Show E Is IN if CARMEN RANCHO FRANK H SPEARMAN frank H spearman SYNOPSIS don alfredo AI fredo wealthy spanish owner of 0 a southern california rancho refuses to heed i several warnings of a raid by a band of outlaw sierra indians one day after he has finally decided to seek the protection of the nearby mission tor for his wife and family the indians strike don alfredo Is killed and his two young daughters are torn from the arras arms of the fam ilys faithful maid monica and are carried away to the hills padre pasqual missionary friend of the family arrives at the ruins of the ranch CHAPTER II 11 continued 2 curiosity was stronger than a sense of fatigue with the indian he quickened his pace smoke at los alamos diego said no more but he thought much just before the ranch buildings of los alamos were to come into view diego stood still 1 I am afraid padre he said slowly we shall see the work of bad indians at los alamos what do you mean my son bad indians yes but what they followed the trail through a field of wheat look diego pointed the ruins of rancho los alamos were in full view padre pasqual stared in amazement and grief his staff dropped from his grasp his hands parted in horror merciful god he cried in agony what has been here he fell on his knees and with face uplifted and eyes sightless prayer poured from his trembling lips it was some moments before he could compose himself he held out a hand for diegas help the padres knees were old and regaining his feet beside the silent indian took from his hand the crude staff we must hasten diego hasten he exclaimed unsteadily why do you hesitate why padre first make sure bad indians are gone they might kill you cautioned diego no no exclaimed the padre as near impatience as he ever allowed himself to stray that is nothing nothing they might kill me padre suggested diego darkly As the wind blowing in a gust dies suddenly into calm the mission veteran changed true diego he murmured gently reproachful ful of himself you might be in danger remain here hidden in the wheat I 1 will go forward and report if there is danger both men were striving for their own ends the padre to keep his devoted servant from harm diego to keep his infirm master from harm tell me diego said the padre agitated can you see anyone 1 I see a woman and a boy they are fighting she holds him and beats him with a stick it is monica said diego in his staccato accents now the boy gets loose he is running she chases he is running into the wheat to hide slower padre have care you will fall protests were lost on the aged man with his hands outstretched in eager appeal as he stumbled on he sought to stay the angry monica she was already in the tall wheat furiously pursuing her escaping victim the two were running down the trail through the grain which must soon bring them into the padres arms when his shout reached the ears of both pursued and pursuer the boy seeing the advancing priest halted dumfounded dum founded but only for an instant then tearing into the tall grain with the swiftness of a rabbit he could only be followed with the eye as the swaying wheat heads told of his flight monica dashed ahead even the sight of the padre did not check her hysteria diego she cried loudly to the padres neophyte after him do not let him go diego stared but made no move he looked at the rapid parting of the grain heads that marked the boys race to escape but most of all he stared at the strange monica in front of him her scant gown was in rags her features were distorted with grief and rage her eyes strained and tear stained bulged in their sockets and still she shouted at diego in the indian tongue as she pointed after the fleeing boy woman exclaimed padre pasqual woman he repeated in sterner command for she scarcely heeded him what are you doing who are you the half crazed creature suddenly looked at him the stick dropped from her grasp she clasped both hands to her haggard face and with a dreadful cry threw herself prostrate on the ground at the padres feet who who gasped the sorely bewildered priest are you padre said the stolid diego collectedly do you not know it is monica impossible exclaimed the padre monica whom I 1 have known for so many years whom I 1 baptized aid her diego rise my poor child rise speak monica he exclaimed as diego helped the sobbing woman to her uncertain feet monica what is the meaning of this what is the meaning of this where are your master and mistress monica falling again to her trembling knees lifted her face as she caught at his right hand woe is me padre my master cruelly slain I 1 my mistress shamed unto death carmelita terecita stolen by the wicked indians only alfrediao Alf left woe to los alamos stunned the missioner and the neophyte listened to the horrible recital of the murders of the day before padre pasqual listened to the end he stood infirmly leaning again on his staff with heart and mind lifted to heaven poured out his grief in prayer to his maker the awesome spectacle of the venerable man heartbroken heart broken but silent in petition before his god steadied monica at last she said gasping with emotion the soldiers came alfre dito brought them the house is burned the quarters