Show I 1 gm AM thu hw raw AMID CHAPTER XI continued 14 rut but he followed closely at their heels while marston Mf irston serge ond and rodney clake albed about the scantily stored front room looked under counters lo in upping bins and behind doors they entered the storeroom behind with its stacks of packing cases barrels the usual jumble of dise and its containers which litter such a place and here the red left ila parks face it became waxen ilk like e a moon in fog hut but none of the three men noticed it it serge wits was too violent with sorrow to notice much of anything ig and rodney cinke blake was cold to his very tory vitals for the same reason ever since the sound bound of darkness running feet had brought him into the patio at home lie he had been like a man in a trance the bottom bad fallen out of life tor for him but there was in the emptiness a terrible blackness of suspicion on first of the indians then of sonya herself lie ile was following serge and mars liars ton here and now would follow them some come hours longer then he knew what he be meant to do himself what campaign of searching he would begin and his always thin lips drew into a line fine line As tile the throe three men explored abong the disorder of 0 the place the proprietor kept close to them and once when marston tl arston raised the lid of a bin of dry beans the muscles of his right hand band rose along the back exactly as the body of a cat tenses before it leaps marston SI arston dropped the lid and the liand hand relaxed there Is nothing here serge said to la despair they went to find the sheriff and see how many men he had sent out to which directions and back at the ranch llla lila who had hold held her tongue looked in the face of myra little and poured out in a flood all she knew of sonya and start stan stone myra who had come as fast as her two good horses and a bouncing in buckboard could bring her when she heard the nes from a navajo runner who had bad passed her place my lord 1 she said aghast you think that maybe ashes gone with him run off what else said llla lila miserably she loves him and rod blake has said eald hell never dever give her up to anyone um yes mabe youre rl right ait she told me of this man what kind of eyes he had clue blue eyes wild an ex with pupils that spread easily ise seen their like once in a preacher who never should have been one an ta in an outlaw at laredo strange eyes they are an strange men who own em eai an women cant forget them ever maybe youre rl right ht llla lila ned take her an shed go it if she loved him she does said llla lila with conviction and all among the dad bad lands in the scattered canyons along the sagebrush levels a peculiar thing was happening from every crevasse of the lonely land where she had worked for loved and befriended them the navala were coming tall brown men on sorry horses their long hair bound on oa their beads beneath their alde brimmed hats their turquoise necklaces swinging on their breasts they met and spoke in soft clipped voices parted and went appointed ways their dark eyes on the deserts floor bloor scanning the open book of the world around a moving network of detection tec tion it was hosteen tso who traced her shod ehod horse to the town who knew that she fhe had sat some hours in a dry wash over to the east before she went to town and who followed her step by step back along the circling way which had taken her to that certain spot where sonya had looked last upon the deserts familiar face from the security of her saddle and there two fingers stood with Il costeen osteen nez holding her lost hat the three men looked at each other nodded spoke a few low words they all saw too three long strange marks in the sand wheel marks soft and wide with indentations in them a sharply defined mark running between them be beginning inning a bit before their start ending a bit before they dl aa d none of the three had ever seen an airplane closer than the high blue sky above abom but they of one now considering si and they took the sombrero with them jogging back to their hogans tomorrow they would meet again these three and circle wider asking all others of their tribe they met what they knew of sky ships telling this which they knew and only these the humble ones whom rodney blake despised knew anything of sonya savaran and what had become of her CHAPTER XII the leopard changes spots dawn came slowly to the deep walled room where sonya sat by the window the girl was weary from her sleepless vigil there were dark circles under her eyes lines in her young face but her lips were steady and courageous her heart the same today was to be big with portent that she knew perhaps it meant death perhaps she would never again behold the sunrise or nee ace the stars wheel in the heavens well one had hut but one time to dle die by VINGIE E ROE copyright doubleday Do ubay doran co lad inc service though she could have wished a more gentle end than would likely come to anyone who fell ell under el diablos drablos Dia blos displeasure and that she was there here she knew full well also why starr sto stone tie had risked his life each time lie he saw her ber when ile he overs over overstated overstayed stayed hi his time starr stone who was who must be that number fifteen how sort soft the numeral was in the spanish who was el diablos Dla Dia blos ablest lieutenant the in man an nhom hom he could neither spare nor aar I 1 wholly trust now low since he had disobeyed him for a woman and those who disobeyed diablo sonya jerked her shoulders up wet her lips that were dry as ashes picc twice they said had the lie bandit leader spread him film up only to take him down again starr stone of the laughing courage who had dared all things thing in the old days whose clever brain had bad been invaluable to el caal tan who was too valuable to L 1111 kill yet who knew too much to live it if he be did not live for him and sonya ln who knew too much also who loved starr stone and had listened to him in tile the dusk of many moons who had stooped and picked up a five can of first grade opium when a bungling hand had dropped it parks quatro number four the bland keeper beeper of a store on the cross continent railroad ile he had blundered but he had retrieved his blunder instantly by sending el Dl Dia ablog blos henchmen to destroy the evidence by taking it away herself that evidence well once again one could finish up but once and she was no one ones s quitter if only site she might see starr you are well Sc schooled hoofed senorita he sneered stone again look deep in his blue eyes renew that souls covenant which they