Daughter of the Sun

WITH ONE IN

S NOT

hat he would come with a rush, tarry briefly for a bit of wild joy and leave with a rush

as from Bruce West, down in Lower California, and scrawled across the flap were instructions to the postmaster to hol

urly expectation of the arrival of

friend is

one asked, a man

around and doing nothing but smoke ci

at

Jim, maybe?"

e the man to knife his way out of a hole, but not one to go out of

automobile going to beat the band pulls up in front of the hotel. The Mex is watc

t seen her face, that she had worn a thick black veil, that somehow she just seemed young and that he'd b

he was unusually gaunt. He had ridden far and hard. But the eyes were the same old eyes of the same old headlong Jim Kendric,

o gambling man. I'm steady and sober and I'm a regular fool for conservative investments! But there's a time when a glass in the

back among old friends and old surroundings. There was nothing subtle about him; in all things he was open and

haven't got started reforming yet. Blaze the trail, Benny. Shut up your damned old store and postof

ter. He gave Kendric the letter from Bruce West. Kendric ripped open the envelope, glanced

ey hand over fist. But," and he chuckled his enjoyment, "he's just a trifle too busy scaring off Mexican bandits and close-h

n town, Jim," h

But I'm not shooting trouble now

know?" as

neighbor down in Lower California. Now,

the brief distance to the border and across into Old Town. Before they re

Jim," Kendric was advised. "I gue

wo men were busy setting forth bottles and glasses. The air was hazy with cigarette smoke. There was a business air, an air of readiness and expectancy about the gaming tables though no one at this early hour

ed upon the bar impelled by Jim's big fin

have every man he

treat, poured their own red wine. Even Ortega, though he made no attempt toward a civil response, drank. The more liquor poured into a man's stoma

talk of. He had his own experiences to recount and sketched them swiftly, telling of a venture in a new silver mining country and a certain profit made; of a "misunderstanding," as he mirthfully explained it, now and then, with the children of the South; of horse swapping and a taste of the pearl fisheries of La Paz; of no end of adventures su

in. And I know the land that's waitin' for the pair of us. Into San Diego we go and there we take a certain warped and battered old stem-twister the owner calls a schooner. An

ays shone when a man hinted of such things as he knew lay

-talk here of late. All I'm interested in is tonight." He rattled some loose coins in his pocket. "I've got money in my pocket, man

several tables where men were placing their bets at poker, at seven-and-a-half and at roulette; t

or fifteen minutes, at the end of which time he rose with a sigh, tempted to go back to Kendric for a "real stake" and cut in for a man's play. But he thought better of it and strolled away, rolling a cigarette and watching the o

he border; in his wild heart was the imperative desire to play. Play high and quick and hard. It was then that for the first time he noted Ruiz Rios. Evidently the Mexican had just now entered from the rear. At the far end of the room where the kerosene lamp light was none too good Rios was standing with a solitary slim-bodied companion. The compani

ios, "there is only one game worth the playing. King of games? T

his sleeve; his companion whispered in his ear. Thus it was that for the first time Kendric really looked at this companion. And at the first keen glance, in spite of th

Telling him not to play. She's

iant and imperious; by the tilt of the chin, barely glimpsed; by the way she stood her ground as one after another pair of eyes turned upon her until every man in the room stared open

said Rios lightly. "I do not know if you care to pl

devil himself, friend Rui

ega here," said Rios carelessly.

oney," returned K

knew: she was looking steadily at him. It did not matter that he could not see her eyes; he could feel them. Under that hidden gaze there was a moment during which he was oddly stirred, vaguely agitated. It was as though she, some strange woman, were striving to subject his mind to the spell of her own will; as though across the room she were seeking not only to read his thought but to mold it to the shape of her own tho

ack with Ortega. He went to he

his end of the room, se?

little she had lifted the brim of her hat so that from beneath she could watch what went forward. They held his gaze riveted; they seemed to glow in the shadows as though with

iz Rios waited, putting it down not three feet from the Mexican's silent companion. And all the time, though now he refused to turn his he

dice out of the cup so that

w, ace high?" he a

xican

d men crowded around. Briefly, the unusual presenc

s. The Mexican's slim brown fingers drew one

fumbling drew forth and slammed down on the table a

ced. "Keep your eye on me, Se?or Don R

enjoyed the expressions that came upon the faces about him as he counted aloud and Rios watched with narrow, suspicious eyes. He sorted the gold, arrangi