and the granary are burned they rode away to pursue the savages alfrediao Alf rode with them oh padre he is so brave the poor boy he worshiped his mother and his little sisters what what will become of them the soldiers followed the trail far into the hills but in the mountains the indians fought and wounded so many soldiers with their arrows the soldiers had to come back they buried the poor vaqueros ros on the hill and carried the body of don alfredo to the presidio and my dear mistress she is lo 10 lost st lost and my lovely lovely children my C carmelita ar melita lost forever and dona juana where is she now asked the padre patiently in the home of her sister dona teresa at the presidio I 1 walked all the way back here today to find if possible some garments for my unhappy mistress and had don alfredo no warning of this attack pursued the p padre adre monica almost shrieked as she clasped her hands warning upon warning don alfredo hadl had for a week I 1 warned him the cook told me the attack would come I 1 begged my master to flee with the to the presidio he only laughed have I 1 not had for a time the boy of the chief So briano here in my household he would say to me So briano will control the young men he will not allow the them m to attack us we are as safe as los alamos monica as they are at the presidio only sunday night the cook said to me tomorrow they comell come I 1 told don alfredo the senora begged him to heed the warnings he was impatient but he yielded tomorrow morning then we will go querida mia he told her and then next morning when he went to get the horses they swept down dovin on us woe to los Alam alamos diego asked a question his first in the indian tongue monica answered in spanish it was that boy she cried that indian fiend still my master would have escaped with his life but for him when don alfredo and the two va queros gueros saw the indians come they red fled to the house for firearms accursed boy barred the front door against them they could not get into the house they were slaughtered all three on the portico before the barred door barred by this young fiend and this morning mornin aback back he came to steal the silver in the house I 1 caught him it is he that I 1 was beating and now he has escaped the three moved slowly on through the wheat toward the ranch house CHAPTER III too cold and too hungry to sleep bowie sat h oking looking into his dying campfire speculating on what still might be ah ahead ead of him and his companions pan ions his thoughts reverted less willingly to what he had left behind the acute agony of thirst the steady gnawing of hunger the fiendish heat of the desert the killing of f I 1 the last pony for food but at least the horror of this was behind him the mountains could not be worse they might be better the sky was overcast and the night air drifting silently down from the higher sierras chilled him to the bone on the other side of the campfire embers stretched asleep on the rocky ground lay a lanky missourian the scout ben parda loe with his feet so close to the fire that it seemed as if they might blaze up any minute his sleep was fitful like that of a famished man unlike his normal sleep with which bowie after three weeks of hard camp life had grown too familiar Par daloe tall and gaunt twisted and turned drew up his legs and thrust them desperately out again from his open mouth there issued sighs and burbles even the familiar snore was lacking ben was too weak to snore the third man bob simms a halfbreed half halfbreed half breed creek indian lay sleeping more quietly a little apart from the restless scout not perhaps more inured to hunger and hardship than his fellow adventurers but certainly more stoical in endurance hunger and the piercing night air presently roused bowie from a trou brou monica what is the meaning of this bled sleep he started off to find kindling chips later while he was stumbling along in the faint light of dawn feeling here and there as his afeei feet kicked into fragments of bark and rotten branches fallen from trees he became aware of an object distantly silhouetted against the eastern horizon noiselessly he sank flat to the ground to look and listen he thought the thing might be alive some moments passed before h he e could determine luckily he had it between him and the light patience and the rapidly growing dawn rewarded his vision he was able to see the object more clearly nor was he long in identifying with it a pair of antlers anglers ant lers caution was necessary the adventurers were starved men they had not tasted meat for ten days nor food for more than three days that buck meant relief from hunger pangs he crept stealthily back to camp if such their halting place for the night might be bb called since sleep is i s the only substitute for food and and drink his companions were still asleep he shook the scout carefully and with a cautioning hist the suppressed sound woke the indian also ben Par daloe stirred wake up ben whispered bowie A buck wake up simmie he added to the creek a buck not a word answered him no further word was needed the two men were on their feet together they picked up their cold rifles which way snorted