The Lancaster news. (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, May 05, 1916, Page 6, Image 6
AFOUL
.VILLAS
>L/MEN
Capl.
i ^ (Jeorge B.
CpPVUtCMT 1*1* / -1 _
Wnrlnpif
y
6
(Continued from Tuesday)
/kr^i?n^N, V? ?
viuuiui iijt n;uuiuu wuuia D&V
welcomed a message that took hie
from his camp. Anything was a re
lief that broke the monotony of thi
long day when the only variation wa
tho shifting of the long shadows fron
west to east.
Day after day he had sat by hi
tent watching the little parties of rebe
horse riding the line on the lookou
for the Americans who should succeet
in evading the law that prohibited gui
running; for in those days almost an]
one would take a chance with a rifh
worth its weight in coined silver ant
cy.rtildges selling openly for flfteei
cents apiece. And gun running wai
made easier by tha reason of the fac
that the smuggler must be caught red
handed in the act of carrying the armi
across the very line itself; for an]
American citizen could legally own I
thousand rifles within ten feet of th<
boundary.
"It's the same old tale, of course,'
reflected Kynaston as he trotted lei
surely down the gentle slope that led
to the Santa Mesa flats, from whlcl
the land sloped south to the Greal
Ranges, where the miners were pray
ing for peace that should allow them
to ' work undisturbed the great ore
beds that held the wealth of the ages,
"Twenty miles, I suppose, and then
a ride back? What is it. corporal?"
Corporal Welsh had come back from
the ' point'' of three men that was
riding in advance of the party to give
timely warning of any rebels who
might be on the road.
"It's firing, sir, 1 think, off to the
southeast. Listen, sir."
It was firing beyond a doubt. The
men sat with intent faces, listening to
the sporadic Bputter of the shots. The
scratch of a match as a man lit a cigarette
broke the silence.
. Kynaston raised bis right hand over
hlB head, the fist clenched, and raised
and lowered it quickly thrice. The
little squad automatically formed in
column of twos and broke into a
steady trot, following closely on the
heels of their officer as he pushed on
11 n thn vallau " ?" 1 - ? ~ ?
_r ...w ? M..V/ n UII.1I, UlC? WCII IVUCW,
opened out beyond the trees.
Up, up. up they pushed till the live
oaks gave place to pinyon pines, and
the pines to bowlders. There, where
the rocks ran out into scrub and the
red earth showed like a blood-stain
against the setting sun, they saw and
heard again the cause of the bring.
Far away against the southern sky
they eaw the tall hats of the Villa
revolutionists outlined among the
grass stems and the dark shadows of
the mesquit. Occasional bashes of
red bre from the summit of the hill
showed where their line was formed.
Instinctively, Kyuaston looked for
the men at whom they were bring. To
bis left he eaw a stirring among the
boulders; even^as he watched he saw
me aerenders move out in an attempt
to sain the American aide of the line.
There were about twenty of them;
they came down the hillside as a tree
falls, Intent only on gaining the sure
refuge of the line of pollurd willows
that marked the limit of Mexican territory.
That the Vlllistas were after
them could not be doubted, for the
rush of maddened horsemen swirled
down the hill as chips suck into a
whirlpool. The fleeing Carranzistas,
seeing the intent in their enemies'
gait, and knowing right well what
would happen should they come to
hand grips with thalr pursuers, poured
across the international line almost in
front of Kynaston. The leader, a very
much bedraggled captain of infantry,
cyne forward somewhat breathlessly,
r" "Senor captain, 1 kiss your bands
and feet!" - , ???- ...
Kynaston had the grace to look at
those selfsame hands and feet, and,
seeing that they were In condition to
be embraced as was suggested, grinned
behind his hand as lie made answer:
"I am very glad to meet you. You
are familiar, 1 presume, with the requirements
of international law when
an armed party crosses the line of ?
neutral state? Surrender muut be
made at once, and your party will he
interned at some point to be designated
later by the proper authorities."
"Of a certainty!" lie reached back
and, unhitching b<s silver-mounted
macheto, swung it forward gracefully.
"Senor," he said, "behold my little
word!"
"Confound your little sword, sir. I
don't see why the deuce you people
can't have your lights so far within
your own borders that wo will not
have to mount guard over you. Every
blessed one of you. when he starts a
fight, gets one foot on f~he American
line and then thumbs his nose at the
other party. If you did it twenty
miles south of the lino you'd be caught.
Gather up those pack mules, corporal."
The three loose paok males, which
had heea flogged down the 14li h*
their owners lest they, too. should fal
e into the hands of the pursuing party
a were grazing peacefully at the line
, eagerly snatching such mcsqult boan;
0 as they could reacli.
