| Show 0 afim auk ANN the am 0 a 0 by ab 0 0 ID copyright by peter B CHAPTER IV continued his gringo alias mrs G ganby anby the first to be heard of la in spain was called james michael higgins but the spaniards gave it a spanish twist with the passage of time james michael higgins biggins the big mick hick developed into jaime alimuel when did that happen don jalmer jaimey when the first J M married a redheaded spanish woman who insisted on spelling the name as it was pronounced noun ced sly bly ancestor was a good natured man having taken on spain and the spaniards he did not object anything for or the sake of family peace so the tribe of higueres Higue nes was born the family migrated to I 1 mexico early in the nineteenth century and my gre great at grandfather married the daughter of an irishman who owned this rancho that brought the celtic strain up a little my grandfather added to it by marrying a girl who was half irish and when he be looked at his bia offspring be was glad hed done it 11 ile he noticed the cross had increased the height helget breadth general appearance industry and temper of the tribe we looked much more like black irish than mexicans now and were probably a little more than halt half celt but we had bad spanish customs and a spanish outlook on life and spanish was our mother tong tongue up also we ive had no reason to be other than proud of our spanish blood so BO we never mixed it with indian when we moved to texas my grandfather fought under the stars and bars lie ile sent my father to the virginia military institute and father married a carrol of vir ginia and begot me you have never been married the nurse asked never arent you going to be 1 I fearnot fear not the loneliness here the coyote chorus on the buttes all militate against it mrs mra ganby canby the right girl said mrs ganby canby mind it in the least go forth and search for her don jaime impossible the waster master of valle verde replied lazily 1 I have sheep on toy my hands it if I 1 can credit the gossip I 1 heard in los algodones Alg you killed the owner onner of those sheep trying to get rid of thern them don jaime nodded well why dont you get rid of them then the foreman bill dingle Is still living and in charge of those sheep iles hes a bad man and a better shot than old antrim besides if I 1 get those sheep off my range now where will they go why to somebody Bome nody elsea range of course and then be trouble and we might lose bill dingle so youre putting up with those sheep on your range merely because this antrim girl Is her uncles heir the proposition why Is she a friend of yours wo no ive never met her but then no has ever quarreled with a lady 1 I fall fail to see how you are going to escape a quarrel with her don jaime you tou killed her uncle don jaime winced perhaps she will believe that I 1 had no alternative that not until after I 1 had killed him did I 1 know he was wag her uncle in fact I 1 know I 1 had killed anybody until ken rode down the draw and informed me of my luck well the fact that you are being FO BO excessively nice to her since may mitigate the affair although one can never predict the attitude a woman will take A woman I 1 Is S usually guided by her heart not her ter head don jaime don jaime appraised the old nurse with kindly interest 1 I 1 take it A I 1 mrs irs gantly canby that you are old enough to he be guided by your head you told m me e you are a widow have you any children drenel T one a boy of fifteen ile he has been quite crippled since his twelfth birthday infantile paralysis don jaime considered this suppose you had ft a comfortable home where you could be with your boy always a no necessity to hustle bustle hither find and yon nursing people I 1 should have bare a hostess here for some time I 1 have felt that flavios FI Fl avlos wife Is too well elemental for the job this hacienda should know a ans management at nurses wages there are always some puppies around here and the boy could play with them ue ile could raise rabbits and pigeons I 1 dare say and it if he can sit a horse ill stake him to a pretty little sonora pony and a mexican youth to look after him I 1 suppose iou could carry on wit with his schooling you know it does get lonesome here so sometimes oil don jaime you moan mean it ile he nodded id like to be able to invite nice dice people to visit me mrs ganby canby I 1 should like to have my friends from the surrounding country come to dinner oftener but im never satisfied with the appearance of my ms board the menu or the service I 1 have riv hu time to train maids and house keepers and if I 1 did I 1 know how yes tes a man pan Is very helpless I 1 should hould be glad to t tome don jaime BEGINNING THE STORY FOR NEW READERS antrim beautiful eastern society girl nho ho lives with her uncle william E B latham known us as crooked roberta owner of 0 tb atie a rancho Higue higueres nes from jaime alimuel bill because of 0 its his amusing amu ieng slyness rec receives oies A telegram of glenn advice tile the has died a violent death at informing her her uncle tom antrim valle verde in texas since she la Is her uncles sole bol hackett who Is in love alth ith her roberta plans to KO go to texas to protect her interests don jaime of sheep which antrim had impudently driven drien to graze on land