Show WAD R BEARER ALLAN J DUNN c A MAN ra HIS MATE A RIMROCK DODD MEAD and CO THE Flyn synopsis opals idly fishing her manos creck in ala caleb lV evarner arner civil engineer and a new englander la Is witness of tho end of a coyote pulled down by two wolf wolfhounds hounds urged on by a girl rider admiring the hounds lio unda h he introduces hims himself elfand and learns tier her name Is clinton with wes western t hospitality she invites him to 2 the ranch to meet her father CHAPTER 11 II 2 el nido and padilla 1 the riancho rancho EI cl nido which menns means the sho nest was well named behind the lep lee of the toll eucalypts eucalyptus planted latko rows at angles nestled the ho building of if the ranch house built in old californian fashion of adobe brick red tiled in the shape of a hollow square inclosing a patio gar den it was on a n rising ground above the hie stream that ran between trees heavily mantled with wilt wild grapevines about the house and its barns barna find and and corrals grew orchard trees peach and apricot almond cherry walnut there were some orange an and lemon trees and a few figs there was wag it vineyard and the lie patio wits was a flowers llo A spring bubbled un lit in the exact center of the court and had been confined a stone baals with one outlet out ont of which the overflow and ann under nn an arch any tn in the foundation of the house lio uc the place pince was neove nil all a home settled deep rooted it if a nest built on in the ground as some nests art may bo fati funded cled to have taken root tho the vince place was well styled el aldo back to it in the twilight at the argent suggestion of the girls father a suggestion that was half comin command tind holding such spontaneous invitation that it could not be refused without a touch of churlishness camo came caleb returning from the stream above the waterfall water fiill sticking i a well filled creel the gari gi rl rose from nu an outer porch as aa lie cagne up from the stream and inet him at the steps she w was train formed A soft gown of white lind had wrought magle magic and she received the of calebs surprised and fr antly admiring gaze demurely lie ile opened the lid ild of the creel for tier her inspection spec tion lon you know how to enst cast a fly in massachusetts sho said they tiro tire beauties we shall have them for supper Witt gungl igl A fat and genial chinaman immaculate in white appeared at the lie far end of the gallery came forward and took vic the fish with a n cli chuckle tickle of approval suppell Sup peli ch ivady featly twenty inin nit silas miss Illet betty tv lie he paid its is liu lie waddled off cletty hetty betty clinton I 1 lie ile hail had her name at last and thought it suited stilted tier her want to wash up marla maria will show chow you to your room imy my room you aro are to stay here tonight father would not hear of you ou going there la Is no moon it Is three miles mile lown down the canyon to tho the station at seven ly by the mad anil and viere are no trains that you sou could catch conveniently she led the way tit in and delivered bilm to marla maria totter fatter than wang ample of f breast triple of chin spanish of took and accent A maria agarla sald said lie girl Is the actual ruler of EI cl nido you must pass inspection spec tion by maria to be welcome liere here you Tou have llave fifteen minutes we shall bo la in chebli th the ebli alg room at the north end you can come in through the patio jt it was waa altogether a little astounding caleb reflected as ai lie he made what tollet toilet be could ile iio had come to the valley unheralded without mutual acquaintance without introduction and here be was pressed til as a guest almost as a friend in massachusetts he laughed at himself tn in the mirror ns as lie he fussed bussed with hla fits tle tie this was california a country to itself with very ery pleasant ca customs and lie was aware that tits his welcome would be as ag his fits behavior halor bo but tt it was nil all very ery pleasant very western the bis big room ran the full length of me side aide of the house at either cither end a quarter was raised by two steps erched off one part a library and annj study the walls covered with hooks the other end more inore distinctly feminine w with it it a plenio flowers inviting chairs 41 9 wicker and good rugs nig some pictures on the walls the intermediate space was coin common nion ground dining room ands and living room combined the vince place wits was lit with oil ell lamps in wrought iron brackets and with candles candies in branching holders for the table