* | Corporal Welsh rounded them U]
1 and was driving them well into Ante*
j ican territory when a shout from th<
8 pursuing party made him turn. At
' I officer clad in a French military cap
* a Mexican blouse, very dirty whit<
1 trousers, and straw slippers, rode for
1 ward, saluting Kynaston punctiliously
"1 have the honor to request, sir,'
? he said courteously, "that in accord
ance with the terms of the treaty thai
1 | has existed between our two countrlei
' | the raiders who have just crossed int(
| American territory bo turned back t(
answer to Mexican law."
I They've got a job, sir," comment
ed Corporal Welsh. "Thev ain't goi
f no law except what they make whiles
you wait."
"I am sorry, sir, but it is impossible
, ?that is. unless they desire to be re
turned to Mexican control."
Kynaston's eyes twinkled as he so
berly asked the refugee officer If h<
' desired to bo so returned. In answer
1 that gentleman, standing not upor
ceremony, openly bolted fifty yards
farther into American territory. Th?
' American cavalrymen grinned appre
ciatively.
( "If you cannot deliver the prison
era I make formal requisition on you
senor, for the loads cf those pack
mules. Those men have come from
1 General Zapata in the south and hav?
1 looted as they came. Houses, men
women, and children; aye. senor, and
even the convents have not been aa
1 cred from them.
"Money, Jewels, and treasures have
1 they taken, and they have left th
; land bare behind them as the rict
fields of the South when the flight ol
the langoBtaa has passed.
"1 ask that thiB loot be returned tc
i me to be returned to the men whc
| owned it. That mule yonder is loaded
with the treasure that they have Bto
len for the purpose of using it to buy
arms and ammunition to help their
tottering cause.
He pointed to the pack mule an h?
spoke, and Kynaston saw that the
aparojo fairly bulged with ill-concealed
packages that showed plainly an th?
animal swayed to and fro, rubbing itt
sides against a tree.
"Sorry, old fellow, but I can't heir
| you there, either," ho said pleasantly
I "1 can't rob Peter to pay Paul?more
especially." he added notto voce, "af
1 am morally sure that Paul iu about
i ten degrees worse than Peter.
"liuther up the outfit, corporal, and
take their arms and ammunition. Take
the bolts out of their rifles and stow
all the ammunition near my sleeping
place. We'll make camp here tonight
and get back to our camp after moon
, rise."
So they got their supper cooked by
I grcasewood Arcs, and, after letting
! their horses rest a couple of hours,
set out' on the back trail. The little
party of escaped federals was undei
careful guard, for Kynaston well knew
that, given the chance, they would
give him the slip and scatter on American
soil.
They would not dare to escape di
rect to Mexico again, for there they
would be shot on sight; but in th?
United States almost any Mexican In
habitant whose sympathies lay with
Carranza would give them shelter and
food till the chance should come tc
smuggle them back to the federal
forces.
Kynaston was very glad at hearl
when, topping the long ridge, his prte
oners sauntering behind him, he sight
ed the camp tiros of his permanent
camp. ^ ....
US.
i Swept Off His Sombrero In an fx
aggerateu Bow.
THE LANCASTER NEWS
chapterTH
:
The Emerald BeM.
i The deaert dawn was breaking when
the littlo squad of cavalrymen rode up ^
to their old camp. As he came down ?
| the hill Kynaston could see the gray \
h blur down In the valley that told him
1 that the man had not yet returned
* with the new goar that should repair J
p? the motor and allow his visitors to
leave. 4$
, Not wishing to wake his guests, Ky- ^
l naaton stood by tho fire, where break- ^
' fast was cooking, rolling a cigarette, *e
] waiting till the stirring notes of the {
mess call shohld tell the camp that *4
their moal was ready. ^
The first note brought Dorothy front
1 the tent. Smiling her welcome, she
came forward with outstretched hand. ^
For answer Kynaston motioned to ^
the little group of ptauoners, who were ?8
1 intently watching the cooks, eager for ?
! the Orat really square meal in days. ^
"Oh!" Dorothy walked daintily for- *4
ward, drawing her skirts more close'.y
about lier as sho edged into the lit- ^
j* ! tie group and addressed one of the ?
men in tho vernacular. *4
j | "Cual distancia do su casa?" ("How
far are you from home?") she asked. A
j Instantly the man sprang to his feet
and swept off his .ombrero in an ex- ^
aggerated bow. ^
i I "Muchas graeins, senora! It is not
_! cften that it is given to prisoners to ?
