Show FLAME of o the BORDER BORDERI I Copyright Doubleday I Co me B Y VINGIE E ROE W YU U CHAPTER XII Continued XII Continued 12 12 Sol So I he thundered my roy people behind me do the thc 7 1 They men ruen Hon tha that t which Is never neer ne er to be men Honed I shall deal with Ith you and ou cu you Oll senora later later row low bring me At that Sonia Soma a f flit felt the world go 0 round for one terrible second She clutched the back tightly And from somewhere some bere at nt the right there came the sound of marching fet feet the swift step of men obe Ing n master Through the dappled shade cast by the poplar trees to 11 e figures moved ed Into her line of vision four n who bo walked In to to t tos os osand osand and In their midst a fifth fifth Starr Stone as she Ehe had seen him last In InCO cowboy CO boy boots and dun dungarees arees belted at his lean hips a faded failed denim shirt lie was and his Ills eyes ere large In his tanned face and his arms were ere bound behind him lIe He Henas nas as a prisoner ss with Ith all a prisoners prisoner s indignities heaped upon him but buthis buthis buthis his tall tail form was erect his bluet blueeyes blue t eyes cs es dirk with the spreading pupils lIe He strode to toward ard the table with his gaze on Diablo s face and saw no other In n the silent mass Senor he said Senor said LI El Capitan and the smile was as gone from his face Cace It was as black with fury For five years Quince you have ha been with my me-my me my best and ablest man You base e nave done my bidding quickly You hive hire led my raids You have Ln put safely m m merchandise through Its secret Ws wis wi W s I ha have e lIed called and you have ha come always Always ays until lately Lately you hate ha come on laggard feet Ceet lou Iou have held back ck at my orders lou have ha disobeyed ed me And I ha have e now the reason That Thit reason Is a woman A woman v oman whom hom you ou have ha e set be before be- be before before fore El CI 1 n Diablo hose hoce word his s been more to you than my word ord w ho ho through i our In instruction doubtless has come upon the key kc le of oC mi my m activities ho ho has caught Quatro with the goods In his own store ho ho holds and all his future In the hollow of her hand handOr handOr handOr Or would co so hold him had It not been for Quatro s s swift action In Inthe Inthe Inthe the mister matter Senor behold behold the woman IlIe 1 I He lIe had hilt half risen ln g leaning with one broad hand on the table table ith the tile other he pointed drama to Sonya Son a And e a flash Starr Stone whirled and saw herIt herIt her herIt Its It n wis s is the first ling he had had that she was as not safe In her own o country countr and her hl own pursuits and the shock of oC It drained his face to ton t ta toa o n a ghastly pallor Sonya 1 I his lips formed sound lessl des cs 1 es ld c the girl they tool took me from my horse hor e two nights ago ago me-b me me-by me me b air airplane and and brought me here because e I stumbled on the lct that Parks ParkIs Park s Is their agent In the smuggling of o sf f narcotics across the line They think thin k ke you OU told me that me that you iou OU and I 1 his h fe e planned to double cross this tills nicked bandit this here here this beast who nho ho say sa so s sI 1 Im in m She che waved wa a n hind nd at ri nodded her black blick held head toward to to him Ahl Ah t I A heist be lt am I I El CI 1 n a beast cs les 1 es senor and and worse wor e said d Sonya lou Iou may kill 1111 me- me meas meas me meas as I do not doubt ou sou ou will but will but I I nm air airan aman m an American and I 1 do not bind to t o you OU either In body or souL coot couLe c e ar arboth are e both Americans Oh Americans 1 I And American s do not double cross r ro tho o 1 senor ell ell all elle we ne shall hall f see ee Quince Quince-at Quince tension Mint hat do you iou OU S1 Si for yourself yourself your self f Use 1 he tall min n standing In th the mot tied shade looked long In his was tu tors s face hat What years 3 cars of Hon wrongdoing do doIn Ing In of oL obedience of or fear were ere In 1 n that hint look 1001 only they t two 0 might say sa sn sator For tor or a long time It held heM bet between een thi thin e n lid Ilal blue e eves e es el the de bind k on ones s Then t rr Stone turned to Som Sons n A A misstep In my early youth 1 It t doesn t matter mitter now what hat It was was- was put me In the PO power er of II I 1 I C lD n Diablo For my rny freedom s sal e c 1 cu cast t In n my lot with him For or my m Y life s sake 1 I could ne never neer er leave lea him hf nr arten I hit h hue r burne d and pillaged but Lut I have ha ne nee neer ne er r killed a man nor a woman woma n or n child I 1 have been his Ills ln br s In smuggling lIn his ablest t as h- h II lint Hut now I m through Ith Ith death as my sure re renar d for Cor Vh whit It I I m w sn In Ing I say here and an d now before th these se witnesses that I am Ione done fore forever er Done with Ith all a 1 ron and all evil That the leop it changes chanes hl his spots at last For tl the se 10 lose e of you vou In my soul 1 I 1 am om made madover mad madover e over new v They will 1111 I Ill me soon soo n and I I hope they 11 II send you ss willmo Ith it h me mc with Ith all my heart heart hell he 11 Itself can hold no