the meal the hie rustling maria in baeck gown tad iad white apron lendl tending ni wang who served as well as iia ald oad nad cooked wn was perfection the girl over the main stones her r tall erect gray paired cal red arny of close clipped mustache mid aud goatee had ono one sleeve tuck tucked ed in the side pocket of tits ha coat 1 11 I shall dball put the forcial interrogation sir air lie said to caleb how do yo you u find the west 1 I ind find it eager and I 1 title like it we bustle in the hast but our ways end and ore are settled Bett led hager I 1 like your term and I 1 am glad you like the west wo we shall hope to see more of you you have lived hero here long asked caleb my grandfather settled here in eighteen forty lie ile was one of fre monts cavalry legion ile iio helped to take california from pico lie ile ans on the shores of monterey bay when the british landed froni from their frigates fil gates and found they were too late my father was then ten years old I 1 was vas one when lie ho went back to virginia and ami fought in the war of the secession for the south I 1 beg your pardon air caleb caught betty clinton smiling tit at him not at nit all air lie answered 11 my own grandfather fought for the north but that wits was two generations ngo ago now I 1 know lie he kidded nit nil ati answering smile why you ails clinton called mo ine yank with such auch unction 11 my ity grandfather used to say said clinton that lie he wua was always cautious lous wilen lio ile fought the yanks but that lie downright feared them when it camo came to business hut but you tire are right sir mr that la Is till nil past I 1 fought in the span hii mi war ido by side with ninny grill ilAt it X h it I 1 1 d N the trail dipped down toward water level fording the stream gentlemen from new en england annil ono one of them was major in my co company i an if it had not been for him I 1 might have lost more than this lie ile touched touche his empty sleeve you held field rank sir 11 1 I wits was it captain it was it a volunteer rank I 1 do not use it now sly my sword la is n plowshare I 1 have 8 u 1 relent souvenir caleb thought lie he detected a little bitterness in the reference to tho the missing limb caleb noticed that clinton refrained from any query as to tits hla guests states in the war nor did lie mention it himself lie ile was tired of talking about it tho the states were full of men who had done its as much ns as lie he lind had what are arc you going to do lit in california asked the girl the term terni civil engineer Is it a wide one what does it mean to you bridges railroads it was predestined said caleb lie ile struck a match anti and showed tier her a sent seal at tho the end of tits hla watch chain on the preen green stone two parallel zigzag zigzags were graven the mie zodiac sign of aquarius the water bearer it Is the eleventh sign eign and the sun enters it about the twenty first of january the day that I 1 was born so I 1 am it a water engine f r both by choice and by predestination she gave a little cry ns as site she bent forward to look tit at the seal the of the swift burning match brought her face out of the darkness like a cameo that altogether curious and delightful she said 1 I wonder 1 I dont know what will offer caleb said 1 I cannot wait too long I 1 have neither the moans means nor the lie inclination to stay slay idle I 1 have not had very much practical exper experience lence as such things go but I 1 should rather tie ile up with a new enterprise than work with a completed project of course I 1 should like above everything to he be able to inaugurate some scheme plan it develop it I 1 must baust look for my opportunity port unity that la Is what I 1 should prefer if I 1 were a man said the girl and caleb sensed a growing approval of him film in tier her tone anti and warmed to it 10 1110 creato create something to he a witter lenrer to the thirsty earth or to people to make a city prow grow whir nore none lias has been or render dry lands hinds fertile do you expect to settle out west westa asked clinton to make your hoino here 7 11 1 I gone quite na as far as that answered caleb with it a smile anille it d depends upon whether I 1 get the chanco chance to settle I 1 mean by that if work up I 1 like th the eWest west I 1 should like ilke to make a home here I 1 think I 1 have none elsewhere lie added simply 1 I have relatives in the lie hast east euid I 1 even pvn awn a house out there lut but it a home hoino tiny any longer since both my father and mother tire lead dead there aro are silences that create an atmosphere mo sphere