Show vf vr s s N i fr f f the land of broken promises by DANE A stirring story author of of the mexican hidden wat r sn ete revolution latin IW br fribek A CHAPTER continued who as that man asked gracia fj fihe reined in at his side do you know him sure do responded hooker joal uy he a tho best friend I 1 got in kal Ar olgo he hailed as the came quartering down the hill nd apparently oblivious ot the on pursuers he rode out of the trail to meet him they shook hands find amago flashed bis familiar smile glancing shyly over the horse s back ft the daughter of the aragons 1 I knew the horse he explained with a gentle caress for copper bottom my people up there kill mex cans where you go north to the line answered bud pointing up the pass muy malo frowned the raqul glancing once more at the woman behind revolt osos where asked bud everywhere replied amago with i comprehensive wave ot the hand bat no matter 1 he added simply I 1 will so with you who are these behind em ales responded hooker and atho black byca dilated yes nodded bud as he read the question in their glance he Is there too del quo bueno exclaimed the indian fixing his eagle glance upon the riders he showed bis white teeth in a smile fla an instant be saw his opportunity die saw his enemy riding into a trap and turned his face to the pass what amago had waited for the opportunity port unity he had watched tor was tat hand del rey should pay the arice of that scar the raqul carried again would the bullet go astray and hla people should have one less mexican to fight after that day the hatred of generations lay behind the of the indian he cared nothing for the grievance of the girl and he would not kill del rey tor bat for his own reasons Come 1 he said laying hold ot a and as hooker loped on op the steady incline he ran along at aila in his right hand he still carried the heavy mauser but his sandaled aan daled feet bore him forward with tireless strides and only the heaving mot hla mighty chest told the story of atha pace let me take your gun suggested as they set off on their race bot amago in his warrior s pride only chook his bead and motioned him on and on so at last they gained the ragged summit where the granite ribs rf tho mountain crop up through the aanas of the wash and the valley slopes away to the north to the south wan del rey etall riding after them amago beckoned bud beyond the and looked out to the north he exclaimed point ne a ban blackened band at a distant fides Revolt osos he said again waving his hand to the east here waving toward the west no do you know that country in quiren hooker nodding at the great with its chains of parallel sier jcak but the indian shook his bead no ho said but the best way Is for that pass he pointed at a distant wedge cut aown between the blue of two ridges and scanned the eastern hills intently men he cried suddenly altac tho skyline of the topmost ridge 1 I think they are he added gravely they will soon cross your no difference answered bud with ik 1 I am not afraid not with pvn hero amago no but tho woman suggested amago ho read no jest in his words it la better that you should ride on nd leave me here he smiled encouragingly but a wild light was creeping into hla eyes and looker knew what he meant he de to bo left alone to deal with idel ray after the sure manner of the and yet why not hooker garod thoughtfully at the oncoming maalea and walked swiftly back to enla indian Is a friend of mine ii bald and I 1 can trust him he tars it will be better tor us to ride on and he will take care of the euralea xu ralea take care questioned gracia taming pale at a peculiar matter ot in bis voice sure said hooker he says there y ahead it will be bet ter tor you he to ride on madre dlos breathed gracia at her saddle and then abe nodded her head weakly you better get down for a minute hooker helping her quick 7 to the ground here arluk some water youre kinder taint III be right back jest want to eay good by he strode over to where amago had coated behind a rock and laid hand on hla arm adelos amago he said but the fagut only glanced at him strangely anything in my camp you re wel eme to it added hooker but amago ald not respond his black eyes tar tealor j 8 were fixed intently before him where del key came gal loping in tho lead you go now he said speaking with an effort and hooker understood there was no lovo no hate left in that mighty carcass he was alt warrior all raqul and he wanted del rey to himself well be going hooker said to gracca returning swiftly and his subdued tones made her start she felt as one feels at a funeral the hovering of death et she vaulted into her saddle and left her thoughts un said they rode on down the valley spurring yet holding back and then with a roar that made m jump the heavy mauser spoke oui one shot and no more there was a bush a long wait and amigo rose slowly from behind his rock god exclaimed hooker as he chught the pose and his voice sound ed a requiem tor manuel del rey then as gracca crossed herself and tell to sobbing he leaned forward in his saddle and they galloped away CHAPTER though men may make a jest of it in books it is a solemn thing to kill a man even to be near when one Is killed it gracca bad slain del rey herself in a passion her hot blood might have buoyed her up but now her whole nature