controlled by don heir to thousands and romantic half spanish and half irish Is attracted to no robertas bertas picture in a magazine antrim jaime unmarried jaime they shoot it out don warned to take hla his sheep oft don jaimes ranch at once antrim ambushes Is in owner Is wounded and tom antrim killed on hr his boody body are arc found instructions to notify alias ranch the youns young tells roberta her uncle was killed by jim another telegram antrim in the event of his death higgins roberta don jaimes anglicized name latham tells her his fortune to Is in danker danger and she decides to so go to texas to get bt kantrims An trims estate tor for crooked bill I 1 you are very kind ken you run ran up to el paso and pet get tile the hoy boy mrs ganby will arrange that detail with you now kow clear out and let me sleep sirs mrs ganby canby with tears of happiness in her middle aged eyes foll followed ocol the assistant general manager into the ranch office biow long have you known don jaime she asked II fl obart A long ions time went to the state university with wilh him my father and I 1 had tt a cow outfit down in the big dead bend country tout but we ne went broke luring during the postwar post war deflation period don jaime and I 1 enlisted for the world war and spent two years guarding the border at that we dodged more lead than some of those who wont went to france after the bank closed in on the ll I 1 joined the rangers now nov ive left them to work for don jaime balme tie Is congenitally magnificent ken hobart laughed always remembers lips hes muy may caballero mrs ganby canby ile he does things with a flourish it gosp ills people have always done it ills father died when he was twenty iles hes twenty eight now his mother died giving him bint birth so you see hes man raised why do you suppose he engaged me mr air hobart tl po do you think he suspected lie he was doing a very wonderful thing for my boy and me yes fes I 1 think so jimmy can see through a ladder but lie he engaged you principally I 1 think because he be wants the casa Higue higueres nes to hi he running in civilized fashion in case ills his luck holds and lie he should have the honor of entertaining miss bliss roberta antrim and her duenna 1 shell not have a duenna oh yes slie she will supply that lack don jaime is very tactful and for formal mill why Is he so interested in th t p niece of this vicious old man ile he bail to kill because don jaime miguel hig aenes Is a romantic alick why lie ile saw a full page rotogravure picture of her in the suburban gentleman and picked her for the mother of his children oh dear hes quite hopeless I 1 she may photograph beautifully even with red hair freckles and green eyes but she may also be mean and selfish and irritating she toay be without man ners in that event said nen ken hobart obart II she just wont be the mother of his children don jaime want the Higue higueres nes tribe to vanish front from the earth but he would prefer to have them vanish rather than breed something ignoble where will I 1 aln find of this boy of yours he demanded to chan change ge the conversation im starting for tor el paso now dow mrs ganby canby wrote a note to the people with whom she boarded her crippled son and returned to her patient what a charming man your mr hobart Is don jale she began hell do in a pinch laconically ae he Is very devoted to your interests te rests 11 don jaime did not cot answer his glance was out through the arched gateway from which the road ran straight down the valley A mile away a dust cloud was gathering on that road somebody Is coming in a hurry burry he murmured when they hurry burry it its s always had news A solitary horseman galloped up to the gate threw himself off and hurried up the steps well my friend don jaime queried to ID spanish what evil message sa e do you bring and from wit whom in thirty riders crossed ti the ie RIO grande at daylight senor they are rounding up several beveral hundred of the senors cattle it Is a raid my thanks are due you my friend they will not get far who sent you here the american customs agent at los algodones Alg don jaime lie he told bid you send bend your riders to head them oft off before they tile the river with your cattle return and tell him I 1 have but bill forty met men available the others are attending a balle at the rancho ver dugo forty eony nien men will be sufficient I 1 think return to the customs agent with my gratitude for his timely warning and tell him my men will ill start in ten minutes perhaps less the man touched his bis hat flung him self on his horse and galloped away don jaime balme lighted a cigar and smoked contentedly while mrs ganby canby watched him wit wilh alert curiosity presently ken hobart obart II arrayed in his town clothes othes ul came to announce his IrD impending departure delay it until tomorrow ken ll 11 his employer 1 I have a job for you anil lie he recounted the tale brought brou glit liy by his recent visitor take forty men meet and ride for the river if this minis mans tale Is the truth you will have work there I 1 think however lie lies hae caraveo arm the other men available and In instruct tract him to haie hae then them remain in lie hie barns with their horses borses until I 1 send him word that flint lie he Is not going to