HEART
oftho
SUNSET
r&? REX BEACrt
Author of' * The Spoilers, "The Iron Trail"
“The Silver Horde" Etc.
Cmr* • «**»« JMM»
1
SYNOPSIS.
CHAPTER I—Set afoot and alone by an
accident in the desert near the Rio Grande
Mrs. Aiaire Austin, mistress of Las Pal
mas and la Feria ranches, meets Dave
Law. Texas Ranger, at a water hole and
is compelled to spend the night there with
him, as lie Is in ambush for a murdeier
and cannot leave his post.
CHAPTER II—Next day at evening the
murderer appears with a companion.
CHAPTER III—law captures the mur
derer but is compelled to kill his compan
ion, Panfllo Sanchez, who happens to he
a cousin of Mrs. Austin's horsebreaker
Jose Sanchez.
CHAPTER IV—At Las Palmas Aiaire
tells her husband, Ed, that his carousals
and inebriety must Btop. Her cattle
at I<a Feria, the Mexican ranch, are con
fiscated by Longorlo, Mexican federal
general, and she finds that it is because
Ed has been helping the rebel Junta.
CHAPTER VI—Entertained at their
home by Blaze Jones and his daughter
I’aloma, Dave hears something about the
Tad Lewis outfit, which is suspected of
cattle stealing. With Ricardo Guzman and
his boys Dave and Blaze go on a scout
after cuttle thieves.
CHAPTER VII—Law catches two of the
I^ewis outfit branding a stolen calf and in
a fight kills one and has his horse shot
under him. He trails the other thief to
Las Palmas, where he is Insulted by Ed
Austin, whom he knows to be very friend
ly with the Lewis outfit
CHAPTER VIII—Law follows up the
trail of Urbina, the escaped thief, to no
purpose except to confirm Austin's con
nection with the Lewis outfit.
CHAPTER IX—On her homeward Jour
ney Aiaire again meets Longorlo, who
openly makes love to her. She obtains
the release of Juan Garcia from prison
CHAPTER X—Jose Sanchez swears to
find out the truth about the slaying of
Panfllo. Dave gets further information
about the Lewis outfit. Ricardo Guzman
goes to Mexico to sell horses to the fed
erate.
CHAPTER XI—Dave and Aiaire attend
the Las Palmas rodeo. She presents Dave
with a horse to replace the one killed by
the cattle thieves. They discuss the kill
ing of Panfllo.
CHAPTER XII—Guzman does not re
turn from Mexico and his reported killing
arouses Americans. Dave and Blaze ar
range to go to Romero across the river
and recover the body. Jose hears that
Dv.ve killed Panfllo and goes to Join Ia>n
gorlo. Paloma and Aiaire arrange to go
to the river to await the return of Blaze
and Dave. Longorlo appears at l>as Pal
mas with an escort and overhears Ed
telephoning news of the trip after Gus
man to Tad Lewis.
CHAPTER XIII—Dongorlo compels Ed
to go to the river with him. The girls
follow and hide In the pumphouse. The
Dewia outfit appears. When Blaze and
Dave cross the river a general mix-up is
prevented by Captain Evans and his rang
ers who appear on the scene and support
Dave. Dave arrests Urbina.
CHAPTER XIV—Blaze dodges dress
makers and fortune tellers.
CHAPTER XV-Strange, a fortune tell
er, warns Dave that Jose Is cooking up
trouble for him and Alalre. Dave goes to
Bee her and In a moment of emotional
stress they confess their love.
CHAPTER XVI— Ed. who had disap
peared after the Guzman Incident, comes
back and Alalre decides to divorce him.
She writes to her lawyer and to Dave.
JoBe carries Dave's letter to Dongorlo,
who orders him to kill Ed.
CHAPTER XVII—Alalre moves to di
vorce Ed. War with Mexico seems Immi
nent. Dave comes to the Jones home
sick. Strange warns him that Alalre Is
gone to Da Ferla and Is In great danger.
CHAPTER XVIII—Dave goes to I-as
Palmas and arrives Just after the murder
of Ed Austin.
CHAPTER XIX—He rounds up Jose,
gives him the water cure and gets from
him confession that he killed Ed. then
starts for Da Eerla to protect Alalre,
whom he knows I-ongorlo will capture. He
Instructs Blaze to give the whole maiter
the widest publicity and to send Ellsworth
to Washington to sing battle hymns.
