Show FLAME f t h e baft by VINGIE E ROE M doubleday doris A co ine ina 1 I jerylea CHAPTER X continued I 1 11 quince aulne a blue eyed man verily di disaster masier was raining mining upon her from fill all quarters hut she would not sink she would not give up what ever teemed seemed to be there was still behind it 11 all ali tho the sound of starr voice saying id crawl around the world to change my spots I 1 whatever he had done whatever he had been he was another ot herman man now it was ali n liia 1118 eyes in his heart in every tone of his voice tho the llast and nil all it ii meant of sin and tind shame were done lie ile would change his spots if lie ho could that she eho knew beyond all doubting the newcomers bad passed from eight bight and sound anabe and the mexican night lung hung it its s starry jewels above tile tho drowsing trees and sonya savaran sn bal by her barred window as tile the hours passed her hands clasped in her lap her face palo pale in the shadows shadow a what tile the morrow would bring she did not know uneasy thoughts moiled in tier her mind sho she heard again tile the servant of the lord talk ing in myras yard at tho t 11 0 dance tit at tho the be Beelzebub el ie bub and tile tho blue eyed onoda ono da danger n ger they passed by a dark form hung on a cross sho she shivered in tile the warm night hugged tier her arms across her breast beware newn ro innocent one ahemad the road old machad bonn had said and here was his warning fulfilled here was waa tho the goal toward joward which she had turned tier her face irrevocably when she had looked in starr stones eyes and followed him in spirit all the good past all her work and her services all the mane gano and precious things of ordinary life were gone like so much chaft chaff in the wind because a man had looked at tier her with wild blue eyes and silo she had turned and rOll followed hollowed owed now that man rodo rode by out there in the dusk ot of an allen alien la land i nd a pr prisoner I 1 Is she sat trembling here a prisoner also and tho the morrow held 1 their fato the morrow find and kl capitan blo t CHAPTER XI the empty desert BACK ACK at the adobe house of sorge serge stark tragedy held sway tile sheep man himself wad waa hardly accountable raging with feir fear and angea bewildered entirely ata at a loss to 0 andersland ond ersland stand its sisters disappearance no one had seen tier her no one nit nta nez and a youth from bad ad canyon who had stopped to talk alk with her about the sl sickness kness that had been in the morning bo be fore midday and parks tit tile store alss lind been in retty pretty lato for some small purchases clin ses lie ile watched serge narrowly as he told him that eliat they lind find the things in tier her saddlebags some art and two rolls rills of adhesive tapp tape they would be yes sorge serge remembered they were flut hut horo here lr ir marston apte stepped ped forward and parks parka had looked nt at him with guarded exes ces was nals alone I 1 lad alad noticed which way site she rodo rode when sho she left alone yes young doctor sonya bonya was alviad alone parks barics hod had nove neye oseen seen her riding anyone sinto since this was the tha list place slie she had been seen would he mr air parks midd it they looked d cilloni tho the store etore a bit looked roo iced about his store just lid did they mean A tidd of red had come flowing up tip tho usually pasty cheeks checks of iho storekeeper they meant riot nothing h ing only to look 1 about tho the lost last place in a wissing missing girl had been admittedly seen alive lalive it they meant to insinuate parka WM wao deadly cold they In sItuated nothing was he to ta their looking not partis exploded look all they pleased thit hut he followed fol loved at their huelf while Mi irston serge anil rodney illace about to tho scantily stored front room looked under voil counters liters in tipping bins bills and behind doom they entered tho the storeroom behind wath its it I 1 stacks of cases barrels the usual jumble of and Us lascon con ta liters which lliter litter such a place aud and here tile the red left parks face it became waxen like a moon in tog og but none of the three men no tired lived it As tile the three men explored among the disorder of alio vince place tho the proprietor kept clos close to thern them and arid once when marston raised the lid of fit it a in of dry beans the muscles of ochla lila right hand rose along the bacr back exi ep icily as I 1 the body of n cat jensee ensia leon beon fare it leaps marst dropped we the lid ond ind the hand relaxed thero Is n i liepp sergo serge ild aid in despair they benito went to fani the sherlf sheriff and ae how many wen men lie hid had sent seal out n lJ directions and backai back bac kat at therance the ranch llla lila who had held her tongue looked in the face of myra little and poured out in a hood flood nil all slie she knew of sonya and starr stone myra elyra who had come as fast as her two good horses end and a bouncing buckboard could bring her when she heard the news from a navajo runner who had passed her place 11 my loidl she said aghast you think that thai with him run jun oft what aliat else said llla lila miserably she loves cloves him and rod hod blake has said holl hell never give her up