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Show 'Sr " ill The Land ! of Broken j Promises A Stirring j Story of the I , . Mexican ' Revolution , i By H'. DANE COOLIDGE Jiir"The Fibrins Pool." "Hidden , Wweri," "The Tcxian." Euu ' 1 I 1 ' .','- 'I Copyright. 19H, by Frank A. Munsey.) CHAPTER XXVII Continued. ! T!y lie signs tho land ahead was full Cr bandits and ladrones, men to whom fiumiin life was nothing and a woman no more sacred than a brute. At the IKura all trails converged, from the north and from the south. Not by any ehivnco could a man pass over It In the IriVtfmrt wHtlfllit manHiiir DArna nna the. way, and if the base revoltosos once set eyes on Gracia it would take poro than a nod to restrain them. So, in a sheltered ravine they sought cover until It was dark, and while Gracia slept, the heavy-headed Bud watched tho plain from the heights above. As he watched he dreamed of a taame in which this woman now sleeping-beside him was the queen. He dreamed of years to . come with, unbounded un-bounded happiness throughout all of them. Thoughts of Phil and duty to Ihis pardner were far away. Nothing oii the plain below served to distract ibEm from this dream of happiness. Aa far as he could see there was mothing that savored of danger for 1thc woman in his keeping. There were no sounds or signs of either (federal or revolutionary troops, from ibolh of which they were fleeing, and from both of which he must guard tier. Again they were in a world that was all their own, an Eden with but one man and one woman. For an hour and more he watched nnd dreamed, and with the dreams came the desire for sleep, the cry of nature for rest. Gracia stirred, then fcpoke softly to him, calling him by tiame, and her voice was as music Far away. When she awoke and found him nodding nod-ding Gracia insisted upon taking his place. Now that she had been refreshed re-freshed her dark eyes were bright and sparkling, but Bud could hardly see. The long watching by night and by day had left his eyes bloodshot and swollen, swol-len, with lids that drooped In spite of him. If . he did not sleep now he might doze in thi saddle later, or ride blindly into somu rebel camp; so he made her promise to call him and lay down to rest until dark. The stars were all out when he awoke, startled by her hand on his Biair, but she reassured him with a word and led him up the hill to their lookout It was then that he understood under-stood her silence. Tn the brief hours during which he had slept the deserted de-serted country seemed suddenly to .have come to life. '.By daylight there had been nothing to Buggest the presence of men. ISvit sow as the velvet night settled set-tled down upon the land it brought .nt the glimmering specks of a hundred hun-dred camp-fires to the east and to the borth. But the fires to which Gracia pointed were set fairly in their trail, . uid they barred the way to Gadsden.. "Xook!" she said. "I did not want to wake you, but the fires have sprung up everywhere. These last ones are aright "in the pass." " "When did you see them?" asked TTciLtaT, his head ' still heavy with sleep. "Have they been there long?" I "Ho; only a few minutes," she ah-swered. ah-swered. "At sundown I saw those over Co the east they are along the base of that big black mountain but these flashed up just now; and see, there .are more, and more!" "Some outfit coming in from the north," said Bud. "They've crossed ocer the pass and camped at the first . water this side." "Who do you think they are?" asked 'tSr&cIa in an awed voice. "Insurrec-os?" "Insurrec-os?" "Like as not," muttered Bud, gazing 5rora .encampment to encampment ""Hut whoever they are," he added, ""they're no friends of ours. We've got to go around them." 'And if we can't?" suggested Gracia. Gra-cia. I reckon we'll have to go through, :hcn," answered Hooker grimly. "We iAoii "want to get caught here in the rmorning." "Ride right through their camp?" gasped Gracia. -Let the sentries get to sleep," he tteat on, half to himself. "Then, just before the moon comes up, we'll try to lge around them, and if it comes to a showdown, we'll ride for it! Are you game?" He turned to read the answer, and the drew herself up proudly. -Try me!" she challenged, drawing B.;irer to him in the darkness. And so th.'v .jti:od, side by side, while their linrtJ.