Louisiana Lou

aiter, ordering cognac for himsel

c earnestness of murder in her voice alike took him aback. He saw that her sweet mouth was set in a cruel line and

e saw him toss off the fiery liquor. She was somewhat astonished at the effect her words had had

mporarily enli

er that you may seek out an enemy and kill him. There was also word

the Basques are rich-and he was in danger because of the smuggling. He worked for this Monsieur Brand

ristian

o-Pie

than a cut above the ordinary Basco." He spoke in English, again fo

ther? But that

But I knew your father-slightly. I knew Ike Brandon. I know Twin Forks. If I

selle's turn t

win F

in nineteen hundred, and came to France shortly afterward. I was a cow hand-a cowboy-and we did not hold friendship

of metal about the size of one's thumb nail and two pieces of paper. The latter seemed to be quite old, barely holding together a

al between his fingers, he readily recognized the bits of gold speckling its crumbling crystals. If there was much

de by blood. It was a soft-nosed bullet, probably of thirty caliber, which had mushroomed after striking something. H

him. It seemed to be a piece torn from a paper sack, and on it was scrawle

"'My love, I am assassinated! Farewell, and avenge me!

nto a meaningles

schoolboyish characters were those of a man unused to much

being so far away, to show my sympathy. Your husband has done passed over. He was killed by some ornery hound who bushwhacked him somewheres in the hills, and who must have been a bloody killer because Pete, your husband, sure didn't have no enemies, and there wasn't no one that had any reason to kill

m spite of his being a Basco. 70 If we could have found the murderer

us to give you half of it if we found it and we sure would do that though it don't look like we got much chance because he couldn't tell where it was. The boys have been looking but they haven't found it yet. If they do you ca

ou hesitate to let me know. I was fond of Pete, ma'am, and so was my granddaught

was signed

oment. "Is that all

ut there is a mine, and, especiall

e date on the letter.

ces of finding either the mine or the man are very

hoped that I would grow up and marry a Basque, who would avenge her husband. She sent me to a convent so that I might be a good mate for a man.

arce, and it is very difficult for one like me to find a husband. Besides, I have lived in the world, monsieur, and, like many others, I do not like to marry as though that were all that a

ind the mine-or

rance. Therefore I wish to find the mine and be rich, for, 72 if I cannot marry, wealth w

I will be deputized

e scornfully. "I can do my own aveng

be willing to do it. Still, this vendetta seems to be rather old for any great

yea

iled countenance was impressive of lingering, bitter emotions. She was a Basque, and that was a primitive race. She was

ng again in his brain. "I am impelled to consider it, though the element of chance seems rem

73 is that you secure for me the right to go to

e me stil

nulled as soon as you p

re going, it should be easy enough, but even there it cannot be accomplished all at once. In Ne

tiate with him at all. She was proud, as he guessed, and the only reason she had even considered such an unusual bargain was her contempt for

me. If you so much as dare once to presume--" She was flaming with earnest threat, and he could

once and still retain some of the 74 instincts. Then I am e

n that. And if the mine is found, you shall ha

my own expenses. I should prefer to do so. While my pay has not been large, it ha

in a tired voice, "you hav

red. His voice was thickening and his eyes showed the effects of

till, I'm curious about one thing. This Morgan la fée business. If I am to wed a fa

derstand," she said, faltering. Her e

r and leaned forward as it clashe

his hand over it as he looked at mademoiselle. "And

" said mademoiselle, wea

I lift my hand, mademoisel

e time, she nodded slowly, but her stake was large and she could not refrain from bending forward with a l

with a bow, "I win! Yo

tly, slipped the coif back from her hair with one hand and lifted the veil with the other, sweeping them both away from h

very beautiful. None of them had ever had much of an effect upon him. Even now he did not stop to determine in his mind whether this 76 woman was beautiful

ntillant where the light fell upon it, black in shadow where the rolls of it cut off the light, nor had he seen such hair in such sharp contrast with eyes that were large and black as night and as deep as pools. The thing would have been uncanny and disturbing if it had not been t

primitive places that combination would have won her the name of

ropped the veil and restored her cap. The people in the café had looked on with respectf

nfully as she noted again the stack of saucers indicating his habits. "I'm going to marry Morgan la fée, the Queen of Avalon,

her face expressed an extreme disdain for