CHAPTER XX—At Da Ferla Alalre
finds that she Is Dongorlo’s prisoner.
CHAPTER XXI—I-ongorlo woos Alalre
and brings a priest to marry them that
night.
CHAPTER XXII—Dave wins through
to I>a Ferla and the priest marries Alalre
to him during Dongorlo's temporary ab
sence.
CHAPTER XXIII—The priest plays on
Longorio’s inordinate vanity until ne con
sents to send Alalre and Dave away to till
border.
As they' climbed the bnnk nnd rode
onwnrd Into the night she said: “No
matter what happens, dear, I shall be
happy, for at last one of my dreams
has come true.*’ He reached out nnd
patted her. “You’ve no Idea what a
coward I was until you came. But the
moment I saw you all my fears van
ished. I was like a lost child who sud
denly sees Its father; In your arms 1
felt perfectly safe, for the first time In
all ray life, I think. I—I couldn’t benr
to go on without you, nfter this.”
Dave found nothing to say; they
rode along side hy side for a time In
a great contentment that required no
speech. Then Atelre asked:
“Dear, have you considered how we
—are going to explain our marriage?”
"Won’t the circumstances explain
It?"
"Perhaps. And yet— It seems ages
since I learned—what happened to Bd,
but In reality it’s only a few hours.
Won’t people tulk?”
Dave caught at the suggestion. "I
see. Then let’s keep it secret for the
present."
With a little reckless laugh she con
fessed, “I—I’m afraid I’ll find It diffi
cult to be conventional.”
“My wife!” he cried In sharp agony.
Leaning far out, he encircled her with
his arm; then, half lifting her from
her saddle, he crushed his lips to hers.
It wasliisTust ill spiny of eiudFion si lire
Father O’Malley had united them.
There were few villages along the
road they followed, and because of the
lateness of the hour all were dark
| hence the Tparty passed through with
out exciting attention except from an
| occasional wakeful dog. But as niorn
i ing came and the east began to glow
Dave told the priest:
“We’ve got to hide out during the
| day or we’ll get into trouble. Besides,
these women must be getting hungry.”
“I fear there is something feminine
1 nbout me,” confessed the little man.
j ‘Tm famished, too.”
At the next rancho they came to they
applied for shelter, but were denied;
in fact, the owner cursed them so
roundly for being Americans that they
were glad to ride onward. A mile or
two farther along they met a cart the
j driver of which refused to answer
their greetings. As they -passed out of
his sight they saw that he had halted
his lean oxen and was staring after
them curiously. Later, when the sun
| was well up and the world had fully
awakened, they descried a mounted
man, evidently a cowboy, riding
through the chaparral, lie saw them,
too, and came toward the road, hut
after a brief scrutiny he whirled his
horse and galloped off through the cac
tus, shouting something over his shoul
der. t
“This won’t do,” O’Malley declared,
uneasily. “I don’t like the actions of
these people. Let me appeal to the
next person we meet. 1 can't believe
they all bate us.”
Soon they came to a rise in the road,
and from the crest of this elevation be
held ahead of them a small vllluge of
white houses shining from the shelter
of a grove. The rancherla was perhaps
two miles away, and galloping toward
it was the vaquero who had challenged
them.
“That's the Rio Negro crossing,”
Dave announced. Then spying a little
house squatting a short distance hack
from the road, he said: “We'd better
try yonder. If they turn us down we’ll
have to take to the brush.”
O’Malley agreed. “Yes, and we have
no time to lose. That horseman is go
ing to rouse the town. I’m afruid
we’jo—In for It.”
Dave nodded silently.
T.eavlng the beaten path, the refu
gees threaded their way through cac
tus nnd sage to a gi*te, entering which
they approached the straw-thatched
.lacal they had seen. A naked boy baby
watched them draw near, then scuttled
for shelter, piping an alarm. A man
appeared from somewhere, at sight of
whom the priest rode forward with a
pleasant greeting. But the fellow was
unfriendly. His wife, too, emerged from
the dwelling and joined her husband In
warning Father O’Malley away.
“Let me try,” Alaire begged, nnd
spurn'd her horse up to the group. Sh<
smiled down at the country people,
saying: “We have traveled a long
way, and we’re tired and hungry.
Won’t you give us something to eat?
We’ll pay you well for your trouble."