-v clasped In promise. Then, as ,ft-.f ii,-.'t grow diirker and no new ar'.iiWrt.ffi. Hooker saddled up the vWSSKi-a hr.ws and thty picked their v&tv lrn to tho trail. --,. o-n. firi were far ahead, but st wnlk thoir horse-, feet falling silently upon the sodden ground. Not a word was spoken and thff halted often to listen, for ot'iers, too, might be abroad. The distant fires were dying now, except a few where men rose to feed them. The braying of burros came in from the flats to the right and as the fugitives fugi-tives drew near the first encampment they could hear the voices of the night guards as they rode about the horse herd. Then, as they waited Impatiently, Impatient-ly, the watch-fires died down, the guards no longer sang their high falsetto, fal-setto, and even the burros were still. This was their opportunity. If they were to get through that line of sleeping sleep-ing men It must be done by stealth. Should they be discovered It would mean one man against an army to protect the woman, and the odds, great as they were, must be taken If need be. It was approaching the hour of midnight, mid-night, and as their horses twitched restively res-tively at the bits they gave them the rein and rode ahead at a venture. At their left the last embers of the fires revealed the sleeping forms of men; to their right, somewhere in the darkness, was the night herd and the herders. They lay low on their horses' necks, not to cast a silhouette against the sky, and let Copper Bottom pick the trail. With ears that pricked and swlveled, and delicate nostrils snuffing the Mexican Mex-ican taint, he plodded along through the ereasewood divining hv some In stinct his master's need of care. The camp was almoBt behind them, and Bud had straightened up in the saddle, sad-dle, when suddenly the watchful Copper Cop-per Bottom Jumped and a man rose up from the ground. "Who goes there?" he mumbled, swaying sleepily above his gun, and Hooker reined his horse away before he gave him an an8wr. "None of your business," he growled impatiently. "I am going to the pass." And as the sentry stared stupidly after him he rode on through the bushes, neither hurrying nor halting until he gained the trail. "Good luck!" he observed to Gracia, when the camp was far behind. "He took me for an officer and never saw you at all." "No, I flattened myself on my pony," answered Gracia with a laugh. "He thought you were leading a pack-horse." pack-horse." "Good,", chuckled Hooker; "you did fine! Now, don't say another word because they'll notice a woman's voice and if we don't run into some more of them we'll soon be climbing the pass." They bad passed through some perilous per-ilous moments, but Gracia had hardly realized the danger because of the assurance as-surance of Hooker, who was careful not to frighten her unnecessarily. But it was an assurance which he had not felt himself, and he was not yet certain cer-tain of their safety. The waning moon came out as they left the wide valley behind them, and then it disappeared again as they rode into the gloomy shadows of the canyon. can-yon. For an hour or two they plodded slowly upward, passing through narrow nar-row defiles and into moonlit 6paces, and still they did not mount the summit. sum-mit. In the east the dawn began to break and they spurred on in almost a panic. The Mexican paisanos count themselves them-selves late If they do not take the trail . at sunup what if they should meet some straggling party before they reached the pass? Bud jumped Copper Bottom up a series of cat steps; Gracia's roan came scrambling behind; and then, just as the boxed walls ended and they gained a level spot, they suddenly found themselves them-selves in the midst of a camp of Mexicans Mex-icans men, saddles, packs, and rifles, all scattered at their feet. "Buenos dias!" saluted Bud, as the blinking men rose up from their blankets. "Excuse me, amlgos, I am in a hurry!" "A donde va? A 'donde va?" challenged chal-lenged a bearded man as he sprang up from his brush shelter. "To the pass, senor," answered Hooker, Hook-er, still politely, but motioning for Gracia to ride on ahead. "Adios!" "Who Is that man?" bellowed the bearded leader, turning furiously upon his followers. "Where is my sentinel? senti-nel? Stop him!" But it was too late to stop him. Bud laid his quirt across the rump of the roan and spurred forward in a dash for cover. They whisked around the point of a hill as the first scattered shots rang out; and, as a frightened sentinel jumped up in their path Bud rode him down. The man dropped his gun to escape the fury of the charge and in a mad clatter, they flung themselves at a rock-slide and scrambled to the bench above. The path was