. i have a beautiful woman express syin- ?
pathy for them. We are five hundred ^
j miles from homo indeed, we loyal
t Mexicans have no homes. When we ?
cross tho border, driven across the X
line after fighting valiantly, our prop- V
r erty is confiscated."
' A rumble of mutterings from the v>.
others attested the truth of this. I ?
i
, j "Good morning, everybody!" cried *
. Mrs. Fane, joining the nartv. "What's ^
p. Mr. Kynaston?"
. "Good morning. Mrs. Fane!" said Jt
, the lieutenant. "Nothing in partieu- ^
lar up; just showing off my prisoners,
, that's alf." ?S
, He told how the little group of fed- j
, erals had surrendered to him, and a> J
. qualnted her with their complaint of V
persecution. sS
"It's a shame!" cried Mrs. Fane. ^
"It's a wicked shame that when these 1
> A*
. people wage a legitimate war to sup- ^
, press rebellion the revolutionist party J
, ' should confiscate their little property
while they escape across the line to X
j save their lives. What is it. Mr. Ky
naston?" '
For Kynaston was openly grinning. i
"I'll tell you. 1 used to sympathize ^
> with them myself before I got to know $
i them. You see, what they tell yot* is *?
> only half the truth, Mrs. Fane. Ask y
! him"?Kynaston pointed to the ofil-1 ?, <
cer?"if his property is not going to ^
> be confiscated by the rebels after due ^
i process of law becuuse the law pro1
vides that the property of any person
In the state who shall seek refuge iu Jj
another country Is contiscated." ; 1
The officer nodded and spat vigorously.
?-1
i "For vida! These rebels are dogs ^
i who live on the offal that their chiefs ^
1 ; throw them. Fx>ot, pillage, agtd pluni
der. They know no laws, senora." f*
i 'Toco a poco," suid Kynaston, still ^
grinning. "The truth of the matter j
> is that when lluerta was in power and j i
. the revolution was young, the federals ^
i passed a law which they called 'the J
i law of the absent ones'?to translate I Jj
:: freely?which was aimed especially j
against the rebels. By the terms of <
1 that law if any person should take V
> refuge on the American side of the <
. 1 i? *-- ? ? - ?*?
iiuw, reiuBiiiK iu nuumii 10 Mexican |
; law. hia property should be contis- * ?
: j cated."
"Exactly what he aays." began Mrs ??j
Kane scornfully.
' I "Precisely. Hut when Carranza and
; Villa broke and Carranza took over the fj
government, the federals began to A
i come across the line, and the revolu- 2.
tionlsts began to put In force the law J
' that Huerta had passed."
I "Ah, I see!" Dorothy joined Ky
naston In a smile at the good lady's ^
look of enlightenment. ?
J "I suppose we may as well have;^w
' breakfast, sergeant, If It Is ready. !<Sl
i Keep the prisoners away from those ; ^
pack mules. I'll examine the packs i
i after we have eaten. Who Is that
I coming down the slope?"
? Dorothy and Mrs. Fane both eagerI
ly looked out across the desert in the 2
direction of Kynaston's pointed finger.
I Far away against the dead brown of
the mesa slope, where tho bowlders A
gave way to rod earth and pinyou j 2.
I pine, they saw the figure of a man
toiling hlB way painfully down the ^
hillside, seeking by the aid of a long 4&1
stick to leary the devious turns of the ^
torfiious trail. l^P
"Why, he's blind!" j
Kynaston started forward.
ok >iee now lie pokes forward ^
for each step before he moves his i J
feet; may he sand blindness. . *4
"Send a man over there, sergeant.
to help him down Into the camp Up- ^
on iny word. Miss Upton, I am seeing t
more excitement in the past twenty-1
four hours than 1 have ever seen bo-'
fore along tills part of the line. Let's
'o to breakfast." X
TO UK CONTINUED TUESDAY
A VOIP HPRlXfV COLDS. ?i
Sudden hhanges, hifh winds, shift- ?B
Ing seasons\cause colds and grippe, i
and these sp\}K colls ar<- annoying %?
and dangerous aod likely to torn Into
a chronic sum\e/cough. In such X
cases take a treatment of Dr. King's 4
New Discovery, a J>r%asant Laxative | ay
Tar Syrup. It JothW the cough, [ ^
checks the cold a^d helvs break UP|JJ
an attack of grlpji . Its\j-eady pre-) vj
1 nn rilvlntf ftp fliaqfWor. JUSt A
ask your druggist for a bottns of Dr. [
King's New Discovery. Teat\l and ^
tried for over 49 yean. \
MAY 5, 19111
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