he needed A plant eh eb ive been expecting reprisal ken I 1 told this messenger I 1 had but forty men available but would send them immediately med lately go with them then we shall see bee that which we vie shall liall sep see I 1 smell sheep hobart departed to fulfill his orders and don jaime stretched himself for his siesta suddenly lie he opened his eyes and turned to mrs ganby please tell flavle to assist me to enter my house 17 1 11 ter 4 1 11 t impossible the master of valle verde replied lazily 1 I have sheep on my hands he mid boid there Is more dust to the south we shall have visitors about ten I 1 think when the indian came don jaime spoke to him in spanish the old peon picked don jaime up in his strong arms carried him inside and laid him on a sofa then he departed dep arteil casually you will oblige me by locking and bolting that door mrs ganby canby don jaime requested gently presently came the sound of hurrying feet on the veranda and through the iron barred tiny window that gave on the veranda sirs mrs canby saw men standing about thre e came a smart rap on the dor chos AVII Os there don tainie 3 challenged in a ringing voice quien es open the door a rough voice commanded we want you and were going to have you ah so it Is my friend bill dingle I 1 have been expecting you william ever since you so thoughtfully sent one of your men with a false cry of raiders from below the border I 1 sent forty men your lookout in the hills saw them ride out and when they hall had passed you decided to come to my hacienda deserted save for the women and children and kill me in some unpleasant pl manner Is it not so there was no answer to this find and don jaimes mocking laugh floated through the window now dingle my poor fellow consider the aleua tion A hundred armed men surround this poor house of mine go you yon friend dingle to tile the patio erit fiill inac nance and lishok A murmuring rose among the recent arrivals and one of them ran to the entrance of tile the patio A volley of good gond old anglo saxon curses ech 0 ell through the old fashioned garden I 1 then lien tile man came running bak badi to join it bl 19 rel fellows lows Is seeing believing senor dingle dom din jaime called pleasantly you win will higueres Higue nes one by one you will go to the en trance and give up tip your arms arm to my riding boss it would be madness to resist you shall not ho he killed and presently you shall nil all return to your I 1 mean sheep forward march A moments hesitation more low voiced colloquy a curse or two and the retreat to the entrance commenced A few minutes later enrico Ca caraan Cara raen a 1 l little pockmarked pock marked mexican thrust a smiling sardonic face up to the grilled window 1 I have the honor to inform don jaime that his visitors awalt await his pleasure confine them in the barn under guard feed them st sl senor murmured the riding boss bogs and departed chuckling g mrs ganby canby 3 white faced speechless with terror watched don jaime blowing rings presently he be looked across at her his eyes filled with musing his white teeth showing in a gentle little smile its a great world it mrs mm canby he be murmured please call flavin I 1 would return to the veranda the nurse stood by ills his chaise longue after flavio had bad deposited him onre once more therein don jaime balme she demanded after that exhibition of 0 ing ingratitude rati on the part of those sheep men are you still going to permit them to tres trespass priss on your range don jaime raised a deprecating hand an Higue higueres niguenes nes he be assured lie her I 1 does not quarrel with a woman mrs candys eyes blazed glazed now at least she declared 1 I know why cervantes wrote don Qui vote na only v a 9 spaniard could have bare conceived such a character and only a spaniard could could could Se senora norn don jaime protested my name Is jimmy II iggins 1 roberta kantrims An trims limousine rolled up tip the graveled grai grae cled led driveway to the wide portals of crest and harms the butler came dow dou n the steps nod and opened the door mr latham came home an hour ago miss he be confided something must have happened in the city today miss iles hes worried walking up and down the drawing room and talking to himself im n R bit worried about the master miss thank you harms youre tery cry kind A foreboding of disaster brought roberta lying hying into tile the living dooin crooked bill sat huddled in a reading chair his face in his hands ills his attitude reminiscent of profound despair uncle happe happened nel crooked rills bills old hands merely cl clasped aped his features tighter I 1 he e wagged his head and moaned mor ined im through my bly brokers sold me out this oh oft I 1 obby I 1 what a mass massacred acrel I 1 stayed as ion long as I 1 dared but when the Is last st jump came I 1 realized that thai only a crazy boid would continue I 1 in n this crazy market birket mir ket 0 46 I 1 declined to invest another dollar for the reason that I 1 have it I 1 told my brokers id gone the limit and to sell me out im nil all washed up must we leave roberta noberta queried in a strangled voice we must crooked bill replied heroically 1 I have enough to pay ot tile the servants and maintain us to in respectability ability at some modest hotel until we can look |
