Evening star., 1935-03-10
CHAPTER XIV.
AT THE POSTERN.


NJ oNTANA reached the stairs
~ N that slanted steeply down
V through the wall. Some one
L came running up toward
him, almost crashed into
him. The soldier jumped back against
the wall Pardon, senor!' he gasped.
Montana went silently past. He
was down the second flight of stairs.
He was at the entrance to the guard
room. There had been three men
in the place when he and Rubriz
made their entrance, terrible hours
before. There were almost dozen
present now, and there was cap
tain among them!
From the deeps of his throat the
Kid summoned cultural roar: AT
tention!" and STROBE in on the wings
of that word.
They came to rigid attention, all
of them, their eyes foolishly staring,
their arms fooliShly stiff at their
sides. So the Kid crossed to the door.
"Open!" he thundered.
But, excellency-" said the cap
tain.
There was corporal who heard
the word "excellency" and sprang like
frightened rabbit to do the first
bidding He worked feverishly,
wrenching back the three bolts. He
thrust them so fast and hard that
they changed loudly. The heavy door
yawned a little.
"Excellency-" said the captain
"Silence!" roared El Keed.
Silence be damned" exclaimed
the captain. What are you and who
are you?"
He came striding, with jingle of
spurs, and the Kid leaped through
the widening lip of the door.
The night struck at him like wet
black hand He heard, from behind
him, scream of rage and aStoniSh-
ment, like the shrek of a woman.
Hard to the left he turned, she'd
ding the encumbering cloak as he
ran. Behind him, the arm of light
was widening, reaching into the rain
of the night. And the guard was
pouring out, each man shooting at
the brilliant phantom nothingness of
the light and the rain
Then they had sight of Montana
to their left, already dim with night
and distance, and running straight
down the slope toward those willows
which stood by the bank of the river,
They paused even now to fire a few
shots, in hope of good fortune and
also to catch the ear of the rest of
the fort. Then they burst into pur-
suit of a fugitive who was already
invisible.
One cry came out of the throat of
the Kid as he neared the willows.
And when he came through them he
found the gigantic form of the friar.
The Kid leaped on the red mare.
Take the black and the mule"
he commanded. "I have half of the
crown. The soldiers are after me.
We must ford the river. Rubriz will
never come this way tonight"
They pushed straight out from the
trees into the water. The rain, sent
out Of a kind heaven, the same wind
and rain that had tortured Montana
on the ledge beneath the window.
now stormed down in an impene-
trable veil. He could hear gunshots
from behind, but he could see moth
ing. The water rose to his knees.
1t shoaled. He came out on the far
ther shore, with Brother Pascual
beside him.
AS Montana had guessed, it was
not on the strength of his hands
that Rubriz was depending when he
determined to leave the governors
room by the open way.
When he came to the fallen door
he picked it up and placed the bur-
den OF 1t over his shoulder and the
back of his neck. He had barely put
the thing In position when many
men stormed in from the hall with
painting Gen. Ignacio Estrada at their
head.
He caught Rubriz by the shoulder.
His grip slipped on the great rub
berry muscles that shod the bones of
Rubriz.
Whats this? What's happening
here?" cried Estrada.
Il carry away the door to be re-
paired" said Rubriz. "I know moth
ing but orders. I am a poor servant,
Senor"
"All half-wits. All fools. Nothing
but blind men around me tonight"
shouted Estrada.
He strobe on into his room. The
others followed, and with the bugles
blowing the call to arms, Rubriz
went on down the stairs.
The governor, entering his bed