rocky, but they pressed forward at a gallop until, as the sun came up, they beheld the summit of the pass. "We win!" cried Bud, as he spurred up the last Incline. As he looked over the top he exploded ex-ploded in an oath and jerked Copper Bottom back on his haunches. The leader of a long line of horsemen was just coming up the other side there was no escape and then back at the frightened girl. "Keep behind me." he commanded, "and don't shoot. I'm going to hold 'em up!" He jumped his horse out to one side and landed squarely on the rim of the ridge. Gracia drew her horse in behind be-hind him and reached for the pistol in her holster; then both together they drew their guns and Bud threw down on the first man. "Go on!" he ordered, motioning him forward with his head; "pr-r-ronto! " He jerked out his rifle with his left hand and laid It across his lap. "Hurry up now," he raged, as the startled Mexican halted. "Go on and keep a going, and the first man that makes a break I'll shoot him full at holes!" He sat like a statue on his shining horse, his six-shooter balanced to shoot, and something in his very presence the bulk of his body, the forward thrust of his head, and the burning hate of his eyes quelled the spirits of the rebels. They were a rag-tag army, mounted on horses and donkeys and mules and with arms of every known make. It was just such an army as was overrunning all northern Mexico, such an army as had been levying tribute on the land for a century. They spread terror throughout all that great country coun-try south of the American border. The fiery glances of the American made them cringe as they had always cringed before their masters, and his curses turned their blood to water. He towered above them like a giant, pouring pour-ing forth a torrent of oaths and beckoning beck-oning them on their way, and the leader lead-er was the first to yield. With hand half-raised and jaw on his breast he struck spurs to his frightened fright-ened mule and went dashing over the ridge. The others followed by twos and threes, some shrinking, some protesting, protest-ing, some gazing forth villainously from beneath their broad hats. As they looked back he whirled upon them and swore he would kill the first man that dared to turn his head. After all. they were a generation of slaves, those low-browed, unthinking peons, and war had not made them brave. They passed on, the whole line of bewildered soldiery, looking in vain for the men that were behind the American, staring blankly at the beautiful beau-tiful woman who sat so courageously by his side. When the last had gone by Bud picked up his rifle and watched him around the point. Then he smiled grimly at Gracia, whose eyes were still round with wonder, and led the way down the trail. CHAPTER XXVIII. The high pass and the insurrectos were behind them now and the rolling plains of Agua Negra were at their feet. To the northeast the smoke, banners ban-ners of the Gadsden smelters lay like ribbons across the sky, and the line was not far away. Yet, as they came down from the mountains. Bud and Gracia fell silent and slackened their slashing pace. The time for parting was near, and partings part-ings are always sad. But ten miles across the plain lay Gadsden and Phil Phil to whom Gracia Gra-cia was promised. There had been no thoughts of him from the time they sat together under the horse-blankets waiting for the rain to pass until now that the dangers were virtually over, and but a short time more would place them beyond the reach of either ru-rales ru-rales or rebels. Bud thought of the duty he owed his pardner, even though that pardner had played him false. Great as was his longing for Gracia, he could not forget that duty. Their companionship had been but a thing to forget if he could, or at best he cot;M only remember the sweetness of it, and must forget the dreams he had dreamed as he watched beside Gracia in the hills. He was taking her to Phil, and all else must be sacrificed for tSuty. Bud looked far out across the valley to where a train puffed in from the south, and the sight of it made him uneasy. un-easy. He watched still as it lay at the station and, after a prolonged stare in the direction of Agua Negra, he reined Bharply to the north. "What is it?" asked Gracia, coming out of her reverie. "Oh, nothing," answered Bud, slumping slump-ing down in his saddle. "I see the railroad rail-road is open again they might be somebody up there looking for us." "You mean " "Well, say a bunch of rurales." He turned