The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-04-12

them, and fire at the nrst one that moves. The rest of you advance with me, pistols cooked. When it's time to shoot, shoot to kill" Hope was blufang hard now, suggesting to the unseen enemy that there were a dozen or more seasoned Border Patrolmen surrounding them. Come on Sherry, we'll disarm them first"
 "Ohl" the same shrill voice. "Mr Starr? MT. Kildare? Is 1t y-you?" The handsome pair crouched there a full 10 seconds, tense in 1 the darkness, before either spoke again.
 For criminy's sakel" breathed Sheridan at last.
 Did you = did you hear = ?" Hope whispered back, uncertainty.
 Its herl" Sherry declared.
 MT. Kildare? Here I am = Betty Mary Jordan. Isn't 1t you? Is Mir. Starr with you? I'm sure 1t was your voice. Where-2"
 Betty Mary2" Hope called.
 "Yes. Are you all right?"
 My lord, yes. What are you do- ing there? What are you doing out here? Who's with you? Was that you made the noise? Don't you know you almost got shot? My lord, you-!"
 "Oh" said Betty Mary from the dark. T had no idea 1t was so far, or so-so rugged and all. T."
 Be still until we can come to you. And be quiet. Who is with you?"
 Nobody"
 "Hunh?" Hope and Sherry both grunted their surprise at that.
 "N-nobody. I-I just came out and"
 Three or four minutes of careful crawling through the rocks was necessary to reach her. She had topped the ridge behind them, worked her way partly down into the canyon and was almost on a level with them when she had sent the pebble tumbling. The miracle was that they hadn't de- tected her before, but she was up canyon from them; their attention had been centered down hill, to- ward the border, and the night wind naturally carried sounds the other way. When they reached her, she was sobbing little.
 For goodness sakes, Betty Mary!" Sheridan whispered. his strong arm around her. What in the devil are you doing out here? Why this why you could have been killed a dozen ways! Why you don't have any idea what"
 You boys d-didn't - come in,' ,' she answered. still crying. And ] was the one who sent you out here All day I waited. I-I was re- sponsible. just-got a map-and rented car and came out to a ranch and walked on from there"
 "It's six milesl" Hope exclaimed, in low tone.
 "Lordy!" breathed Sheridan. She stopped crying then. She admitted, smiling in the dark ness, that she had been scared out of her wits after the moon went down and left her stranded alone in the rocky hills. The landmarks which she had memorized from the map, and which had been so easy to find by day and even by moonlight, had vanished by night.
 But I was too worried, and too hard-headed, to go back" she ad- mitted. Where have you been? What happened to you? Did you see any smugglers?"
 They talked for half an hour, the officers almost forgetting to maintain a guard for aliens in their concern for Betty Mary. Hope and Sherry next tried to agree on who should take her back home and who should stay in the canyon.
 You had planned to wait here another whole night?" Betty Mary interrupted, still whispering, but incredulous.
 Why sure. They haven't come ySts AACy may SOAAiC uAAy now. Wasn't it San Felipe Can- yon you said? Say. you weren't kidding us?" A sudden suspicion struck Officer Starr.
 But Betty Mary quelled it just as quickly.
 "No indeed I wasn'tl The tip was good one. I'll bet anything on that. Listen, Sheridan, and Hope" 1t was the first time she had called them by first names when I went to that jail I found a .22 rife cartridge in that man Salazar's personal effects. The jailer couldn't explain it. Just on guess. used my knowledge of Spanish to advantage. I posed as an old Mexican woman, and in his cell showed Salazar a .22 car- fridge of my own, hoping it was a-a sort of clan token. see? Well, 1t was! He thinks I was a mem- Der of Luis Barro's band, Barro worker and spy! Honestl"
 My goshl" exclaimed Hope Kil- dare. This girl from Washington, D. O., had been moving too fast for him. Her ingenuity as well as