns, or of gambling. or the
name of gringo girl or Rosita!"
May a curse" began RubriZ.
Peace, brother!' commanded the
friar with a certain austerity. "She
repentS. And it is she who keeps the
good horses and waits for us outside
the valley"
Montana had been taken, blood
dripping. naked, straight to the pres
ence of terrible old Juan-Silva, and
the ancient man had sat up and
looked at the Kid with his eyes,
which were too young. saying: 1t
is FL Keed! And now 1t shows that
it is better to try thing three times,
so as to make perfectly sure.
And now 1t is time for us to treat
our guest in another manner. Take
him quickly. Emilio. You know where
the rooms are where we give honor to
a guest. Open the press to him and
let him find his clothes. Quickly!
Quickly! So that he may change his
mind about us!"
They took the Kid OF in haste,
therefore, and the gray-headed cap
tain Of the guard said, muttering:
mo man ever before was treated like
this Some one is growing too old!"
There was everything that a man
could wish, it seemed to the Kid, in
the rooms to which he was taken.
The ceilings were high. The air was
heavenly cool. forced by fans through
constantly Showering water, the very
sound of which ran like a blessing
through the mind of Montana.
When he had dressed himself he
was cool to the point Of real comfort
and the pressure Of hot blood was
gradually receding In his brain.
| Juan-Silva sent for him. He went
out. A Mexican woman brought them
food. She looked like an ape, with q
fiat face stuck out at the end of q
forward leaning neck. She had a
hump behind her shoulders that in
dicated strength rather than age and
her arms were prodigiously long.
Juan-Silva laid hold Of her arm and
stopped her.
'This is Maria" said Juan-Silva.
For 10 years now she has been serv-
ing me. And yet she Is not paid with
money"
Afterward, while they were eating.
the Kid said, Does she love you 30
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