still farther to the north as he- spoke and spurred his jaded horse on. Gracia kept her roan beside be-side him, but he took no notiGe, except ex-cept as he scanned the line with his bloodshot eyes. He was a hard-looking man now, with a rough stubble of beard on his face and a sullen set to his jaw. As two horsemen rode out from distant Agua Negra he turned and glanced at Gracia. "Seems , like we been on the run ever since we left Fortuna," he said with a rueful smile. "Are you good for just one more?" "What is it now?" she Inquired pulling herself together with an effort. "Are those two men coming out, to meet us? Do you think they'd stop us?" "That's about our luck," returned Hooker. "But when we dip out of sight in this swale here we'll turn north and hit for the line." "All right," she agreed. "My horse is tired, but I'll do whatever you say, Bud." She tried to catch his eyes at this, but he seemed lost in contemplation of the horsemen. "Them's rurales," he said at last, "and heading straight for us but we've come too far to get caught now. Come on!" he added bruskly, and went galloping up the swale. For two miles they rode up the wash, their heads below the level of the plain, but as Bud emerged at the mouth of the gulch and looked warily over the cut bank he suddenly reached for his rifle and measured the distance to the line. "They was too foxy for me," he muttered, mut-tered, as Gracia looked over at the approaching rurales. "But I can stand 'em off," he added, "so you go ahead." "No!" she cried, coming out in open rebellion. "Well, I won't leave you that's all!" she declared, as he turned to command ber. "Oh. tnm !"" Bud!" She laid an impulsive hand on his arm and he thrust his gun back into the sling with a thud. "All right!" he said. "Can't stop to talk about it Go ahead and flay the hide off of that roan!" They were less than a mile from the' line, but the rurales had foreseen their ruse in dropping into the gulch and had turned at the same time to intercept inter-cept them. They were pushing their fresh horses to the utmost now across the open prairie, and . as the roan lagged and faltered in his stride Bud could see that the race was lost. "Head for 'that monument!" he called to Gracia, pointing toward one of the International markers as he faced their pursuers. "You'll make It they won't shoot a woman!" He reached for his gun as he spoke. "No, no!" she cried. "Don't you stop! If you do I will! Come on!" she entreated, checking her horse to wait for him. "You ride behind me they won't dare shoot at us then!" Bud laughed shortly and wheeled in behind her, returning his gun to its sling. "All right," he said, "we'll ride It out together then!" He laid the quirt to the roan. In the whirl of racing bushes a white monument monu-ment flashed up suddenly before them. The rurales were within pistol-shot and whipping like mad to head them. Another figure came flying along the line, a horseman, waving his hands and motioning. Then, riding side by side, they broke across the boundary with the baffled rurales yelling savagely savage-ly at their heels. "Keep a going!" prompted Hooker, as Gracia leaned back to check her horse; "down into the gulch there them rurales are liable to shoot yet!" The final dash brought them to cover, but as Bud leaped down and.. Gracia Watched Them With Jealous Eyes. took Gracia in his arms the roan spread his feet, trembled, and dropped heavily to the ground. "He'll be all right," soothed Bud, as Gracia still clung to his arm. Then, as he saw her gaze fixed beyond him, he turned and beheld Philip De Lan-cey. Lan-cey. It was the same Phil, the same man Bud had called pardner, and yet when Hooker saw him there he stiffened stif-fened and his face grew hard. "Well?" he said, slowly detaching Gracia's fingers and putting her hand away. As Phil ran forward to greet them he stepped sullenly off to one side. What they said he did not know, for his mind was suddenly a blank; but when Phil rushed over and wrung his hand he came back to earth with a start. "Bud!" cried De Lancey ecstatically, ecstatical-ly, "how can I ever thank you enough! You brought, her back to me, didn't you, old man? Thank God you're safe I've been watching for you with glasses ever since I heard you had started! I knew you would do It, pardner; you're the best friend a man ever had! But say, come over here a minute I want to speak to you." He led Hooker off to one side, while Gracia- watched them with jealous eyes, and lowered his voice as he spoke. "It was