The Washington times., 1935-02-12

J
tion, he placed his ear agains
sound come to tell him where
Moments passed, each wait
ing for the other to make the
first revealing move. Each
knew that only a few PAGES
distant, crouching and ready,
lurked the enemy. Each knew
that from the hushed room
where these two waited only
one would go alive. The mon,
Strous silence was becoming
uncomfortable.
From outside heavy steps
came racing up the stairs, and
now a frantic pounding on the
door and the sound of Barnes
voice, loud and anguished.
"Dick!" the voice called,
"Dick!"
Sari'S End
No answer. Absolute silence
In that room where death pa
tiently awaited the outcome.
Again a light movement, some
one crawling along the floor, a
faint football, a slight stirring
In the air, but listening intently,
one could not tell from what d.
rection those unseen movements
came.
Silently Dick reached within
his pocket, and drawing out
his watch, threw it toward the
corne4 where Sari had last fired.
Where are you, damn you?"
he shrieked.
For answer a shot rang from
across the room, and in quick
reply two shots echoed back,
then with the binding swift
ness Of a machine gun five
bursts of flame roared from
Dicks automatic.
Silence. A low moan. The
thud Of a pistol dropped from
nerveless hands. Silence.
Outside Barnes gathered him.
self for the last time, and with
the strength of desperation
Sprang at the weakened door,
With splintering of torn hinges,
1t crashed open.
The trail of the killer had
reached an end.
CHAPTER 4s
With the passing days soft
mists had gathered over the
desert in the late sunny after.
moons, promising that soon an.
other spring would bring its age.
Old blaze of brief, vivid flower.
ing. Each day the breeze from
out the southern hills of Mexico
grew warmer, lazily ripping
through the young, budding
leaves that were fast covering
the adobe walls of Dicks ha.
cienda.
And toward the end of Just
such a day a car bearing Nora
and Solon Lowell stopped before
the ranch house. Even in the
light of the low desert sun one
might see that the old mans
face still bore the shadow of
that gruelling hour in el Toro.
Something had gone out Of him.
On the porch he sank heavily
back into a chair, then pulling
a cigar from his pocket, looked
quickly up to see a horseman
galloping down the lane. Un-
certainly Solon Lowell shaded
his eyes against the blazing sun,
but almost at once Nora whis-
pered. tits Dick"
We've started blasting the
entrance to the tunnel" he
called while still a little way off.
"Before summer Azure Lake
will be pouring its waters out
over the old desert"
Lost Dream
It was his father who an
swered. We've just come from
Lolita. I've been thinking, Dick,
it might be we'll if she and the
little chap came over to take
care of the hacienda for you
after I go back East. I have
already made arrangements that
Lolita need never worry about
their future, but I would be
more content if she were here
where you could watch over her,
and over my grandson"
At last the younger man
looked up.
"I've been thinking about the
future, too, Dad. You see"
He hesitated. His voice had lost
some of its spontaneity, had
dulled a little. MY work here
is done"
"Done?" Surprise and a vast