was convulsed with the horror of it and she wilted like a flower an hour before she bad burned with hatred of him she bad wished him dead and sought the man who would kill him now thit th it his life had been off between two heartbeats she remembered him with pity and muttered a prayer tor his soul for hooker for de lancey she bad no thought but only for the dashing young captain who bad followed her to his death of this dud bad no knowledge he realized only that she was growing weaker and that he must call a halt and at last when the walls of their pass had widened and they rode out into the open plain he turned aside from the trail and drew rein by a clump of here let me take you he said as she swayed uncertainly in the sad die she slid down into his arms and be laid her gently in the shade poor girl be muttered it s been too much tor you get some water and pretty eoon you can eat he the canteen from his saddle flap gave her a drink and left tier to herself glancing swiftly along the horizon as be tied out their mounts to graze but for her faintness he would have pushed on farther for he had seen men off to the east but bun ger and excitement had told upon her even more than the day and night ride for a woman and sitting a side sad die she bad done better than he bad doped and yet well it was a long way to the border and be doubted if she could make it she lay still in the shade of the just as he bad placed her and when he brought the sack of food she did not raise her head better eat something he sug spreading out some bread and dried beef here s some oranges I 1 got from don juan just put them over here tor you gracca shuddered sighing wearily then as it bis words had hurt her she covered her face and wept what did you tell that man she asked at last wy what man inquired hook er astonished aint you going to eat no ehe cried gazing out at him through her tears not until I 1 know what you eald did you tell that in dlan to to kill him she broke down suddenly in a fit of and hooker wiped bl brow wy no he protested sure not what made you think that why you rode ovar and spoke to him and he looked at me and then he killed him she gave way to a paroxysm of grief at this and bud looked around him wondering that eho was weak and hungry he knew but what was this she was saying I 1 reckon I 1 dont understand what youre driving at ho said at last wish you d eat something you 11 feel better no I 1 wont eat she declared sit ting up and frowning mr hooker she went on very miserably what did you mean this morning when you laughed I 1 bald I 1 bated poor manuel and you said well what you did and you laughed did you think oh you coulden couldn t have that I 1 really want ed him killed T wy sure not cried hooker heartily 1 I you was tooling dlan 11 laugh at you say what kind of a feller do lou think I 1 am anyway D ye think I 1 d get an indian to do my killing oh then dlan t you she cried suddenly brightening up you know you talk so rough sometimes and I 1 never do know what you mean you said you guessed have to kilt him tor me you know and oh it was too awful I 1 must be getting foolish I 1 m so tired out but what did ou tell that indian bud glanced at her sharply for a moment and then decided to humor her perhaps it he could get her quieted she would stop talking and begin to eat he asked me who was after us he bald and I 1 told him it was del rey yes and what did he say then he dlan t say nothing jest lined out for the pass and you say you wanted him killed no burst out bud halt angrily I 1 told you once I 1 did hotl that indian had reasons of his own believe me hes got a bear along his ribs where del rey shot him with a six shooter and furthermore he added as her face cleared at this ex plan atlon of the mystery you d better try to take me at my word for the rest of this trip looka to me like you ve been associating with these mexicans too much I 1 why what do you mean she de banded curtly I 1 mean this answered hooker being as were on the subject again ever since I 1 ve knowel you you ve been talking about brave men and all that and more n once you ve hinted that I 1 gasn wasn t brave because I 1 v t fight I 1 d just like to tell you to put your mind at rest that my father was a sergeant in the texas rangers and no hundred mexicans was ever able to make him crawl he served for ten years on the texas border and never turned hla back to no man let alone a mex I 1 was brought up by him to be peaceable and quiet but don t you never think because I 1 run away from manuel del rey that I 1 was afraid to face him he paused and regarded her intent ly and her eyes fell before hla you must excuse me she said looking wistfully away I 1 did not I 1 did not understand and BO the poor raqul was only avenging an injury she went on reaching out one slender hand toward the food ah I 1 can un der stand it now he looked BO savage and fierce but she paused again set back by a sudden thought dlan t you know he would kill him yes maam answered hooker quietly I 1 did then then why dlan t you that was between them two he replied doggedly del rey shot him once when he was wounded and left him for dead he must have killed some of his people too his wife meb be tor all I 1 know he never would talk about it but he come back to get his revenge I 1 don t shoot no man from cover myself