Evening star., 1936-03-28
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UEN& MPETER- B. .KYNE
MPETER B. KYNE
CHAPTER XIV.

II dlIIiouSAA
it was not without slight COM
~ penSation. In a dance hall in
Also street. in Los Angeles, while
he and Juanita danced on crowded
floor Joaquin suddenly recognized one
of the last few survivors of the mob
that had hanged Jesus. He waited
until the man left the dance hall. and
in the dim street, block distant, he
leaped upon him from the rear and
stabbed him to the heart. With white
chalk he drew an NJ OH the mans coat
and calmly rejoined Juanita in the
dance hall.
That was a mistake, and, although
Joaquin half thought it might be.
he could not resist the overpowerng
yearning to dramatic himself. I'M
mediately the word went forth that
JOAQUIN Murietta was in town and
forthwith gambling houses and banks
hired many guards; the sheriff quickly
organized a number OF posses ana
every visiting Mexican without visible
means of support was arrested and
interrogated. Nine of Joaquins men
were caught in one such raid, held
In Jail three days and turned loose
on a writ of habeas corpus at the
instance of an attorney engaged by
Joaquin in person.
In the harbor at San Pedro a BoS-
ton brig had recently discharged
cargo of manufactured goods. A spy
informed Joaquin that the captain
had collected for the cargo in cash
and would, on the morrow, pay his
stevedores, of whom the spy was one
Joaquin, with six men, rode to San
Pedro, roWed out to the brig MUIR
dered her master, mates and the
steward and returned with $4,000
In gold, which he loaded on two PACK
mules and sent north to the Arroyo
Cantova to be buried there. Four OF
his men departed on this mission. he
raided a horse herd in the Santa
Ana Valley and started driving it to
Mexico, intending to cross the oorder
below San Diego. A posse overlook
him and there was a running night
in which the posse suffered no cas-
ualties and Joaquin lost five men
Under cover of darkness he and Juan
ita and the remainder of his COM
pany managed to elude the posse be-
cause of the superiority OF their
mounts, and doubled back to San
Gabriel. His spy here reported moth
ing worth bothering about SO theS
killed half a dozen Americans they
met on the road while riding across
country to San Fernando valley, where
they robbed a general store and plcKec
I'D $500 and a supply OF pro-
visions. At Fort TETON they ran into
a sheriff's posse, had a sharp skirmisr
and lost two men and a mule with
the 81 500 on his pack, They cut over
east into the Mojave desert and hac
q difficult time because of lack oil
knowledge of water holes before WIN
ding up through Tehachapi Pass int
the San Joaquin valley again.
In the hamlet called Bakersfield
they robbed two saloons, gambling
hall and the general store and killee
nine men for the sheer delight Of
keeping their hands in. Then, undel
cover of darkness, they rode across
the valley and at dawn emerged into
the Arroyo Cantova. The men he
had sent there with the gold from
the brig were not there. nor was tnere
the slightest evidence that they nae
been there. .,
''Wretches. Scoundrels, robbers:
JOAQUIN raved. They have betrayed
me They have fled to Mexico with
my money"
His stock was in rather sorry shape
90 with the fragment of his company
he remained in the Arroyo CantoVs
for a two-week rest.
Beloved" said Juanita to him one
dav what did that Dolores Largo
say when at Los Angeles you badt
her 60 her way?"
Nothing, my Juanita. She knew
the law and the punishment for dis
obedience. She had no wish to re-
main with us. Juanito had cast hei
off and at San Fernando the night
before we rode into Los Angeles hel
new lover quarreled with a stranger
at a monte game and was killed. She
will find employment in a dance nal
until some fool falls in love with her.
II am afraid here in Arroyo Can
tova Joaquin I fear betrayal al
the hands of that hell-cat"
II cannot have my peace of mind
disturbed by your foolish worries
Juanita." He called to Claudio.
Claudio, in the morning you will
ride to Los Angeles. There you VIII
find Dolores Largo. 1t seems she Is
dangerous. Kill her"
Claudio demurred. II have never
killed a woman"
Kill or be killed. I have spoken.
In the morning Claudio rode south
On the fourth day his weary horse
carried him into the pueblo to
Los Angeles; the following night he
located Dolores Largo in a dance
hall and drew her into booth. He
ordered a bottle of champagne and
entered into casual conversation; pres
entity he grow ardent:
IT have parted from Joaquin" ne
told her. st grew weary of danger
and sick Of blood When first saw
you I was smitten with great love
for you, my dear one. But there was
Juan Garcia, that three fingered devil
and he was my superior. My heart
ached for you when Joaquin drove
you forth. Then I was wounded ir
the Sacramento Valley and the woune
was long healing When at last
could ride again I came to the Arroyo
Cantova, there to await the arriva
of my comrades, for knew not whers
they were at the time. And 10, Joa'
uuin had relented and you were there
again with Juan Garcia. And AGAR
my soul was desolate. I could d.
nothing. Then the three fingered ont
cast you off and another won YOU
heart. That other is now dead-ant
J am here. All, Dolores. my soul il
on fire for you. Tell me that yol
will make me happy"
She laid her hand on his and he
dark eyes glowed. GLADLY, swee
Claudio. Let us drink to our love