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Show 1- CARMENRiCHO By FRANK H- SPEARMAN Frank H. Spearman WNU Service ve tfrXi VH-Cnt,nucd 'OUT fc I -17- 3 supfX the two 'aced about less i flatter of hoofs behind at y, '-Ted they were being fol- "t broke the ponies into lc their pursuers rode K funately. the distance 1 trt, and. as dusk fell. "carmen dashed safely 0 : opened doors into the y :ound and Felipe, leap-f leap-f " ; i horse, closed the clum- faind them. . ijng horsemen pulled up rA fte church and with Ml s snd oaths scattered -ft li demanding admis- cUgh mild, was game in ;( caught up a blunder-'Jfft blunder-'Jfft ft, guards' quarters and j neophytes to arm and 1 ihim in the church tow-, tow-, aiders yelled at them V? ' item, a renegade mis-; mis-; thouted insolently to A r f ?n the gates or they V I them open" 'eliPe- rant, declared he would 1 1 n tit man that attempted I hesitation and wran-A wran-A Vis among the horsemen. "We will wait for two more angels, an-gels, Padre Martinez." suggested Bowie. "Pardaioe and Simmie will be here any minute. What I want to do is to find the senorita quick, to quiet her fears." It was only his searching voice In the house that drew Carmen from her hiding place to find refuge in his arms. "We've been frightened to death at home, my dearest," he whispered. "Tell me what's happened? hap-pened? Carmen, you are safe, darling, dar-ling, safe. Tell me." A gleam of light flamed through the high window. "What is that?" whispered Carmen. Car-men. "Nothing to worry about They were getting wood together for a bonfire when I scented the outfit You see, my precious one," he continued con-tinued gravely, "this is what this beautiful country is coming to. These ruffians are as bad as the savages and with no more regard for women. Come back with me to the sacristy. Pardaioe and Simmie Sim-mie will be here very soon." But Pardaioe and Simmie, arriving arriv-ing soon, brought disquieting news. The disturbance in the plaza had all been made by six or eight of the through the big gate or just what had actually happened. Howie did not slow the almost uncontrollable horses until they had reached cover cov-er in the doubly dark alamcda. Carmen Car-men parted from his embrace slowly: slow-ly: it seemed such a natural place to rest her head, and in her ear close to his breast she had heard his heartbeat Suddenly she remembered herself. "Darling, are you hurt? Tell me quick!" "No, vida mla, no. But you?" he whispered. She laughed low and cautiously. "I am not. Thank God, we are safe." "I think so, but we may be pursued. pur-sued. I hope not. Now I will give you a more comfortable seat." "What is that, 'Quito mio?" Carmen Car-men spoke from her own saddle and her voice betrayed her acute alarm. Bowie noticed the low sharp rumbling. rum-bling. But he was so alert to the danger of pursuit that he did not at first comprehend. He was not left long in doubt. The rumbling grew instantly louder. loud-er. The horses became unmanageable. unmanage-able. They shook with terror. A deafening roar burst on the ears. Of a sudden Carmen and Bowie were rocked in their saddles the earth was heaving in terrifying waves. "Temblor!" gasped Carmen. Car-men. "Temblor!" Bowie seized her bridle. The feet of the frantic horses sprawled, their legs sank toward the ground. So abrupt was the halt that Carmen was pitched over her horse's head as he scrambled to keep his legs under him. The savage roar of the temblor as it wrenched the earth was ear-splitting. ear-splitting. Bowie leaped from his horse to raise Carmen from the ground, and he stood with her trembling trem-bling In his arms, trying to keep your old mission, I can and will find it for you!" "It's a dark night, Blood," suggested sug-gested Bowie. "Better wait till morning." Blood stamped ferociously on the tile pavement. He roared at Bowie. He stormed at the padre. "Don't depend on me to hold these hungry boys back. I can't do it. They want money and they want supplies and they'll burn this place to the ground if they don't get both." "Blood, you're wasting your breath," intervened Bowie. "If you or your ruffians try to touch so much as a strip of bacon here tonight somebody will get killed. Now I'm going to shut this door and go to bed, and I advise you to do the same." "Bowie, I've got a long score to settle with you" "Wait till daylight, Blood. I'm going to bed." He slammed the door shut Clamor outside grew to a roar. A hasty conference took place in the sacristy the despairing fathers, fa-thers, the Texans and Felipe, with Carmen anxiously listening. Bowie did not seek to disguise the situation. With twenty or thirty men behind him. Blood's boast that he would clean the mission out might be a serious one. Simmie noticed that Bowie looked grave. He knew the Texan was not squeamish about facing odds. But Carmen's presence pres-ence was another matter. Should anything happen to him in the fight what might happen to her? He asked Carmen to step outside a moment. He then spoke to Padre Martinez. "I'm put in an awkward position. Padre. I don't like to seem to run away from you in face of these drunken devils. But my first responsibility is for Senorita's safety, safe-ty, and if they made good their threat to fire the mission, she might find herself in the worst kind of danger." Padre Martinez laid his hand