Daughter of the Sun

BLE BETWE

walls of a house. What he needed was day after day, stood on end, like this. If he didn't look out he'd be growing nerves next. He grinned widely at the remote possibility, pushed his hat far back and rode on. A

ed as Zoraida's, but none the less an estate to put a sparkle into a man's eyes. It was large, it was sufficiently level and fertile; above aught else it was remote. It gave the impression of a great, calm aloofness from the outside world of traffic and congestion; it lay, mile after mile, sufficient unto i

skies a

earth

t's o

mounta

wherever it isn't just fair hell. No half way business; no maudlin make-believe." But all of a sudden his face darkened. "Poor little ki

breed at the best, ragged as to black stringy hair, hard visaged, stony eyed. Kendric called to him and the rider turned in his saddle and w

," laughed Kend

wn toward the corrals beyond the house. For an instant his blue eyes stared incredulously; then they filled with shining joy. He swept off his broad hat to wave it wildly abou

Old r'arin', tearin', ramblin', rovin', hell-for-l

hen last Kendric had seen him, Bruce was nursing his first mustache and glorying in the triumphant fact that soon he would be old enough to vote; now, barely past twenty-three, he looked a trifle

s they shook hands. For under Bruce's knee was strapped

s mood having no

hoot his way out into the clear or go to the wall. Hey, Gaucho!" he called, turning in his saddle. "You and Tony haze the ponies in to the corrals. And tell Castro we've got the King of

cles. He had bought outright some six thousand acres, expending for them and what low-bred stock they fed all of his inherited capital. From the nearest bank, at El Ojo, he had borrowed heavily, mortgaging his outfit. With the p

eave me alone!" h

queried

the authorities can't reach. Look at those mountains over there! What government that has to give half its time or more to watching its own step, can manage to ferret out every nest of highwaymen in every ca?on? Those boys are my big trouble, Jim! A raid from them is always on the book

snared. But he was in no position to

ow of your neig

the Montezuma ranch. The boss of the outfit is your old friend Ruiz Rios. I told you that in my letter. I haven't

the Montezuma,

his cousin, I believe. But she's away most

know the

want to, since she's g

shade and grass for the horses. Bruce looked at him sharply, catching the sober note. But he said nothing unti

m," he said then.

ambitions; of his own situation in the household, a prisoner with today granted

t that strong? Out in the open, too! And l

an account of his bein

et their word straight from the Montezuma ranch. Whic

ucking at the dr

ou're right she should give you the chance

s still under the eyes of Zoraida Castlemar. Further, as innocent as a fool, I carried a message to them in a cut and tied saddle string. A message that was a passport for me; what other significance it carried, quién sabe? There's a red tassel on my horse's bri

f the Latin mind,

y of the old Aztecs

e as well, and taking no chances,

desired that I should see you. Since it was obvious th

he chance, if no other, to get word ba

how would we do it? A lette

Well, suppose we took the trouble to send a cowboy to some other, further postoffice? Or,

e did not circle back to the Montezuma ranch with the letter?

eyes w

they're going th

the wise thing to do, could you drop everything

ooked w

You don't know how bad things are here, Jim; if I went and came back it would be to find that I'd been cleaned. No, I'm not exaggerating.

on't put a whole lot of co

n my stock; I've got to keep the other peeled on the men that are taking

etter. So it looks as though she were taking no chances in letting me ride over to see you; and it remai

a female," muttered Bruce. "

looking. Vain as a peac

as young Bruce's quick decision. "Let'

pick of his saddle horses, a dozen of them, were grazed during the day in the fields near the house and at night were brought in and stabled. A number of the finest cattle, including a tho

I pick my best men for jobs like this. And I've always got night riders out, making their rounds from o

rch of his flock. It was his keen nostril and eye that was wont first to know who came; his superb strength and speed carried him well in the lead and he guarded his supremacy jealously. His sharp teeth snap

carressing one of them he draws his pay and quits. And I go to sleep of nights reasonably sure tha

ing forward with a sudden touch of his spur. The big dog barked eagerly and launched his sinewy body into the air; the sunlight flas

hady side of the house, half a dozen of Bruce's men sitting at table with them. Kendric regarded the men with interest, feeling that their scrutiny of him was no less painstaking.

n under his pillow," was Kendric

sat and smoked, watching the men laze away to the stables. Therea

kid like her is to be held that way and we sit like two bumps

nearly everything. Kendric, bound by his parole to return, would seek the girl out and extend to her what comfort he could; just to know that she was not altogether friendless would bring hope and its own sort of gladness. Tonight, as soon as the

ugh, that it's in the cards for me to stick overlong under the same roof with Rios and his crowd. There's the schoone

tongue that he would guard the letters with his life. From their chairs on the porch Kendric and Bruce saw the man depart. When his figure had dimned and blurred into

now are damnable; you've got to scrap all along the line for what's yours. But what do you know that is worth the having that isn't worth the fighting for? And one o

arkness beyond his barns. There was a sudden sharp bark from one of his dogs, then a rising clamor as the whole pack broke into excited barking. From so far away th

dric heard him strike against a second chair, send it crashing to the floor and dash on. In a moment Bru

in luck. Damned reb

him and stopped with him. Already the barns were on fire; two tall flames stabbed upward at the dark; the hissing of burning wood and fodder must have reached their ears i

er of cattle or horses or riders it was at first impossible to know. Again they ran forward; from somewhere in the direction of the corrals came

, shot through with flying sparks. Swiftly the lurid light spread until the white walls of the house stood out distinctly and the forms near the corrals were no longer vague. They were running cattle, Bruce's choice forty cows; Kendric saw the fine bred Hereford bull's horns glint, heard the snort of fear and rage, made out the big

red his arm. There was no mistaking that great white horse and he thought that there was as little mistaking its rider, a slender, upright figure leading the rush of the raiders, calling out sharp orders in the clear ringing voice, sweeping on recklessly.

m. He fired while his rifle was rising to his shoulder

!" he growled,

e came a second horseman and Kendric thanked God for a man for a target and fired at it. Luck if he hit it, he told himself, at that distance and running and in that flickering light. But he fired again, ran in closer and fired the third time. And just as the white mar

ent many questing bullets while now and then an answering leaden pellet screamed over their heads. Swiftly the clamor of the receding hoof-beats less

herders could get into saddle they must wait for daylight and must waste hours in driving in horses from the distant pastures, wild brutes for the most part that a man c

d this," he said, his voice broken, barely carryin

rcely less than Bruce

ght as a string. It's the

ried Bruc

da Cas

teady eyes glisten and knew that they were filled with tears,

when a section of roof fell, he twitched as though his muscles knew physical pain. At last he turned

ew barns and hay turned to cinders. Ten thousand dollars

though he was, he was a man and not a dog. He found the huddled body lying still. Kneeling, he turned it over so that the wavering light shone on the face. He did not know whether the man was dead or

done for two old fri