The man demurred sullenly, and be
gan a refusal; but his wife, after a
wondering scrutiny, interrupted him
with n cry. Rushing forward, she took
the edge of Alaire’s skirt in her hands
and kissed it.
“God be praised! A miracle: she
exclaimed. “Juan, don’t you see? It ts
the beautiful senora for whom we pray
every night of our lives. On your knees,
shameless one! It is site who delivered
you from the prison.”
Juan stared unbelievingly, then his
face changed; his teeth flashed in a
smile, and, sweeping his hat from his
head, he, too, approached Alaire.
"It is! Senora, I am Juan Oarcia,
whom you saved, and this is Inez,” he
declared. “Heaven bless you and for
give me.”
"Now I know you,” Alaire laughed,
and slipped down from her saddle.
“This is n happy meeting. So! You
live here, and that was little Juan who
ran away as if we were going to eat
him. Well, we ore hungry, but not
hungry enough to devour Junnito.”
Turning to her companions, she ex
plained the circumstances of her first
meeting with these good people, and as
she talked the Garcias broke in Joy
fully, adding their own account of her
goodness.
“We’ve fallen among friends,” Alaire
told Dave and Father O’Malley. “They
Will let us rest here, I am sure."
Husband and wife agreed In one
voice. In fact, they were overjoyed nt
an opportunity of serving her; and lit
tle Juan, his suspicions partially al
layed, Issued from hiding and waddled
forward to take part in the welcome.
Shamefacedly the elder Garcia ex
plained his Inhospitable reception of
the travelers. “We hear the gringos
are coming to kill us and take our
I farms. Everybody Is badly frightened.
We ore driving qw herds away aud
hiding what we cnn. Yesterday at the
big Obispo ranch our people shot two
Americans and burned some of their
houses. They Intend to kill all the
Americans they find, so you'd better be
careful. Just now a fellow rode up
shouting that you were coming, but of
course I didn’t know—”
"Yes, of course. We're trying to
reach the border,” Father O’Malley told
him. “Will you hide us here until «e
can go on?”
Juan curtsied respectfully to the
priest. “My house is yours, father.”
“Can you take care of our horses,
too, and—give us a place to sleep?”
Dave asked. His eyes were heavy; he
j had been almost constantly in the sad
i die since leaving Jonesville, and now
. could hardly keep himself awake.
“Trust me,” the Mexican assured
them, confidently. “If somebody comes
) i'll send them away. Oh, I can Ije with
tlie best of them.”
Tlie Garcias were not ordinary peo
ple, and they lived in rather good cir
cumstances for country folk. There
I were three rooms to their little house,
all of which were reasonably clean.
The food that Inez set before her
guests, too, was excellent if scanty.
Juanito, taking cue from his parents,
j flung himself whole-heartedly into the
task of entertainment, and since Alaire
met his advances half-way he began,
j before long, to look upon her with par
ticular favor. Once they had thorough
ly made friends, he showered her with
j the most flattering attentions. His
! shyness, it seemed, was but a pretense
—at heart he was a bold and enterpris
ing fellow—and so, ns a mark of his
admiration, he presented her with all
his personal treasures. First he
fetched and laid in her lap a cigar-box
wagon with wooden wheels—evidently
the handiwork of his father. Then he
gave her, one by one, a highly prized
blue bottle, a rusty Mexican spur, and
the ruins of what had been a splendid
clasp-knife. There were no blades in
I the.knife, but he showed her how to
peep through a tiny hole in the handle,
where was concealed the picture of a
dashing Spanish bull-fighter. The ap
preciation which these gifts evoked in
toxicated the little man and roused him
to a very madness of generosity. He
pattered away and returned shortly,
staggering and grunting under the
weight of another and a still greater
offering. It was a dog—a patient,
hungry dog with very little hair. The
animal was alive with fleas—it
scratched absent-mindedly with one
hind paw, even while Juunito strangled
it against his naked breast—but it was
the apple of its owner’s eye, and when
Inez unfeelingly banished it from the
house Juanito began to squall lustily.
Nor could he be conciliated until Alaire
took him upon her knee and told him
about unother boy, of precisely his own
age and size, who planted a magic bean
in his mother’s dooryard, which grew
up and up until it reached clear to the
sky, where a giant lived. Juanito Gar
cia had never heurd the like. He was
spellbound with delight; he held his
breath in ecstasy; only his toes moved,
and they wriggled like ten fat, brown
tadpoles.