on Bowie's arm. "I understand perfectly, per-fectly, my son. I ask you to take, before all else, whatever measures are necessary to protect our Senorita Seno-rita for, as our benefactress, we feel that she is ours as well. Whatever What-ever may happen here, it is your duty to protect her." Bowie called Carmen into the conference. con-ference. He laid the situation before be-fore her. Padre, his hands clasped in anxiety, listened. She looked from one to the other and back to Bowie in confidence. "You know best, Don Henry," she said trustfully. trust-fully. He called in Pardaioe and Simmie Sim-mie and told them what he meant to do. Felipe he dispatched to scout the quadrangle and search for an opening not covered by Blood's men. Felipe came back with no good news. He shook his head. "Those men are everywhere." "Ben," he said to Pardaioe. "when the big gate is thrown open by Felipe, fire your pistols, you and Simmie and Felipe, straight into the crowd outside. I'll be shooting shoot-ing both pistols from the saddle while we dash through the bunch .Sir j Svli 111 li pip I If, 'J around the plaza, while Mli,1 thurch Padre Martinez -XiA e rnission enclosure Jf ieir knees before the iacrament, beseeching jJT aid In the extremity. An v jrt passed, with the raid-k raid-k about the plaza but T(jl I testing Felipe's marks-'lllffp marks-'lllffp the tower. j'the renegade rode up f I j for a talk with Felipe. 1 d that the party were ::m the Melna and bad l j against the mission if treated right The only ' jnted to square accounts y me, and if he were sent i uld leave. " a shrewd than the rene-l rene-l ja sim at once that Bowie of hf re. This was really what )p ati to know, inasmuch as s; tie only man they were irfs The renegade rode away, s p :'.ly the attack on the : renewed. Fortunately, a pa t ' young Tularean Indian t e :?s, inflamed with the ui 1 ar warlike ancestors, had :r al iets from the guard-)p guard-)p o) they fired at the raiders :e portholes. They did ?e, but they scared the I Kiuatters enough to hold id. p. infjljade, after a long time, ldP' :o the tower for another I Felipe. The party, he fJT ready to leave, provided a tig. ould set out a cask of I gesture of good will. ol J )nt the message down-.. down-.. ...ire Martinez had retreat-.. retreat-.. sacristy. He called in .. aez. his assistant. The -lm as for the proposal, the -j-iainst it. Carmen was 1 She listened to all that : and without hesitation . t' the assistant. "Only." To square accounts with Bowie. backwash from the squatters. The two scouts in their search for Carmen Car-men had reconnoitered the river and the Melena. From a squatter straggler strag-gler they had learned that Blood was back with his friends but that supplies were low and they were talking of raiding the mission that night. "If Blood undertakes this tonight it's not a good place for our Senorita," Seno-rita," said Bowie in the sacristy conference that followed. "He won't leave without plenty of fight But we'll see." The Texan declared that Carmen should be spirited away. "We'll hotra nnr Vinnr) full in take tare of r coolly, "set out a cask n not of wine. Those tjtn "ll be less dangerous fi i sober. If it should oc-P oc-P to set fire to the quar-I quar-I : ja knows what would hap- tM-sel was followed. The opened. A cask of bran-ipoiied bran-ipoiied out, and a basket Bing gourds was sent renegade, with a heavy ched the cask, and an !jfiking began. It absorbed Jit of the revelers for a exclusion of all else. I J tour that was long and I j; the mission defenders Vjen yelling and singing nplThen there came a knock ?j:risty door. Panic seized I I ,roiip. A whispered con-$ con-$ -Bowed. Knocking, grow-$ grow-$ 1 ntarily more impatient, W Only a wax candle light-y light-y room and, with faces n they listened to the Carmen was told in whis-I'jfjip whis-I'jfjip out and hide in the ',dre Martinez had already I1 tlution to his assistant and i. 'from him, firmly believ-r believ-r hur was at hand. The ian now blessed himself, ;" : Protection from above, candle in an unsteady j. 'ummoning St. Michael threw open the door. " e dark came a tart ques-"T3' ques-"T3' is the matter here?" e, booted and spurred, I'o the room. "Why did Jjen the door?" from heaven!" ex-gjadre ex-gjadre Martinez. 71, Martinez," demanded enorita Carmen has not .Jjs- Sne was here. Where 'Tre. senor!" jfGod for that!" jf'1 this room when your Jgan." "1 :ed it was the drunken tf !ront. They know she is ;'s' shall we do, senor?" t? are your soldiers?" S5Se was threatened this TJ the same men, and they i to oiler protection. They returned." J) won't," predicted Bow-l'is Bow-l'is fight is over." ra!l we do. senor?" i f the Indian women if Blood starts in on brandy." They had scarcely finished their talk when a chorus of cheering yells out in front gave notice of fresh arrivals. Had there been any doubt as to this, a loud knocking came at the outer door. The padres looked to the Texan for guidance. He whispered to Carmen. She disappeared dis-appeared from the room. The knocking grew violent. "Put out the candle, Padre," "said Bowie. "Then open the door." "Open the door?" echoed the blanching man as it was pounded loudly from the other side. "Don't be afraid," murmured Bowie. "No one will come in. Stand back, the rest of you, and keep out of range of the door." The Texan took his place