Show FLAME of o the BORDER r j r- r B By Y VINGIE E E. E ROE Copyright Dorm Doran Co tag Ina W S Service tc t CHAPTER XIV XIV Continued Continued 13 13 What would It mean to her and to Starr Stone The stern face of ot her brother brother- Rod who had so grimly promised promised prom prom- iced that no people no country no noman noman man should ever eyer take her from him and and Marston of ot New York Fork the theman theman man who came carne to find who sent the contraband from to the coast 1 They had not cheated des destiny Iny after after after aft aft- er all They hey were headed straight for this and Starr Stone knew It I IFor IFor IFor For that he would not leave leavo her herto herto I to save sae himself she knew full well Confronted with this new v knowledge knowledge knowl knowl- knowledge edge of ot disaster Son Sonya a wet her dry lips cast desperately about for something she might tell these three grim men and found nothing But she would not give glie up she told herself herselt again would never ne sink The They had passed through h too much to fall at nt last Something would happen i some Borne way would open And then leaning her face across the cockpits cockpit's polished edge she became became became be be- came conscious of something i felt feIt something of a n seventh sense Exactly Exactly Exactly Ex Ex- as ns a dog senses danger which he ho cannot see so this girl of ot the wild land sensed new danger now It was as ns If it the hackles of her spirit rose What could It be She looked at nt the back of ot Starr Stones Stone's head Its bronze hair whipping whipping whipping whip whip- ping In the backwash of t wind behind behind behind be be- hind the low windshield and wished she could see his face If It she could have done so she would have seen It set like Ilke a n mask for tor long before she felt the presence pres press ence once of this unseen danger he be had bad been been- conscious of It He knew that not far behind them not so high above another mother lIttle little little lit lIt- tle ship droned steadily out of ot the south that south that Nemesis Incarnate was wason wason wason on their trail He knew that In that ship there was was In all nIl probability a n machine gun in the bands hands of El DIablo Diablo Di Dl- ablo himself who was an expert In Its use What the end would be ho did not know Only that It would be an nn end There was no doubt of that 1 El Capitan would never In this world let him get away with what he be had done with the knowledge ho he had with the stand he had taken to forswear him and all his works He meant to 1 kill him to him to kill klU them both If no other way was possible to to shoot them down If the they would not Jan land And where could they land with any chance of or safety Well It was fate fate fate-as as he had told poor floor Conchita And then Sonya looked up and back back and and saw Saw the soft sort slIver silver thing that followed followed followed fol fol- lowed like a n pointed sword She did not gasp or cry out but hut wat watched hed It t with wide e eyes cs and a n aLand hand Land across her mouth Aft After r all sill I After all nIl the monstrous anguish the fear the sorrow and the hope Y Verily rily Starr Stone was pa paying ln for tor his sins and she paid with him for tor that love which had redeemed him to manhood's high estate which had made of her a fugitive an nn outcast outcast outcast out out- cast from her own but which in her Iler ter soul with indestructible tible lo beauty So be bo it thought Sonya co so be it C e e e e Down in that dim world below tho last act of this drama of the sago sage land was preparing for enact enact- ment me Posse after posse scouring the lone levels had turned back toward toward toward to to- ward the railroad and the town Baffled wondering they sought new r reinforcements made mado more extensive exten exten- e extensive ten ten- sive preparations to search the canyons canyons can can- and tho Bad Lands country Only Serge the two men with him rode and would not give up Two Fingers Hosteen Nez Hosteen Hosteen Hos Hos- teen Tso hunted patiently In eyer ever widening circles that had covered all the face of ot the flat land In the quest of these three silent trailers there was more than a mere search for a n lost white woman There was the dim and gentle shadow of that legendary deity the Blue South Woman who made her I hogan In the tho white girls girl's heart So the tho Navajos rode steadily lly would ride until they found her either living or dead 1 If she was anywhere any any- where In the wild land and destiny any I came to meet them I Thc They had done with the sagebrush levels Lono Lone Mesa loomed before them Silently save for the click of ot the tho climbing hoofs they ascended fantastic figures from a long dead past the tile low moon red behind them And In the magnificent heavens Starr Stone looking desperately down ahead caught the dim outline of Lone Mesas Mesa's crown its shining white v stone level lo I Hero lIere was a n landing place Here Her e were walls against which a n ma man n might make a n stand if it ho were e armed find shelter behind which 1 If it ithe t I he lie were not providing he could ge get et t the thc time to leave his plane and gain them And Sonya Sonja too saw and recognized Lone Mesa It