awful good of you, Bud," he whispered, "but I'm afraid you've got in bad! The whole town Is crazy about It Old Aragon came up on the first train,, and now they've wired that you killed Del Rey. By jove, Bud, wasn't that pulling it a little strong? Captain of the rurales, you know the whole Mexican government is behind him and Aragon wants you for kidnaping!" "What's that?" demanded Gracia, as she heard her own name Bpoken. Bud looked at Phil, who for ence was at a loss for words, and then he answered slowly. "Your father is down it the station." he said, "looking for you." "Well, he can't have me!" cried Gracia Gra-cia defiantly. "I'm across the line now! I'm free! I can do what I please!" "But there's the immigration office," interposed Phil pacifically. "You will have to go there and your father has claimed you were kidnaped!" "Ha! Kidnaped!" laughed Gracia. who had suddenly recovered her spirits. "And by whom?" "Well by Bud here," answered De Lancey hesitatingly. - Gracia turned as he spoke and surveyed sur-veyed Hooker with a mocking smile. Then she laughed again. "Never mind.," she said, "I'll fix that. I'll ipII them that I L-Mnonorl him!" "No, but seriously!" protested De Lancey, as Bud chuckled hoarsely. "You can't cross the line without being passed by the inspectors, and-t-well, your father is there to get you back.' "But I will not go!" flung back Gracia. Gra-cia. "Oh, my dear girl!" cried De Lancey, Lan-cey, frowning in his perplexity, "you don't understand, and you make it aw-lul aw-lul hard for me. You know they're very strict now so many low women coming across the line, for well, the fact is, unless you are married you can't come in at all!" "But I'm in!" protested Gracia flushing hotly. "I'm " "They'll deport you," said De Lancey, Lan-cey, stepping forward to give her support sup-port "I know It's hard, dear," he went on, as Bud moved hastily away, "but I've got it all arranged. Why should we wait? You came to marry me, didn't you? Well, you must do it now right away! I've got the license and the priest all waiting come on before the rurales get back to town and report re-port that you've crossed the line. We can ride around to the north and come in at the other side of town. Then we " "Oh, no, no!" cried Gracia, pushing him impulsively aside. "I am not ready now. And " She paused and glanced at Bud. "Mr. Hooker," ehe began, walking gently toward him, "what will you do now?" "I don't know," answered Hooker huskily. "Will you come with us will you " "No," said Bud, shaking his head slowly. "Then I must say good-by?" She waited, but he did not answer. "You have ben. so good, to pie," she went on, "so brave, and have I been brave, too?" she broke in pleadingly. HoQker nodded his head, but he did not meet her eyes." "Ah, yes," she sighed. "You have heard what Phil has said. I wish now that my mother were here, but would yon mind? Before I go I want to give you a kiss!" She reached out her hands impulsively impul-sively and Hooker started back. His eyes, which had been downcast, blazed suddenly as he gazed at her, and then they flitted to Phil. "No," he said, and his voice was lifeless life-less and choked. "You will not?" she asked, after a pause. "No!" he said again, and she shrank away before his glance. "Then good-by," she murmured, turning turn-ing away like one in a dream, and Bud heard the crunch of her steps as she went toward the horses with Phil. Then, as the tears welled to his eyes, he heard a resounding slap and a rush of approaching feet. "No!" came the voice of Gracia, vibrant with Indignation. "I say no!" The spat of her hand rang out again and then, with a piteous sobbing, she came running back to Bud, halting with the stiffness of her long ride. "I hate you!" she screamed, as Phil came after her. "Oh, I hate you! No, you shall never have the kiss! What! if Bud here has refused it, will I give a kiss to you? Ah, you poor, miserable creature!" she cried, wheeling upon him in a sudden fit of passion. "Where were you when I was in danger? Where were you when there was no one to- save me? And did you think, then, to steal a kiss, when my heart was sore for Bud? Ah, coward! You are no fit pardner! No, I will never marry you never! Well, go then! And hurry! Oh, how I hate you to try to steal me from Bud!" She turned,, and threw her arms about Hooker's neck and drew his rough face down to her. "You do love me, don't you, Bud?" she sobbed. Oh, you are so good so brave! And now will you take the kiss?" "Try me!" said Bud. THE END. |