to tiny anyone 0 ne ill nm in yes maybe youre right site she told me of this man what kind of eyes ile he had dille blue eyes wild ar an excitable with pupils eliat aba t spread easily ive seen been their lile like once in a preacher who never should have been one on an in an outlaw at laredo la redo strallie strange ge eyes they are arc an strange men who own em cm an women cahnt forget them ever maybe Y youre right llla lila hed take her ano an shed go ga if she loved him she does said llla with conviction and all among the rad bad lands in the scattered canyons along the sagebrush sage brush levels ti a peculiar thing was happening from every crevasse I 1 of the lone lonely lyland land where she had worked tor for loved and befriended them the navajos cavajos 0 coming tall brown men on on sorry horses their long hair bound on their heads beneath their wide brimmed hats hata their turquoise n necklaces eck swinging on their breasts they met and spoke jn in soft clipped voices parted and went appointed ways their dark eyes on the deserts floor scanning tho the open book of the world around a moving network of detection it was hosteen tso who traced her ahod horse to the tha town who knew know that she had sat some hours in a dry wash over to the east before she went to town and who followed hersted her step by stop back along the circling way which had taken tier her at that oat certain spot where sonya had looked last upon tile deserts familiar a r face fro from I 1 n tile the security ot of her saddle and there two fingers stood with nez holding her lost bat hat tile tho three men looked at ai each other nodded spoke a few low words they nil all saw too three long strange marks in the sand wheel marks soft and wide with indentations in them a sharply defined mark running between them beginning a bit before their ending a bit before they did I 1 none of the three had ever seen no an airplane closer than the high blue sky above but they spoke of one now considering and they took the sombrero with them jogging back to their hogans tomorrow they ibey would meet again these three and circle wider asking all others of their tribe they met what they knew of sky ships tolling telling this which they linew knew and only the sethe humble ones whom grodney Blake despised kno knew w anything of sonya and what had become of tier her CHAPTER XII 11 the leopard leopar d changes spots D truyn AWN came cainie slowly to the d deep eop s walled room where sopija Sony asat eat by the w window the girl was weary from her sleepless vigil there were dark circles under her ey eyes e lines in her young face cut but her lips were steady land and courageous her heart the same today was waa to be big with portent that she know knew perhaps it meant death perhaps she would never again behold the sunrise or see bee the stars wheel in t the I 1 0 heavens well one had but one tid time le to die though she could have wished ti it more inore beutle end than would likely conio come to anyone who fell under el drablos Dla blos displeasure and that slip she was ivas there the she knew full well vell also why starr stone had risked ills his life each time lie he saw her when lie ho overstayed overstated over stayed tits his tinie time starr stone who was who must be that number fifteen benthal how soft the numeral was in spanish who was el pla blos ablest lieutenant the man luan whom lie ho could neither spare nor wholly trust now since he had disobeyed him for a woman and those who disobeyed diablo sonya jerked tier her shoulders up wet avet her lips that were try dry as ashes twice they said bald had them the bandit leader spread him up tip only to take him down again starr stone of the laughing courage who had dared oil all things in the old days whose clever brain arab had bad been invaluable to kl el capitan who was too valuable to kill yet who kilt knew w too much to live it he did not live for him and sonya ln who know knew too much also who loved starr stone stona ind and iad listened to him in the dusk of many moons stooped and glei up a five can of first grade opium when a bungling land had bad dropped it parks quatro number four Z the bland keeper of a store on the cross continent railroad lie ile had blundered but he had retrieved ills his blunder instantly by sending el dl DI henchman to destroy ithe Ahe evidence by taking it away herself that evidence well once again ono one could fenish up but once and she was no ones quitter it if only she might see starr stone again look deep in his blue eyes renew that souls covenant which they had made ono one starlit illick bosk but the senora was here heie with food in n a tra tray y and she was kind alid and mrrtle with that tenderness deghow we show 0 0 those about to go on 10 long ng and perilous journeys jour neya eef beef acet please the senorita she old aid apologetically there ees ces one would speak weela you today met ees one whose word ees ces the law the master 11 1 I know said sonya nodding ingher her black head 1 I shall be ba ready senora at what hour 1 I do not know only that when beet arrives one must be ready very well said sonya and the woman went away deliberately she drank the coffee ato the spiced the little round bits of some hot sweet bread and a little later the senora benora came for her