was almost level with them them them- was so the so-the the ship was leveling off off off- distance height had dropped away they they were skimming the mesas mesa's touching surface surface touch surface touching bouncing bouncing on the tho uneven rock were rock were still Behind them that other was at the very edge edge above above them passing them passing over Starr Stone with his arms about Sonya dragging her over the side cast one flashing glance ahead Kismet I he said with white lips They liThey beat us after neter all I The They're re down between us and the pueblo I ISo ISo So they were the rocking gray ship still a hundred feet beyond And El EI Diablo Manuel ranuel deadly shapes of ot menace were climbing out coming toward them Calmly So Sonya a stood beside her herman man Come back she said touching him toward the cliff It Is our only way With his arm around her Starr Stone turned and stumbling hurryIng hurrying hurrying hur hur- they crossed the space between between between be be- tween them and that sheer lip where once ages ago ngo it seemed they had looked into each others other's I tragic faces and found their des des- tiny Darling the man said softly hold to me tight me-tight-don't tight dont don't be afraid Sonya laughed a little low sound Bound Afraid she said running With you Haiti Halt I came the time great voice of ofEl ofEl ofEl El Diablo Halt Haiti I Or I fire 1 There was yet n a moonlit moonlit- space for th the the running feet fret Death Death- might rn I I T Iy 4 I Cast His Shrieking Burden Far Outto Out Outto to the tho Empty Space Below catch them before they leaped to meet It Crack I 1 Crack 1 I Crack I IThe iThe The sharp barking of an automatic automat automat- ic not the tho machine gun Bullets whined about them clipped Into the rock beyond And Son Sonya a looked up for tor I the last time into the tho fa face e which had filled her heart her soul to the e exclusion of all else since that wild day in the spring here on this wind-swept wind height when she had first beheld it Tho The man looked down slowed In his stride One moment more more more-a a lass kiss maybe maybe maybe may may- be and this glorious adventure would be done f forever sealed forever sealed rever-sealed sealed like a deathless flame in the casket of ot eternity And then high on the thin blue a air r there came a sound as old as the ruined ruined walls behind a sound to chill the blood to shock the very soul Clear and high and savage primitive as ns life me Itself the time war cry of the Navajos It pealed above e the cracking gun stopped the man and the tho woman oman like a n hand upon their shoulders And out from the dusky shadows of the crumbling walls three shadows shadows shadows shad shad- came like Ilke darting flames Hames In Inthe Inthe the tho very act of ot whirling to meet them El Capitan and his henchman were caught in their onslaught went down beneath them Then a as Starr Stone ran toward them as ns Son Sonya n followed tall Two Fingers rose with the tho dapper apper pilot held heM by the neck In his powerful po hands Behind him Hosteen Nez Hosteen Tso so came struggling up with the great rent bulk of El EI Diablo fighting Ilko a fiend between them South Woman Yoman said Two FIngers Fingers Fingers Fin FIn- gers what have ha these two done to you and to your man 1 He spoke In Navajo and Sonya answered panting They would kill us both both both-be- be because cause we know too much about them they they are breakers of ot tho the law- law outlaws across the Border Me they stole three nights ago ago rn my man they would hang in tho the sun to die the slow death death and and me mo they would give to this one one and and to their followers followers fol tol- fol- fol lowers after Two Fingers looked at her with quiet eyes CeE It Is good he said that we come Oh good Oh good I 1 she cried For another moment the tall Indian Indian Indian In- In In In- dian looked at nt her Then he stooped and caught Manuel Manuel Man Man- anuel uel as ns one ono takes tales a child and raised him wise cross-wise above his head Two Fingers was vas a n tall and powerful powerful powerful pow pow- erful man and he looked like some ancient god of ot his fathers as ho he strode toward the mesas mesa's lip In on one horrified second Sonya Sonja saw what he lie would do and anda a n scream escaped her but Starr Stone turned her face And Two Fingers walking steadily toward that sharp rim paused on ou Its I edge and cast his shrieking burden far out to the empty space below Hard on his heels Hosteen Nez and Hosteen Tso with El Diablo fighting every e Inch between them Quince 1 he cried as ns he passed Save Sa me and all I own Is yours l Remember those who fed the vultures senor senor said Starr Stone whose bones dried In the sun Remember Remember Remember Re Re- member the women women the the the children ren starved I 1 It Is your fate Save me me save Quince save But the wind of ot his falling snatched the last word from his mouth And there was silence on the mesas mesa's rim rIm five people standing still for tor one breathless moment And then three horsemen came up over oyer the debouching lip of ot the ancient ancient an an- cleat trail i while a fantastic form with long white hair on Its shoulders shoulders shoulders ders was seen to emerge from some