The Blood of the Conquerors

tore or a museum, but they desired their town to be modern and citified, so that the wealthy eastern health-seeker would find it a congenial home. The scenery and the historic past

a "mesa supper." It might take place anywhere in the surrounding wilderness of mountain and desert. Several auto-loads of young folk would motor out, suitably chaperoned and laden with provisions. Bes

th. The party had journeyed to Los Ojuellos, where a spring of clear water bubbled up in the centre of the mesa. A grove

special study of Mexican dishes and had written an article about them which had been rejected by no less than twenty-seven magazines. He made a specialty of the enchi

backed by Ramon, that Conny should cook supper. He was soon absorbed in the process, volubly explaining every step, while the others gathered about him and offered [pg

upon before. She picked her way slowly among the tussocks of dried grass, her skirt daintily kilted. A faint but potent perfume from her hair and dre

and looked up at th

ded. "And doesn't it make you feel free

to see into her life and understand it, but everything she told him only

rday night and to tea parties and things in between. You fight, [pg 70] bleed and die for your social position and once in a

things as they are f

e," he said with conviction. "

all," she protested. "This country's s

ven't seen anything interesting h

red the

-most of them. But the country looks so big and unoccupied. And blue mountains ar

efied for Ramon, but he cou

," he assented. "For

a. "But then I have that feeling about life in [pg 71] general, and there doesn't seem to be anyt

ke that," he admitted. "B

ogether. His hand tightened gently about her arm; almost unconsciously he

ain," she told him. "A man

topping to put it in conventional language. "It m

has a fighting chance to escape boredom. But they

sciously tightening his hold upon her arm. "I c

ed up at him with chall

en them like an invisible fairy presence [pg 72] of

ovial and irreverent voice from the vic

st to enter the circle of ruddy light, and all eyes were upon them. She was pink and self-conscious, looking at her feet and picking

g