had made one starlit dusl dusk but the senora was here with food on a tray and she was kind and gentle gentie with that tenderness we show to those about to go on long and perilous journeys eef beef beet please the senorita she said apologetically there ees one who would speak you today beet ees one whose word ees the law the master 1 I know said sonya nodding her black head 1 I shall be ready senora at what hour 1 I do not know only that when beet arrive one must be ready very well said sonya and the woman went away deliberately she drank the coffee ate tile the spiced the little round bits of some hot sweet bread and a little later the senora came for her she walked down the long dark passage cool with the nights freshness and into the great main room of the casa here there were many men and a few women who all seemed waiting to look at her which they did with thoroughness in silence A hard lot they were for the most part dark people burned by a tropic sun their faces reflecting the hazards of the lives they led there were men here who had burned and raided and shot who thought no more of killing a human being than of slaughtering a sheep women who followed them and wore the things they looted their eyes were hot and cold at the same time it if one might so describe them flaming with all the varied lusts of lawless folk devoid of mercy or compassion the senora passed before them and out at the door which stood open at the south sonya following close behind her with her head up here in the stone flagged yard sat her judge el capitan diablo in a huge clia chair fr behind a long table made of crude slabs and undressed wood set on sections of saplings peeled and weathered here too was manuel Mani iel that dapper slim pilot who had brought her across the border manuel thanuel tl anuel second in power in value in ability to that one whom the master had brought home to answer for his sins the sins of lingering too long about that masters business of doing his bidding less and less eagerly of that most heinous crime of all loving a good woman rl el diablo hated a good woman of all things on tile the earth lie he feared and hated most a good woman what power this one might hold against him what secrets she ml might ht know for or his undoing he did not know what quince had told her in the softening urge of love lore he be furiously suspected evil himself lost to all standards of loyalty I 1 ty a double doehle crosser of double ile be trusted no one believed in no one and now he had the whole thins thing in his bis hands thanks to quatro 0 the man who knew his big ways and works as none other living knew then them the woman of another world who might t wreak ills his ruin if she chose that great structure of blood and raid and contraband which he had built for himself from Maz atlan to new york city stood toppling in the hands bands of these two and el diablo would not have it IL ile he looked at the slim g girl irl before him his thick nostrils dilating so he ha said we meet again senorita so it would seem said sonya Sav arIll ln A great concourse of 0 people was gatherl gathering ng swiftly in the grove all standing back at a respectful distance it was el a diablos drablos Dia blos habit to have his judgments witnessed for their moral effect but nowhere was there a tall man with bronze hair and wild blue eyes that shone the girl looked earnestly around and el diablo smiled not just yet senorita he said presently in all good time manuel rose and coming around the table brought a chair and placed it for her sonya nodded but did not sit down it seemed to her that she was on trial here as indeed she was though with the issue a foregone conclusion cl and she must take it standing the injustice the insult of it all was making a fire in her soul and she was not afraid 1 I think sir mr she said sharply suddenly that you will answer to my people and my cod country for this abduction of myself you cannot hide it long so you ton think not well well has el diablo lost his cunning he had bad changed his speech to spanish and for a moment sonya hesitated as to whether or not she should show she understood then she decided that he probably knew she did and accepted the issue there comes an end to all things senor she said yes to life even the bandit said smoothly looking at her to life even said sonya calel calmly v A little whisper of admiration murmured through the silent crowd she had courage the young white woman from beyond the border no one had ever met the master so word for word and eye for eye the grim shadow of his judgments had always broken down his bis victims early this girl stood tall and straight her hands on the chair back you ton remember senorita el diablo said that once I 1 took my lieutenant from your arms on a dance floor that should have been a warning A sufficient warning yet you did not heed beed it IL why should I 1 have heeded it said bald sonya steadily who were you that I 1 should fear you to such an extent 1 in my country men are free to dance danca with whom they choose you saw that quince feared fea red me yes and knew there must be a reason ile he la Is no nans mans coward then you should have known the reason to be good 1 I did and tried to find that reason out I 1 have chave no doubt assuredly and did wo no senor though I 1 tried hard you shield the man no you lie ile to me senorita I 1 the man straightened la in his chair banged the heavy table with an iron fist and so do youl you 1 flashed sonya Car rambal swore diablo you tell me that you told me that in my country a man does not speak so to women the man who ruled his little world with blood and steel halt half rose his 1113 dark face purple with a mounting rage in that wavering second sonya savaran was nearer dearer death than she had even been then he sat down again and smiled that smile was deadly as an adders grin so he be said we shall proceed and quince did not tell you that I 1 meet the ships from china at mazat lan ian no senor nor that I 1 bring into mexico and along the border merchandise of great value no senor nor that that merchandise crosses into the united states by my little gray ships of the sky shy to be sent to new york on the railroad I 1 no senor you are well schooled senorita he sneered 1 I make bold to compliment you both you did not know that quince Is or was my ablest man in both countries that he knows as much of el diablo as el dinh diablo lo 10 know about himself that he can do anything connected with my business from seining beining the sea at low tado for floats tied to sunken contraband to ta flying a plane you did not know all this TO BM BB |