just to the side of the door itself. "Throw it wide open," he directed. Open went the door. A flicker from the bonfire outlined the burly figure of the man who was knocking; knock-ing; other eager ones stood, behind him. "Who's in there?" demanded the raider loudly. "Nobody's that's deaf," retorted Bowie. "What do you want. Blood?" "Oh! It's the rancho pet, eh? Well! I'm glad you're here." "Don't waste your breath. You may need it Say what your business busi-ness is, or get off this property." Blood laughed truculently. "My Texan friend, I'm here to tell you you'll get off this property before you are a half-hour older. I talk to Padre Martinez." "Here he is. Say your say." "Senor Blood," asked the padre, "what do you want?" "I want supplies for twenty-five men flour, bread, meat, wine and brandy presto." "Senor Blood, you know no hungry hun-gry man is turned from this door, for you have been fed here more than once. But I have not such supplies in the mission tonight for five men. much less twenty-five." "I demand these supplies right now, in the name of the United States of America." "And what will you do if you don't get them?" interposed Bowie casually. "Shut up, Bowie! My men must be fed. Padre, you've got tons of food. If you can't find this food in before they can shoot back, uover Felipe with your rifles, boys, while he shuts and bars the gate after us. Is it all clear?" "Clear as daylight, Henry," mumbled mum-bled Pardaioe. "Just say when." Felipe, aided by a neophyte, was bringing up the horses. Bowie began be-gan to check over the cinches. "Felipe," "Fe-lipe," he said in surprise, "what's the matter with these horses? They are trembling with sweat" "Senor, I know. I saw it. Quien sabe? All the horses in the stable are sweating and nervous. I do not know why." Padre Martinez came out with Carmen. "Padre," said Bowie, "what does this mean these horses? See how they sweat and tremble." "Hasten, hasten, my son! Something Some-thing may happen. They know more than we do. Hasten!" exclaimed the agitated padre. Bowie mounted his restive horse. Pardaioe passed Carmen up into his arms to face him. "Clasp me under un-der the arms, querida, so as to leave my arms free. Hand me the hackamore for the Senorita's horse, Felipe." Bowie fastened this with knots for some play to the horn of his saddle. With Carmen snuggling low against him, he drew his pistols. "When the gate is opened," he said to the scouts, "send your pistol pis-tol fire straight into their faces and yell like Indians. Then poke our horses hard, and away we go. Are you ready? Open!" The dash out was a shock to the score of men, some on foot but most in the saddle, who were crowded crowd-ed around the big gate. The pistol fire, the yelling, the two horses prodded prod-ded and spurred, trampling and charging into the raiders, threw them into momentary confusion. Bowie, yelling, discharged his pistols pis-tols to the right and left. The raiders raid-ers ducked and dodged as their horses reared on one another. A volley of oaths, an enraged yell from Blood, went up; a scattering flash of rifle and pistol fire lighted the plaza for an instant. But the gate had clanged shut, and the phantom riders had melted into the darkness of the night. Long afterward Bowie learned that no two "f the stunned guerillas agreed on ho bad ridden out Towering trees whirled in circles. his own feet while he supported the half-conscious girl. Nature tossed and heaved in an agony of convulsion. Towering trees whirled in circles, whipped to the ground, now prostrate, now upright or snapped like matches at the base. And over the moaning and crashing crash-ing of the troubled darkness there spread a faint ghastly light such as never has been looked on save at moments such as this. In a fearful instant a silent and peaceful peace-ful landscape had been flung into an inferno of appalling destruction. Shock followed shock as the mighty temblor shook the earth in a cataclysm cata-clysm and tore yawning gulfs across its face, as if bent on making horror hor-ror complete. Bowie, breathing hard and completely com-pletely unstrung, held Carmen's head against him as she shook from head to foot, praying low and beseechingly. be-seechingly. Bowie pulled himself somewhat together. "Surely the worst is over, Carmelita," he exclaimed. "Let's look for the horses." But the search, punctuated by receding re-ceding quakes, was in vain. "There's nothing for it, Carmen, but to go back to the mission for horses." "But 'Quito," said Carmen, fearful, fear-ful, "we shall be killed by those guerillas." He tried to laugh: his throat had gone dry. "Never fear," he managed man-aged to say, "those wretches are miles away before this. It is a walk, but we must try. I will carry you, vida mia." "Not so. I am drag enough on you as it is. Vamos, querido." The rising moon began to shed a ghostly light over the desolate landscape. land-scape. The shock of the night of terrors keyed Carmen up to making mak-ing the long walk back without feeling feel-ing it. Nearing the mission, a strange phenomenon confronted them. Their eyes were closely bent on discovering hidden guerillas gueril-las before they themselves should be discovered. Every clump of shrubs was skirted gingerly; every tree, prostrate or standing, was s possible hiding place for a skulker (TO BE COSTISVED |