she walked down the long dark passage cool with the nights freshness and into the great main room of the casa here there were many men and a few women who all seemed waiting to look nt at her which they did with thoroughness in silence there were men here who I 1 you ra well schooled senor ita hi sneered had burned and raided and shot who thought thou glit no more of killing a human being than of slaughtering a sheep women who followed them and wore things they looted their ayes ayea were hot and cold nt at the same time if one might so describe them flaming with all lusts of lawless jawless folk devoid of mercy or compassion the senora passed before them and out at tile tho door which stood open at the south sonya following close behind her ath her head up here in thes the stone tono nagged flagged yard sat her judge HI el capatan diablo in a h huge luge chair behind a long table made of crudo crude slabs aud and undressed wood set on sections of saplings peeled and weathered red here too was manuel that dapper slim pilot who had brought her across the border manuel manual second in power in value jn in itil ability lity to that one whom the master homo home to answer for hissink his sins the sins sing of lingering too long about that masters business of do 1 ing tits ills bidding less and less eagerly or that most heinous crime of nil all loving a good woman rl HI hated a good woman of all things on the earth he feared and hated most a good woman wolliam what power this one might hold against him what secrets she might know for his file undoing lie he did not know what quince had told her in tile hie softening urge of love he furiously sus suspected petted evil himself lost to hit all standards of loyalty a 0 doable crosser of double ho he trusted no one believed in no one and now he be and the whole thing tn in bla bands hinds thanks to quatro the man who knew ills his ways and works as none other living hying know knew them the woman of another world who might wreak his ruin it if she chose that great structure of blood and raid and contraband which he had built for himself from Maz atlan to new york city stood toppling in tho the hands of those two and rl el diablo would noi not have it it ile he looked at the slim girl before him his thick nostrils dilating so he said we mee meet t again senorita so it would seem said sonya sona A grent concourse of people was gathering 9 swiftly la in the grove all standing back at a respectful als tance hut but nowhere was there a tallman tall man with bronze hair and wild blue eyes cyca that shone the girl looked earnestly around and el diablo smiled not just yet senorita he said presently in all good time manuel ro rose so and corning comin g around tile the table brought a chair and placed it for her sonya nodded but did not sit down it seemed to her that she was waa ou on trial here ai indeed she was though with the issue a foregone conclusion and she must take it standing the injustice the th e insult of it all was ma making kInga a fire in her soul and she wag not afraid 1 T I think sir ehe said sharply suddenly that that you will answer to my people and my country for this abduction of myself you cannot hide it long so you think not well well has el diablo lost his cunnin cunning gt he had changed his speech to spanish and for a moment sonya hesitated as aa to whether or not she should show she understood underwood od then she decided that he probably knew she did find and accepted the issue there comes an e end i ald to all things senor she ille said sald yes to life even the bandit said smoothly looking at her to life oven even said sonya calmly A little whisper of admiration murmured through the silent crowd she had courage the young white woman from beyond the border no one had ever met the master so word for word and eye for eye ayou you remember senorita senor tta t el diablo said that ones once I 1 took my lieutenant from your arms on a i dance floor that should have been a warning A sufficient clent warning yet you did no not heed theod it why should I 1 ha havo vo heeded it said sonya steadily who were you that I 1 should fear you to such an ext extent elit you saw that bat quince fearo feared me yes and kaw there austbo roust bo a reason ile ho Is no mans coward then you should have known tho reason to be good 1 I did and tried to find that out I 1 have no doubt assuredly and did no senor though I 1 tried hard 11 you shield the man no you lie tome to me senorita 1 and so do youl you 1 flashed sonya I 1 swore diablo deablo you tell me that you told me that in my country a man does not speak so to women e the man who ruled his little world with blood and steel halt rose his dark face purple with a mounting rage in that wavering second sonya was nearer death than she had ever been then ho he sat down again and smiled that smile was deadly as an adders grin so he said we shall proceed and nd quince did not tell you that I 1 meet the ships from china at Maz atlan no senor nor that I 1 bring into mexico and along tile the border merchandise of great value no senor ai nor that that merchandise crosses into the united states by my little gray ships odthe of the sky to be sent to now new york on the railroad no senor you are arc well scho schooled bled senorita he fie sneered 1 I make |