Par Parda daloe Ioe peering about to the east in the chaparral likely hiding from panthers dont waste ammunition weve none to spare all right simmie murmured Par daloe addressing the creek by his nickname you stalk him minute after minute passed with bowie and the scout anxiously waiting the mere prospect of food had so excited the dormant salivary glands of the hungry men that each minute after the first was almost torture yet both knew no more could be done than the indian would do if the scout Par daloe tried to help the stalk he might only spoil things they must wait and lie lick k their hopeful chops keeping him half an hour like this grumbled Par daloe halt half an hour nothing ben patience counseled bowie the words had barely left his ups lips when they heard the distant crack of a rifle in a moment both men were running in the direction from which the tha report had come it was some jobco job to keep up with Pard aloes long legs he was as graceful as a camel but the ground he could cover in an emergency was a caution when by dint of calling and answering two hungry men found the indian he was actively cutting up the hands handsome orAe buck the scout needed no instructions he put down his rifle and began hunting chips for a fire bowie got his flint and tinder ready no I 1 dont feel like traveling today been traveling for three weeks now today I 1 put away for batin what say injun Par daloe spoke after the first hour of a repast that promised to last all day IU ill ask you one question henry continued Par daloe after getting no response from simmie and speaking now to bowie be we or beant we in californi Cali forny bowie was disposing of a venison shank ben he said reassuringly we be where did you think you be Par daloe gnawing at what was left on the bone of his venison saddle spoke at ease well up to about a hour ago I 1 thought I 1 was in hell but I 1 guess this must be californi Cali forny things seem to be cornin comin our way since simmie brought down this deer now boys he added hang on to every scrap of this meat every scrap might not sight another for a week mountains is big around here they sure are the highest is behind us and I 1 say now while our stomachs is full push on till we get down where theres plenty of game were started downhill but were too high yet by near a mile and going downhill a mile is a long way unless you fall down Par daloe stretched out on the ground if I 1 had a pipe of tobacco id call this a fair enough country but theres too much snow on them high fellers nights are too blamed cold well henry so the scout addressed bowie if you say go its go but give me one more hour at this deer then ill make a start lazily but with a more hopeful view of life the little party of texans made their way down the western slope of the sierras the difference between empty stomachs and full stomachs cheered them on their way and the substantial remains of their wast least they carried in sacks crudely skewered from the bucks hide it was a rough and forbidding terrain they were following aint seen hide nor hair of a livin critter an all day ben rambled on as the sun sank in the west well we chewed dry leather three days after we finished your pony henry he said to bowie guess fresh deer hide will keep us goin why aint this a good place to camp for the night right here what say henry heres water handy bowie was willing to camp and the peaceful simmie never interposed objection on a minor point the spot they had reached was close to the brink of a long ledge that broke away below them into an open flat A mountain brook gurgled hard by they built a fire laved caved drank and opened their reserves of raw venison As they sat peacefully around their frugal fire they mourned for tobacco deprived of this their only consolation the three indulged in a feast of the longed for weed the scout descanted des canted on the beauties of well cured kentucky leaf crushed in the pipe simmie spoke up modestly for willow bowie thought just one cigar only one would make him perfectly happy it was while this futile discussion was going on that simmie lying ly like his companions on his back pricked up his ears next he sat up and began to look around a matter injun asked Par daloe indolently that noise asked the halfbreed half breed in turn you tell retorted the scout bowie lost in thought only heard the questions and listened for sounds neither of the whites heard anything but a as S the indian walked quietly toward the edge of the long ledge both men sat up simmie behind a pine tree looked down the great canyon and into the west his instinct was not at fault he beckoned cautiously to his companions when they joined him he whispered to Par daloe to scatter the embers of the fire come back and lie down peering together from this partial cover the texan could make out at a considerable distance below a straggling procession of men on ponies winding their way up the long canyon grade reaching a wide open space after some further travel the procession broke and its horsemen made ready for a halt for a long time the hidden men watched the scene with rapt attention speaking in whispers TO BE CONTINUED CARMEN CABMEN OF THE RANCHO 3 2 |