more sympathetic than the fittest choice of phrase caleb found himself self talking of tits his plana in greater extension than lie would havo have considered possible to cliance recent acquaintances quain ile he had he told them it little money lie had a chance to sell his fits massachusetts house that held open indefinitely this with his fits training and tits his youth constituted ills his capital at the end of the evening lit in tits room the windows open admitting the fragrance of t the patio garden tho the subdued chuckle of the overflow from the basin basan lie he realized that lio lie had done little but talk about himself and tits hla own affairs ile he wondered whether he had not been a bit of a prig even a bore ile iio had shown no appreciation of the girls garld femininity Anin ity lind had surely been lucking lacking in even conventional gallantry girls caleb believed liked that sort of tiling thing expected it yet talking to her in the dusk dugic of the veranda had been a good deal like talking to another man iler her intelligence was keen her interest had not seemed feigned meanwhile in her own chamber hetty betty clinton earne came to n favora favorable ble conclusion in the same matter por for it a yank she told herself as slie she nr arranged ranged tier beir buir for the night in two geat g eat shining braids ile he Is quite so far I 1 think I 1 nm am going to like caleb warner caleb decided not to outstay his welcome ile iio announced tits his intention tit nt breakfast we shall lioe bue to see you again said aid clinton and betty backed its ills lus ins she seemed s a little older this in appearing the well poised hostess tit in tier lier house gown to caleb still new to western ways it was liard hard to reconcile tills this housewifely verson person presiding over the allver cottec uin mn with the lie rider on the lie pinto galloping hard after tier to tho kill yet there waa no real discrepancy no loss of dignity of sex and she made the girls eliat caleb had grown up tit seem siti sl i donly constricted in tits hta recollection you are arc not to walk down to the train she told him 1 I am sorry that I 1 cannot drive you but I 1 have a lot int to do you shall ride the don Pat lia will go with you and bring him blin hack back and we are to see BOO you again soon caleb wits was not tit at all certain of hii prowess in the saddle to ills his relief the horse turned out to be it natural single footer racking along 11 smooth motion that left litin him almost motionless in the saddle the selection was lie he felt another indication of kindly tact Pa ardllla rd dlila llla swarthy bowlegged bow legged agile bore signs of battle that lind conn clo close cloe e to nini maiming ming him the loft side of tits ills face was marked with a puckered scar purple against tits ills brown skin it ran from eye to chin a balk ank hig weal that showed where the flesh must have been open by a frightful blow UP ile wore no coat and till fits sleeves were rolled high ills left fort foro arm was ans scored with cicatrices 1119 left side seemed shrunken between lilt hip and shoulder caleb was conscious that nil all down the canyon padilla subjected him to a close scrutiny when directly in front of him film lie could nl at most feel fed padillas black binck eyes boring between tits his shoulder blades despite the un worded recommendation that the mexican held from his employment at HI EI aldo caleb fori funded cled him it better companion for high noon than n dark night the trail dipped down towards toward water level fording ake the stream caleb reined in to lt let the doti don drink bright water and padilla llla followed follow rd example As AH they sat side by side ride the Mex mexican letin spoke for the first time 11 kit et wits was here senor lie said that eliat I 1 pot got these tl aliee iee lie touched tou clied ills his cheek his left ribs and topped tits ills left forearm fore ariu with a swift gesture ket was a puma senor benor A cougar a lion ilon of the carrajo carbajo Car rajo I 1 almost act keel me luls padilla Pad llla knife against claws nit an teeth senor and the knife thees knife with the same swift deftness lie ho halt drew a shining bliele from a that was tucked inside the alio belt of tits his trousers trouser tf then replaced it tho speedy excitation of the latin convulsed V ul fae 1 I its ills features feature they twisted in n ferocious knorl they looked ns as they must have appeared in the actual conflict caich thought 0 this padilla seems to bo ba an intense sort of pe parson son his purpose with warner TO ilc HE CONTINUED |