torture forto for me meto mito to comp re with the knowledge thin timI t I ha have base e brought you to this That at t will be more punishment than my m lost soul can bear benr Oh Sonya forgive for fo r gis gh o 0 me roe for what hat I s ve e done to you e you panted the gl girl rl half sobbing I 1 your you I 1 I glory gloryn In i n you 1 1 I And Nell we 11 II go to together ether never fear I If IC not one way then another It t will III not be a ton long good b hi by I promise you ou I Soul Souls s covenant Starr Stone Soul Soul s covenant she slie erell ans I nut But here h re Fl FI C ped le to his hooted booted feet his fist on the table tahle I a go In It sl will III not he rasped ra 1 Oil on think It nil will III well not 11 I t I n Diablo has hns yet let et the w ord ou ou to the winds and the vultures Quince and y m you re- re remember remember re remember member man many things In the the-the the In ter al Iou Ion he turned to Sonya and andle le a finger at nt her 1 give to that one among my men who oho ho rises to this Quince Quinces empty plies fin n uel m mi compliments the lady Indy I believe helle too vou ou like a white skinned oman with curls In the heir hair Ani And after you the you the rest And that as they the say soy across the Border norder Is hit th Take them both away awa awo The four men moved to surround their prisoner the marching f feet ct passed s swiftly and SOP SOl ya a watched the t he tall bronze head hand go silt out of oC the shade Into the Ule sun around sun around a corner The world and all nil It held turned dark before her ber Just as the senora reached out a motherly arm erns She dimly heird rd Manuel s Careful senora careful she careful she Is Ismine Ismine s mine CHAPTER XIII Loves Love's Sacrifice I I Wl W LIEN she opened her eyes again It was dirk In the deep ailed room and she lay on the an dent clent bed For a while she lay In ina Ina a sort of stupid peace gathering her faculties which seemed to e been scattered to the four winds And then suddenly the values of life dropped Into their appointed places like the brilliant colors In a aI I 1 and she knew Where here she was ens as and what had hall happened El CI 1 Capitan had spoken and she nas as still n a prisoner the property of a dapper Mexican with predatory e eyes ejes es and laughing thin lips Manuel the aviator alator a lator And Stirs St Stone was nas as gone oh gone one oh h heaven bea ven 1 I Gone Cone Coneto to that ghastly fate which lurked In i n the poignant words noels you yell you to the winds and the vultures The wild blue eyes ees tint thit hid h darkened d and under the mandates of life the tong long lon hinds with their tender touch the lips so warm arID upon heron her herI I o n on nl I And presently the senor senon came padding softly to the door on heavy feet for she was as old and el eI fed and entered to her kindly Sonya onya n whirled and faced her her dark eyes e es burning In the shadows Senora she said desperately hate haic ho pity on mel mei me I Can you iou ou not help me A knife senora senora with Ith my next meal left left on the tray In the nime n of that holy omin om n whom you worship senor senon 1 I 1 I cannot child she answered d gently Minuel d nue nuel would kill 1111 the me Come let me wash your S sweet enact e bode with nith Ith fresh frech w ter And there Is perfume and a nomans woman oman s clothes clothe s to dress you iou ou In-a In In a sc dress an and d golden olden shoes for our feet To- To Tonight night To-night o- o do nl night ht you ion OU rest Manuel Manuels s orders but bat tomorrow ou on wear these think S s for him biro ion ou ou must forget I II I the oret-the the vultures cultures and th the e Hind Ind I Forget the he stars the soft sot et t Hinds blowing hlo In the creek of or he ither and Starr Stones tone s hand on hers dal dalon on her pommel If It If vou OU have within you ou senor senon she the piteously iny ny remnant or ora o oa ofa t a woman s pity for another n n lost to nil the lIht of lire life le Ie ome n 1 ne e me to fight It out alone Leave Lace L l a m 01 menow e non no noI I or a n Ion long time the other stood stool f ind watched her calculating the then n nodded and turned iwi I hu have hale c not for for forgotten for for thirty y errs f she lie he said sold cr You 10 shall hive our night The sound of the bolt falling echoed In the soil n ty t piss pies ige And Sonia Sonya onn Si nho ho had ha guarded life lite so 10 well Hell now non stood a at t bay holding tier her heath breath pondering g how she might destro de sissy It It If It only she che had har her begs Her lIer Ile r little case cace of Instruments l I nut But she sh e had nothing and nothing and Starr Slone Stone nn was as s now perhaps or would tomorrow tomorrow to tomorrow morrow There was nas nothing left Idt to do no n foes to face with Ith lifted head no n o schemes of hope to make no oue on e whom horn she ahe ml might ht con cola to help her herAnd And so at last Sonya having haling ha Ing ex exhausted c x hausted bausted all her n rI sources scant n at t best In this terrible situation mid mide e ready randy to bow In resl Sh She e knelt hi by b the ancient bed bell which hi no doubt E seen een tragedies before and an folding her lands hans addressed her he r soul to Its Miker In fo sorrow an humility How