but that aln t it it was between them two and you she suggested it you had fought del rey I 1 would have met him in the open said hooker and yet I 1 dlan t want to he ended bluntly want to fight him and want to kill him had no call to and then well there was you ah she breathed and a flush mounted her pale cheeks she smiled as she reached out once more for the food and hooker resolved to do his best at gallantry it seemed to mahe ler BO happy so you were thinking of me she challenged sweetly all the while I 1 thought perhaps I 1 was a nuisance and n the way I 1 thought perhaps you did not like me because well because I 1 m a mex as you say no icham denied hooker gazing upon her admiringly nothing like that when I 1 say mex I 1 mean these ow apelado pelado mexicans don juan tella me you re pure spanish with perhaps a little abul she suggested shyly well debbe he did say that too confessed dud but it B jest as good as spanish they say all the big men n sonora have got some raqul blood mortal that was vice president the tomes brothers governors and aragona nl she added playfully but at a look in bis eyes she stopped bud could not look pleasant and think of aragon ah yee she rattled on I 1 know you like the caquia better than the spanish saw YOU shaking bands with that indian and what was it ou called him allgot that s right smiled hooker him and me have been friends tor months now out at the mine I 1 d do anything for that teller oh now you make me jealous he pouted if I 1 were only a yaqui and big and black never annd defended bud he was a true friend all right and true friends believe me are scarce there was a shade of bitterness in hla that did not escape her and she was careful not to allude to phil his name like the name of her father always drove this shy man to silence and she wanted to make him talk then you ought to be friends with me she after a silence I 1 have always wanted to be your friend why will you never allow it no but really haven t I 1 always shown itt I 1 remember now the first time that I 1 saw you I 1 was looking through my hole among the passion flowers and ou saw me with your keen eyes phil did not but he was there and you just looked at me once and looked away why did you never respond when I 1 came there to look tor you you would just ride by and look at me once and even phil never knew no agreed bud smiling quietly he was crazy to see you but he rode right by looking at the windows and such the first time I 1 met him mused gracca 1 I asked about you did he ever tall you bud hung his head and grinned sheepishly it was not difficult to make out a case against him and BO had not wanted del rey killed as he thought she did she was not the vicious woman he had thought her for a time she was just the gentle noble girl he had sworn to protect and conduct across the border to her fiance again came the desire to claim her but there was not only phil to be thought of but the fitness of himself to be the mate of this woman Is it something I 1 have donet she asked at last Is that why you never liked me now mr hooker please speak to me and why do you always sit so tar away are you afraid of me but look she moved closer to him here we are alone and I 1 am not afraid of you of course not answered bud look ing across at her boldly why should you be iou aint afraid of noth ing Is that a compliment she demand ed eagerly oh then I 1 m so happy its the first you ever paid me but have I 1 been brave she beamed so far have I 1 been brave like a man sure have remarked hooker am personally but we aint there yet only thing I 1 dont like about you Is you don t eat enough say don t pick up them crumbs let me pare off some more of this jerked beet for you can t nobody be brave when hun gry you know and I 1 want to bring you in cafe why she inquired as she accept ed the handful of meat Is is on phils account she ventured as he sat gazing stoically at the horses you were such friends t you she went on innocently oh that Is why I 1 admire the americans so much they are so true to each other yes observed hooker rolling his eyes on her were fine that well I 1 mean lit she insisted as she read the irony in his glance sure so do I 1 answered hooker and gracca continued her meal in silence my she said at last this meat Is dodl tell me you happen to they threat and parried no more have it on your saddle T we left so suddenly you knowl she gazed up at him demurely curl ous to see how he would evade this evi dence that he had prepared in advance for their ride dut once more as he bad always done hooker eluded the cunningly laid snare I 1 vas figuring on pulling out my self he replied ingenuously what and not take ma she cried oh I 1 thought but dear me what t the se she sighed and dropped her bead wearily 1 I am so tired she murmured despondently spon dently shall we be going on soon not unless somebody jumps us returned bud here let me make you a bed in the shade there now as he spread out the saddle blankets temptingly you lay down and get some sleep and kinder keep a watch ah you are so kind she breathed as she sank down on the bed don t you know she added looking up at him with sleepy eyes that half con coaled a smile 1 I believe you like me after all i sure confessed bud returning ual her smile as 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