Tn the midst of this recital Garcia
senior appeared in the door with a
warning.
“Conceal yourselves,” he said, quick
ly. “Some of our neighbors are com
ing this way.” Inez led her guests in
to tlie bedchamber, a bare room with a
dirt floor, from the window' of which
they watched Juan go to meet a group
of horsemen. Inez went out, too, and
joined in the parley. Then, after a
time, tlie riders galloped away.
When Alalre, having watched the
party out of sight, turned from the
window she found that Dave had col
lapsed upon a chair and was sleeping,
his limbs relaxed, his body sagging.
“Poor fellow, lie’s done up,” Father
O’Malley exclaimed.
“Yes; he linsn’t slept for days," she
whispered. “Help me.” With the as
sistance of Dolores they succeeded in
lifting Dave to the bed, but he half
roused himself. “Lie down, dear,”
Alaire told him. “Close your eyes for
a few minutes. We’re safe now."
“Somebody has to keep watch.” he
muttered, thickly, and tried to tight off
his fatigue. But he was like n drunken
man.
“I’m not sleepy; I’ll stand guard.”
the priest volunteered, and, disregard
ing further protest, he helped Alaire
remove Dave’s coat.
Seeing that the bed was nothing
more than a board platform covered
#
“Reot Now, While You Have a
Chance,” She Begged.
! with straw matting, Alnlre folded the
garment for a pillow; ns she did so a
! handful of soiled, frayed letters spilled
out upon the floor.
"Host now, while you have a chance,”
she begged of her husband. “Just for
» little while.” _ _ . _
“All right,” he agreed. “Cnll me In
—an hour. Couldn't sleep—wasn't
time.” He shook off his weariness and
smiled at his wife, while his eyes
filmed with some emotion. “There is
something I ought to tell you, but--l
can’t new—not now. Too sleepy.” His
head drooped again; she forced him
hack ; he stretched himself out with a
sigh, and was asleep almost instantly.
Alaire motioned the others out of
the room, then stood looking down at
the man into whose keeping she had
given her life. As she looked her face
became radiant. Dave was unkempt,
unshaven, dirty, but to her he was of a
godlike beauty, and the knowledge that
he was hers to comfort and guard was
strangely thrilling. Her love for Ed,
even that first love of her girlhood,
had been nothing like this. How could
it have been like this? she asked her
self. How could she have he ed deep
ly when, at the time, her own nature
lacked depth? Experience had broad
ened her, and suffering had uncovered
depths in her being which nothing else
had had the power to uncover. Stoop
ing, she kissed Dave softly, then let
her cheek rest against his. Her man 1
Her man! She found herself whisper
ing the words.
For a long time she sat gazing at
him tenderly; then she tiptoed out and
delighted the naked Garcia baby by
taking him in her arms and hugging
him. Inez thought the beautiful
senora’s voice was like the music of
birds.
It was growing dark when Dave was
awakened by cool hands upon his face
and by soft lips upon his. He opened
his eyes to find Alaire bending over
him.
“You must get up,” she smiled. ‘‘It
Is nearly time to go, and Inez is cook
ing our supper.”
He reached up and took her in his
arms. She lay upon his breast, thrill
ing happily with her nearness to hiip.
and they remained so for a while, whis
pering now Hud then, trying ineffectual
ly to voice the thoughts that needed no
expression.
“\Yhy did you let me sleep so long?”
he asked her, reproachfully.
"Oh, I've been napping there in that
chair, where I could keep one eye on
you. I’m terribly selfish; I can’t bear
to lose one minute.” After a while she
said: “I’ve made a discovery. Father
O’Malley snores dreadfully! Juanito
never heard anything like it, and it
frightened him nearly to death. He
says the father must be a very fierce
man to growl so loudly. He says, too,
that he likes me much better than his
mother.”
It seemed to Dave that the bliss of
this awakening and the sweet Intimacy
of this one moment more rewarded him
for all he had gone through.
‘Tve been busy, too,” she was say
ing. “I sent Juan to the villnge to
learn the news, and it’s not very nice.
It’s good we stopped here. He says
Neuvo 1’neblo has boon destroyed, and
the federal forces are all moving south,
away from the border. So our troubles
aren't over yet. We must reach the
i river tonight.’’
