The Mystery of The Barranca

stood on end, and when, in the face of Seyd's shouts in Sp

out sharply. "Dismount and li

ently grind his face in the dust, uncomfortable expectation gave birth to inspiration. As Seyd also braced himself for the shock there came the scratch of a match, and Billy's red head flashed out in relief against the belly of the leading burro as it upreared in fright at the blaze. In the same moment a sec

formed merely the background of a sequence that flashed back over the events of the day. The scraps of muleteers' talk the night before, the runaway, and other minor delays, the drivers' refusal to camp on

f the slide. They had it fixe

gazed down into the dark void. "

y of hoofs sounded on the level above. "There they go, and it's up to us to keep them going. Back your

s. Whereafter, they took turns and kept the frightened beasts on a breathless trot up the heartbreaking grades. Under the flare of a match they sometimes caught a glimpse of the muleteers shuffling ahead on

his mule out to go by the burros he almost ran into a hors

you,

n's face was in shadow, Seyd recognized the upright, graceful figure. "Come to see

e trail, and I have ridden hard-used up one horse and half k

by the tone of assurance, he gave his thought lighter expressio

a, se?o

urs and rode his rearing horse straight at the mule-drivers, who had turned on Billy with drawn knives, lashing them with his heavy quirt over face, head, shoulders. Five minutes later his whip was still cutting the air with a shrill whistle, and,

a touch of doubt into Billy's comment. "It looks,

rhaps; in any case

re before his quiet assurance. "You will have to stay here till morning, se?ors, for it is many miles along the rim to the other trail. Unfortunately, it was your supply mule

looking down at the blaze Seyd was vividly reminded of the Aztec god, for its cold stone face was not

you at the ho

duced only an indifferent sh

er as translated by Seyd: "Then why didn't he show him

er at his non-appearance, he quietly replied, "I do not doubt that the se?or's departure was fraught with enormous

e almost imperceptible, it yet increased his anger. "The dago!" he growled. "I'd punch his head for five cents Mex. The gall of him! Sta

Was seen last night at the hotel. Appears now

ilty. They would

lly glanced around to make sure that nobody else had spoken-they stared at him across the fire in red conf

rase of a few minutes before not even a twinkle be

illy's anger. "Then why don't yo

he foolish custom that aims to make poor foreigners out of good Mexicans I re

o attempt to establish a relation between its prosiness and this romantic figure with a face cast in the image of the stone gods! Above all, a Manchester boarding-school! Seyd almost gasped. For to his knowledge

uth. "Well!" he breathed at last. "I don't envy you the experience. I'm told that

after a couple had felt my knife. How I hated them-the conceited lackeys of masters as much as the bullocks of boys and their ox-like fathers. How they lectured me, the lackeys, for my 'cowardice' in using a knife-the cowa

en farms into slums and brothels, and as they have done by their own so would they like to do for the world-make it one huge factory set in a slum." He had spoken all t

"tail-twisting" of the common-school histories, and Seyd, whose views had been corrected by wide

refore more to be feared, and you stand forever at our gates, ready to force your commerce and ideas upon us. But much as we hate you, loath a

ed at the muleteers, now crouching over a se

d think little of it. But what can you do? You have no pro

before them he gave them their orders-first to recover the baggage, then to convey the se?ors in safety to their mine. "F

he horses, and had mounted before Seyd realiz

ues back to the hacienda w

et me th

urbing its plungings the other answered: "It is nothing. You owe me nothing. I came to repair a mistake and arrived too late. Adios

laughed. "Our friend's football practice over there rather inclines me to favor his theories. I've seen a few walking-delegates in my time that I'd like to place un

o keep watch and watch on the off chance of an attempt on our throat

quiet stimulated thoughts which passed back through the medievalism of the "conquest" and the savagery of the Aztecs to the dim time that saw the erection of the temple they had passed that day. Stimulated by the distant roar of waters, the complaint of the

r hours. Time f