Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1936-03-13
CHAPTER VII

wounded side. Then, lips set in a
hard, straight line, he strobe over to
the Crane rider Brownell had shot
The fellow was half-breed and uglier
than most of his unhappy caste. He
lay with a blue-black hole between his
eyes-Gus Brownell always had been
a good shot.
The man he himself had killed was
quite dead, too; but his horse, with
saddle turned sidewise and still con-
trolled by the reins held in the dead
mans grip, had got over its fear to
snuff suspiciously at his fallen mas
ter. Not bad looking animal.
Down in Novedad, half mile dis
tant, commenced a curious sound
which swelled and swelled in volume.
On looking carefully, Ken could make
out the black figures of people run
ming back and forth among the tents,
muck like ants whose hill has been dis
turbed. Probably Cranes riders were
giving their version of the fight.
Even while the tall young man in
buckskins paused undecided among
the dead, figure on horseback dart
ed away from the back of the town,
and gallOping to the shelter of a ridge
that paralleled the road, drew near
him.
When, sheltered from sight by BUSH
es that were burned to tired yellow
green, the rider drew near, Ken's gun
leaped from its holster, hesitated and
remained out, but not levelled, for
when the rider refined in a scant fiji
ty yards away, he saw it was Lucia
NOVEL;. Her dark hair had blown
over her forehead and her face was
white.
"Quick! Get on that horse" impera-
lively she called, taking care to re-
main hidden from the town, "Come
here"
Apparently there was no one be-
hind her, so Ken, snatching up the
dead riders sombrero, clapped it on
his head and, after disengaging the
reins from the dead riders hand vault
ed easily onto the back of the black
pony. Gun still in hand, he cantered
ever.
If Lucia Nowell's eye had appeared
large the night before, they were enor-
nous now as she said in her decisive,
swapping voice, "Ride-Ken-ride
Get away. Quick! There's a mob
forming to lynch YOU"
He refined in the plunging black
a sardonic, unlovely grin on his scar
red features. you're tellin' me,
1na'am?"
ooh, don't be foolish" she painted.
"Ted's riders are swearing that you
and your men shot first-without
warning murdered their pals in cold
blood"
She was trembling, he could see,
her face paler than ever and her ear
nestness was almost convincing.
mo-" he drawled Reckon I'll
stay and have it out with Mescalero
Ied-two O. my boys he's"
mo, mol" she cut in furiously. "You
must get away-they'll hang you
She looked fearfully about. "And-
and you must believe mel didn't
know about those Indians last night. "
The Spanish in her was on top now
Not only her lips, but her whole vi
brant being pleaded with him to be-
lieve.
Should he? He steadied his mount
with wrist of iron. God, she was
pretty this way-earnest, passionate
In her pleading. Still Ken hesitated.
while the uproar in Novedad grew ev-
er louder.
go, CO." she painted, red lips quiv-
ering and rounded breasts heaving be-
meath her thin office blouse. "You-
you don't understand! You must
live"
Desperately, he sought to read her
purpose; she seemed only concerned
for him, yet whatever she intended he
suddenly realized she was right about
that "necktie party" forming down
there in Novedad. And the fact re-
NAMED that he had killed one of
Cranes men.
please go, they're coming now,"
she pleaded, squirting up alongside.
Dear God, will nothing move you?
For my sake, then!"
For your sake?" Grimly amused
he laughed in her anguished, blanch-
ed features, "For your sake?"
eyes" She suddenly leaned from
her saddle and, before he could quite
realize what she intended, she had
pressed warm, quivering kiss on his
IL