hidden cranny of or the pueblo Serge Rodney Blake and Mr lIr Marsten rode forward In astonished haste the Servant Senant of or the Lord came up between them all Son Sonya a I P cried her brother Oh Olt my God Godl 1 Where have you been What's happened to you 1 I But Rodney Blake sat silent his narrowed eyes tal taking in the group before him the haggard hag woman the scarecrow man with his right arm around her the Indians and the mad old preacher of the Wor Word And Sonya Sonja looked back her mind racing for the words which she must say the tale she must telL With guarded c eyes es she same glanced lanced around at Two Fingers at nt Hosteen Nez at nt Hosteen Tso so these three who had cleared the world of or danger danger dan dan- ger for her for her who had hind saved sa her and hers from death These three whom three whom lOm no one must ever eyer know had done what the they had done I i she said wetting her dr dry lips again I 1 have been In Mexico kid Mexico l kid l b by two men who have have have led died I escaped I I and md Starr Stone here hereIn hereIn herein here here- In this plane but they followed us across the Border to catch and lc killus kill killus ll us both We Ye landed here they here but they mistook the the height height They They the they struck the edge and and fell She looked bravely In the tho three mens men's eyes her low voice clear and quiet even though she could not help the little gaps between her lying words Is it not so she sime asked of Two T Fingers turning It Is so the the- Indian replied And you Hosteen Nez Tso II Have l e I not spoken truly Truly these said quietly nodding nodding nod nod- ding dinS their English limited My ly heaven hea I l said Serge My liMy heaven 1 I But nut who Is this man with you Jou It seems I ought to know Where have I seen him You have hare never ne seen him said sonya swiftly and he Is m my own man Ive I've known him since the spring Ive I've meant to tell you Rod Hod for months that you ou must let me go that that I can never ne marry you I think I never knew what love loye could be before Now I am Irrevocably Irre lost to you m my life set to this mans man's life Ufe Forgive me Rodney Blake Blako did not move mo his hands clasped on his pommel Sonya he said I r know this man I saw sate him once once once-at at that Indians Indian's Indians Indian's Indians Indian's In In- dian's hogan I felt a n presage of this moment then But that Is neither neither nei nol ther here nor there I do not release release release re re- re- re lease you ou Were We're taking you home with us now now now-I'm Im I'm taking you ou to I New York as ns soon as possible Away I from this fantastic country you'll return to sanity to your normal self and shudder at nt this memory Come along Serge And he started forward flung himself from his saddle Marston followed him Serge Sav Say aria hesitated But here for the first time Starr Stone spoke moved mOHd from Sanya's Sonya's side Not quite he said my friends And In his extended hand was that e excellent automatic which El m Capitan Diablo would never need again trained on them both At that grim command Rodney Blako Blake stopped In his tracks the theother theother theother other behind him You ou Mr tr ha have c a n rI right ht to know that your sister Is free as as' as tho wind to choose her choose her man and her life lICe If It I am nm that man I give glye you my word that she shall not regret regret regret re re- re- re gret her choice through me If that life Ufe is with me I give you my word again that it shall be all nIl that I can make It with my hearts heart's very blood But she shall choose Sonya Sonya-re- Sonya rc- rc member you ou are free Free I the girl cried And Aud I have already chosen I To tho the end of life lIte I choose you Starr Stone I Once more the other turned his head hend put his free arm round her smiled down with his wild blue eyes that were midnight dark by now Then Padre he said to the Servant of the Lord can you say the marriage service Surely Surel m my son the old man answered answered answered an an- softly Will you say It here and now for her and for me Gladly The young oung heart must have Its mate while the world Is new All things lose their brIghtness brightness brightness bright brIght- ness and youth Is short at nt best The shabby thin old figure moved forward with a n strange dignity Thy right hand child he said to Son Sonya n and thine son No shaking his silver sliver locks not with that engine of ot destruction In It it So Starr Stone changed the gun from his right hand to his left but Its blunt nose never wavered wn from its mark He took Sanya's Sonya's San ns hand and with his eyes ejes fixed on the faces of ot the three men held at bay before him he began to answer the lovely questions of ot the ancient ritual Wilt thou Starr take this woman woman woman wom wom- an Sonya to be thy lawful wife to love love- cherish and protect the tender words went till Ull on death do you u part I ur will he said And lIAnd wilt thou Sonya take this man Starr to be thy lawful husband hus hus- us- us band band to to love lo honor and obey Sonya's clear I fir will sounded in inthe Inthe inthe the high silence like me the tones of ofa ofa a distant hell belL Then Starr Stone vent and kissed her swiftly The Time covenant co |