flow long she 1 I nelt welt so she else ne never neer nee er r afterward ar could recill rec Sometimes Sometime sho prayed weeping for that othe other y sou soul which had so grievously ml mis misspent s spent Its drays da s and these were sine ere fe r vent prayers Ira ers abased and agonized before the hK heavenly enly throne begging for that mercy of the eleventh hour which has bas been divinely promised for Serge and Ilia 1 I fen and little Babs hobs even efen for Darl ness Hess I 1 or herself she asked scant favor It had been ah aha always a s so with her Serb Sen Ice to her fellow fallen men comfort for Cor Cornil nil all suffering things had been her Him aim In life Of OC herself she thought last and least le ast of Starr Stone Stolle must Faust If It only they hid met mt t in those early days s of which he spoke before that one misstep had put him In LI Dl DI DIablo ogle ablo s pen PO power er cr m 01 mile Ie i e him an outlaw a Border corder renegade 11 hen lien the sweet sweetness sweetness ness Hess the In him had been paramount Before sin and wrong had h ad put the leopard spots upon him nut lint the spots were changed at atlist hat lut when hen It ft was as too late To his face Cace he had repudiated El EI Capitan his 0 own n death warrant for anyone leaving lensing the dark sen aen service Ice of this monstrous bandit put himself on the spot as ns trul truly as any In more modern places And he be had done It deliberately to prove to her that he was as changed even to the death The courage which w had shone In his face at that repudiation r had been magnificent lIe ire knew none better getter the fate fote of 11 I Diablo s double and he crossed crossed d him high handedly and with Ith supreme finality Oh Oh I 1 wept Sonya with her forehead on her clasped hands Oh my man of oC all nil men ily My one and only lord loe level I In the warm harm arm dark silence the heist In her seemed to melt In anguish an the tides of oC life to run S out For her It wis w the ebb of oC finite things t the la last t low hour before the end In a dull coma of hopeless hopelessness hopelessness ness Hess her face swollen with Ith weeping 1 y yG G b bIca Ica t t A Ax x I Iv Iso v r A Ar Ar r d so r Through This and This and the Night Sky Sk Y Was Above Them she sink s lower and lower loner 10 er against t the great bed her ber lips apart rt her he heblack r black he lies held disheveled And Into fate this last deep d ep b ss there then e dropped a tiny sound The outside bolt huge hue and bent hea sill slip ell em slowly I In its slots slot I Instinctively el the girl shrank the ltd bed Manuel her tier misters mister 1 I She stilled a scream on her open mouth her hl hand across It And the then a n voice whispering Into the darkness s 's a n breath breith of a voice olce ns a s 10 1 lovdy Iy as music movie said I SI 1 E sold said Son a n gasping I am an here herc There 1 here was the murmur of a movIng moi mo moIn In Ind f tr rm ran and Concha knelt care carefully car carefully e fully b before fore her bon bonja on a niche re d out and touched her Incredibly hut bin t the thc girl drew sew sharply charlly from the con COI cont l t t het let Attend she chic said If If ou nu ar are e br breare rile arc are e-are arc you ou so I 1 nn inn very uy brave brace e said cun Sony I 1 simply Th Then n listen lIcten Iou ou ou I I hate from my m souls s bottom l bottom I could still e a o u now with my two t but hinds hinds but the the- ther thenIs r e Is another another whom hom I I 10 love tole e Oh lor y other lother 10 i use e l I she he said ns as If It t to ther e her Inward self She stopped a 0 mo moment m o meat ment the then went sent ent onIt on If It you iou ou can cnn follow me use n a sound there Is-a Is Is n hope hOle Can 30 ou 1 u walk all so n sound s ld Sonya onyn t nail md bent forward tOr to unlace her he r boots S Swiftly SImy Imy she took them oft off 1 the he ie n le reached out and nB d tool took her by the stasis e bl e That hatrell 11 In fu her would not let her touch he her r Softly step by step the two tw tN o young oung things crossed cro sed the sHen t room roam listened nt at the portly opened opens d door and slid through It In the theIon th e Ion long dark passage they lI again then went nent ent south along the tl wall toward a door which also stood ajar Through this this and and the tho night sky sk was as above them the too tall cotton cottonwoods cottonwoods woods the stars Like LILe wraiths of or the gloom they enterEd the rove rove passed through It came out on the open olen landing field Before the little hangar Sonya Son ona a saw In the starlight st the ghostly shape of a little gray ship They mode to It s swiftly and ns RS they reached reathell Its protecting wing sing Ing a man manI I stepped out from the hangar go- go behind bo hind a toll tall mm n naked to the then I n alst his head hand bare his feet also n aman man who oho ho was prepared for spread spreadIng Ing l og up on the morrow Starr Stone d rew them both bolls against the gray snips ship s side Son a I he whispered Oh Oh Son Sonya Sonya yn ya I Then listen e Q hate hn hn e one chines In a Iii million II lion 1 This 1118 his plane la is still warm Harm arm from Crom a trip took this afternoon I heard It come In about 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