thousand do

an, with that pile me an' you could sail back into San Diego l

t one involuntary outburst, recognized himself for th

mmobility. He did not even look interested. He mer

rm, again his companion whispered in his e

oney in the hou

bling house owner. "I

Jim. "Let's see the color

e two passions which sway most men: he had never known love for a woman and in him there was no money-greed. For him women did not come even upon the rim of his most distant horizon; as for money, when he had none of it he sallied forth joyously in its quest holding that there was plenty of it in this good old world and that it was as rare fun running it down as hunting any other big game. When he had plenty of it he ha

returned with a drawer from his safe clasped in

," cried Kend

he single die in the cup. Then, with a quick jerk of the wrist, he turned it out on the table. It rolled, poised, settled. The resu

the cupped cube high above his head. His eyes were bright with

there is only one ac

se?or," laughed Jim

seek to put at naught her many methods of prolonging suspense, she in turn seeks stubbornly to put at naught their endeavors to defeat her aims. Had Jim Kendric thrown the ace then he would have won

Kendric's displayed frankly his sheer delight.

ge enjoyment. "We're getting a run for

and," said Rui

ted his eyebrows quizzically at the result. He had turned out the deuce, the lowest number possible. A little eagerly, while men began to mutter in their excitement, Rios snatched up c

hurled the box down. Kendric

e moment he came near feeling a kindly feeling for a man whom h

nd offering it and made his thi

e?or," he said, gr

s throw, looking like a boy chafing at a momen

o beat,"

all against him. He turned up th

of many voices, Ruiz Rios's companion pulled him sharply by

said bluntly. "An

m. He saw that Ruiz was through. But, as his dancing eyes sped around among other faces, he marked the twinkling lights of covetousness in Fat Ortega's rat eyes and he knew that, long ago, Ortega himself had played for any stake. Beside Ortega there was another man present who might be inclined to accept a hazard, Tony Mu?oz, w

thing, Ortega?" challen

n my pocket?" jeered Ortega. "Y

house is yours; your cellars are always full of expensive liquors; there is money in your till and somet

t pendulous lips. And, to further tempt him, he estimated that his entire holding here, bar fixtures, tables, wines and cash, were worth not above fifteen thousand. But then, this was all that he had in the world and though he craved further

snapped

r it so that it was hidden. "I do not know what I have thrown, Ortega, and you do n

ega jerked up his head

"No. I don't play. Yo

e, the low throw. Ortega strained forward, saw and flushed. Had he but been man enough to say "Yes!" to the odds offered him

emanded Kendric, fully enjoying the

hat I did not bet you. If I had bet

ed Kendric, turnin

forth his wrath in any direction, always more than ready to rail at his so

ertainly would not play, began gathering up the money on the table. It wa

lay Se?or

sound died away a hush remained and through men's memories the cadences repeated themselves like lingering echoes. Kendric himself stared at her wonderingly, not knowing why her hidden look stirred him so, not knowing why there should be a spell worked by five quiet words. Nor did he

rt of a game played in his place? Perhaps Ortega himself could not have explained clearly since it is doubtful if he felt clearly; it is likely that a childishly blind anger had spurted up venomously in his heart when Kendric had exposed the deuce and men had

my place, a place for men. You," and he lev

, blazing with red and green stones set in golden circlets, she caught up the dice cup. Even now little

for it all, Se?or

" shouted Ortega

her shoulder, thrusting her backward. Her ungloved hand, the left as Kendric marked while he watched interestedly, flashed to her bosom, and leaped out again, a thin-bladed knife in the grip of the bejewelled fingers. Ortega saw and feared and, grown n

had gone grumbling away, led by a couple of friends who no doubt would bandage his wounded arm, and that the woman, having put her knife aw

vaguely disquieting to his senses, as full of low music a

ce with ladies, Se?o

nt in her tone. It was as though she had said before, "Here is a man who is not afraid of big stakes," and as though n

r against mine?" demanded Jim, thi

an's purse. She opened it and spilled the contents on the table. Poured out into the mellow lamp light a long glorious string

gasped Twi

y times over," came the quiet assuran

s," muttered Kendric. "

shelter of the broad hat brim a pair of

ds. "What would I be wantin' that steamer in San Diego Bay for if I didn't know?" He held them up to the lamp light; he fingered them one after the othe

as offering to play him and he was holding back; he was making excuses, the second already; in his own ears his words, sensible though th

g therein. "You lose, Jim," said Monte at his elbow before the cast was mad

t number on the die. He heard her laugh as she drew money and jewels toward her. All