The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-03-26

him. He followed the winding road
 With observant gaze to the point
 where it dove Into c thicket of eu-
 calyptuS trees and vanished, The
 trees were so tall and sturdy that
 Allan figured 1t must have been 0
 century since some phiianthropist
 planted them there to make on oasis
 Of coolness in this desert of heat ..
 Set far back in the grove was Q rambling structure of stone which
 he assumed was the hotel he was seeking. The Inn of one Thousand
 Delights was the modest name be. slowed on 1t by It's Chinese proprie.
 tor, Sun su. Allan grinned morose-
 ly. Right now he'd settle for just
 two delights if they'd take the shape
 of long cold drink and c long cold
 bath.
 Ie fished in c pocket of the car,
 pulled out Q pair of field glasses and
 trained them on the building. Didn't
 look too bad, he thought; looked as
 # 1t might be cool inside the heavy
 walls, and those palm leaves and
 bamboo shoots that seemed to be growing out of the roof indicated the hotel was built around c patio. Allan liked patioS, especially when they ran to shady booths, attentive walters and iced fruit drinks with StraWS. ...
 A movement caught his eye. A man had come out Of the front en- trance. The glasses revealed him as tall, slender, and fairly young about 32 or 33, Alian'S own age. He was wearing Q uniform which the American recognized as that of the RuraleS, the famous Mexican mounted police, and the glint of me- tel on the shoulders of his tunic marked him as on officer.
 Mildly surprised by the spectacle Of another lunatic abroad at such an hour on such q day, Allan watch. cd him swing lightly into the sad- de of horse that had been teth- cred near the door. He put his gteed in motion and came Up the road in the direction of San Saba, riding with the easy grace which Allan had long since concluded was every Mexican's blrthrLght. Horse and man drew rapidly nearer ct q brisk caTter, vanishing, Teappearing and vanishing again aS they took the curves of the road.
 Allan put aside his glasses, took Q last pull on his cigaret, dropped the butt on the floor of the sedan and touched the starter. The en. zine came to throbbing fife. lie was about to set the car rolling down the gentle slope ahead when he paused to watch the Mexican again. What was the fellow doing now2 he wondered.
 The officer had refined in abrupt ly. He was abreast of c clump of tall cactus that edged the road, and evidently his attention had been attracted by something that lay in the narrow strip of shade ct the base of the thorny mass. From 1 where Allan was watching, the ob- ject resembled c big bundle of rags. He saw the rider disnount and walk | toward it, leading his horse; he saw him drop to his knees beside the bundle
 And then the peaceful scene ex- ploded into the widest melodrama. Three men on horseback came gale loping from behind the cactus which had concealed them. They charged | down upon the kneeling officer, shouting and waving naked mache- les as they stood in their stirrups.
 Either their shouts or the pound- Ing of hoofs had given warning to their intended victim-warning and [ Ehe fraction of time he needed to defend himself. LAthe as a panther, 1e sprang erect, turning in the air as he did SO. When he caught his balance he was facing his attackers, ais rear protected by the clump of \ :actus. In the same moment he whipped out his straight, military and got 1t up in time to urn aside a sweeping blow from the irst horseman to reach him. Quick ls c snake strikes, he followed the ,arry with a lightning lnnge. The ,oint Of his blade drove into the lank of the mans horse; the ari- nal screamed, reared and tried to lolt. The officer swung to meet the