Hungry Horse news and Columbian. [volume] (Columbia Falls, Mont.) 1946-1948, 1947-03-21

Indians who once had their homes
there, and of the Spanish dons who ha6
come after them.
And as they rode on across the bad
lands desert, beneath the stars and the
deep indigo of the sky, cut by golden
moon, an emotion that was completely
strange to Ell Caballero Rojo gripped
him. He suddenly felt an unaccus.
toned lump in his throat, and just as
suddenly the blood was racing through
his veins as he listened to Juanita's
clear, low, contented laughter, and felt
her slight, willowy body in the tattered
poems clothes close to him.
As innocently as child Juanita was
letting herself relax, for she felt SC
safe now-safe, with Ell Caballero Rojo
to whom she had so naively sworn al.
legiance. So she leaned back against
his shoulder, with his arms around her,
in order to hold Ell Cielo's reins.
With an uncomfortable feeling he
could not understand, Michael Valdez
set her upright, as if to settle himself
more comfortably in his saddle. He
felt her culver little, as though she
feared tat in some way she could not
understand she had displeased him.
Then she sat before him straight and
stiff. 1t was only a passage for a feet
ing moment, but if either of them could
have realized its significance, they
would have understood.
Suddenly Michael Valdez said:
"Juanita, it may be that I have not
made myself clear to you. Tonight
there has been nothing for it except to
let yo. come with me, but what told
you before is true. Ell Caballero Rojo
rides alone. For another to ride with
him might make it impossible for him
to do all those things that he is COM
mitted to do. You see that, don't your"
For a moment Juanita did no speak,
and when she did all the recent joy
seemed to have gone out of her soft
voice. There was choke in it when
she said:
But Juanita only wants to help
you, s-nor."
He laughed little at that, shortly.
"Hclp me?" he repeated by riding
like this when l go on such matters as
those which took me to Luna Roja to-
night. Why, you haven't even got a
horse" He groaned little, remember
ing that catastrophe. ''Madre de Dios!
What will we do about that, anyhow"
oh" said Juanita, and Frightened
a little, ''this will be easy. Back where
where my-home was. there is a
horse in the corral back of the two cot
tonwoods. The horse of my padre. Per
haps one day you will ride-only few
hours, senor-and bring him to me,
noF
Michael Valdez breathed a sigh of
relief. Cne puzzle was solved, at any
rate. Would he get the horse for Jua-
nita? He woodland with no delay
whatsoever, even if it meant making a
return journey to Paisano Valley be-
fore it was safe to do SO. This Juanita
problem was one that would brook no
delay.
"And when I have the horse" Jua-
MI was saying, more brightly, "then
l can ride with you, Caballero Rojo-
I can help you" She must have felt
his tense silence, for she said quickly, |
anxiously, You do not want me? But
is there no help can give you at alp
1t was on the tip of Valdez tongue
to assure her, firmly, that there was no
slightest chance that she could do any
thing more than be in his way, when a
better idea flashed into his mind. 1t
was one that he believed would settle
this bewildering matter once and for
ali,