“Yes, by all means.”
“Juan is going with us as guide.”
“You arranged everything while 1
snoozed, eh? I’m ashamed of myself.”
Alaire nodded, then pretended to
frown darkly. “You ought to be," she
told him.
“My wife!" lie laid his lips against
her hair.
j They were standing beside the win
dow, speechless, oblivious to all except
their great love, when Dolores entered
to tell them that supper was ready and
that the horses were saddled.
(Continued Next Week.)
EXIST IN PRIMITIVE EASE
—
Pueblo Indians Live in Exactly the
Same Manner as Have Genera*
tions of Ancestors.
Perhaps the most unique settlement
in the United States is the Pueblo In
dian village, located in Arizona, ob
serves the Christian Herald. This vil
lage comprises 1,500 peaceable Indians,
whose sole and almost only aim in life
is to secure a livelihood as easily as
possible. This settlement is located in
the hottest section of the state, but
the excessive heat is not uncomfort
able to these people, whose ancestors
have lived in that desert .section for
unnumbered generations. Wastes of
burning sand stretch for miles and
miles on every side of this village.
A peculiar thing about this people is
that they have two distinct villages.
The summer village is located upon the
floor of the valley, where the Pueblos
occupy themselves in agriculture. The
produce they raise, over what they
need to eat during those hot months,
is stored away for winter use. There
are only a few places in that section
of the desert where water is obtain
able, and in these places the Pueblos
pursue their primitive agriculture.
Seasons come and seasons go, but as
each goes by it sees these people living
ns they did during the preceding one.
Since the white man first knew of this
colony, which was back in the six
teenth century, the habits of this tribe
have not changed They eat the same
kind of food, do the same sort of fancy
work and live just as did their ances
tors. So far as is known to historians,
this is the oldest colony of any kind in
this country.
“Murphy’s Mules.”
A hero of Anzac, whose name did
not appear in any of the dispatches,
says the Manchester Guardian, was a
certain stretcher bearer. His real
nume was Simpson, but for some un
accountable jeasoa he was called
“Murphy.” Many an Australian live*
to bless “Murphy’s mules.”
There were so many wounded to be
fetched Into safety that Murphy com
mandeered a pair of mules, and offi
cers connived at the theft when they
found what noble work he was do
| lng. He used to leave the animals
just under the brow of a hill and dash
forward himself Into the firing line to
save the wounded.
Day after day he climbed the hill,
smiling and cheery. But one day Mur
phy’s mules came not. The wounded
cried out to the overworked stretcher
bearers: “For God's sake send Mur
phy’s mules !” The mules were found
grazing contentedly In Shrapnel valley
—and Murphy? He had done his last
climb to the top of the hill.
“Where Is Murphy?” asked one of the
First battalion.
"Murphy Is at heaven’s gate,” an
swered a sergeant, “helping the aol
diers through.”
PAINFUL END TO JOY RIDE
Unfortunate Happening Caused Driver
to Think of Resigning From ths
Optimists’ Club.
How a member of the Optimists'
club got into most disagreeable com
pany which made him feel the reverse
of optimistic, is being quietly told. The
| optimist has an automobile and invited
his best girl out for a ride. It was a
most pleasant ride for a time on the
roads south of city limits. A cool
breeze was blowing, the auto seemed
to be the only one traveling in those
parts. It was dork and the optimist
had plenty of opi>ortunity to squeeze
the hand of his girl and to bestow a
gentle kiss now and then when the
road was straight. Sometimes there
would be a sharp curve, however, and
then the optimist would hove to devote
his whole attention to the machine.
On one occasion the optimist divided
his attention, with dire results. His
subconsciousness told him that there
was a curve ahead. He guided the
machine gracefully around the curve
when he noticed he had passed a fence
post on either side where a farm gate
was ajar. Before he could put on
the emergency brake there was a
crash, and then a most alarming cho
rus of squeals. The auto had run
squarely Into a pigpen, and the pork
ers cried aloud in their alarm. The
fat swine jolted and rubbed against
the machine4n their fright, and when
the commotion was at its height an
angry farmer reached the scene and
wanted to know “what In the heck"
the optimist was doing in his pigpen.
As he silently drove back to town with
a battered machine and a lightened
pocketbook, a furrowed look of pes
simism could have been seen on the
face of the optimist if it had not been
so dark.—Indianapolis News.
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