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HEART OF THE SUNSET
By Rex Beach
Copyright by Harpmr Si Brothers
In this serial we are given an
intimate view of conditions that
have prevailed on the border for
a long time. Newspaper reports
apparently have not gone to the
bottom of the situation. Trou
ble-making circumstances be
tween the Mexican and Ameri
can peoples are deeper than one
or two or half a dozen raids on
border towns by outlaw gangs,
and these circumstances won’t
work themselves out satisfactor
ily in a week or a month or a year.
Yes, Mr. Beach has given us a
picture of conditions. But in
“Heart of the Sunset” he has giv
en us also a charming love story,
one of the best this paper has
printed; and we feel confident
that all of you will enjoy it thor
oughly.
THE EDITOR.
CHAPTER I.
The Water-Hole.
A fitful breeze played among the
mesquitc bushes. The naked earth,
where It showed between the clumps
of grass, was baked plaster hard. Al
though the sun was half-way down the
west, its glare remained untempered,
and the tantalizing shade of the sparse
mesquite was more of a trial than a
comfort to the lone woman who, refus
ing its deceitful invitation, plodded
'steadily over the waste. Stop, indeed,
she dared not. in spite of her fatigue,
regardless of the torture from feet and
limbs unused to walking, she must,
ns she constantly' assured herself, keep
going until strength failed. Somewhere
to the northward, perhaps a mile, per
haps a league distant, lay the water
hole.
Desert travel-was nothing new to
her; thirst and fatigue were old ac
quaintances. She readjusted the strap
of the empty .water bag over her shoul
der and the loose cartridge belt at her
hip, then set her dusty feet down the
slope. The sun had grown red and
huge when at last in the hard-baked
earth she discovered fresh hoofprlnts.
She followed them gladly, encour
aged when they were Joined by
others. A low bluff rose on her left,
and along its crest scattered Spanish
daggers were raggedly silhouetted
against the sky. She tried to run, but
her legs were heavy; she stumbled a
great deal, and her breath made
strange, distressing sounds ns it issued
from her open lips. Rounding the
steep shoulder of the ridge, she hus
tended down a declivity into a knot of
scrub oaks and ebony trees, then halt
ed, staring ahead of her. Nestling in
a shallow, flinty bowl was a pool of
water, and on its brink a little fire was
burning.
It was a tiny fire, overhung with a
blackened pot; the odor of greasewood
and mesquite smoke was sharp. A
man, rising swiftly to his feet at the
first sound, was staring at the new
comer; he was ns alert ns any wild
thing. But the woman staggered di
rectly toward the pond, seeing nothing
after the first glance except the water.
She would have flung herself full
length upon the edge, but the man
stepped forward and stayed her, then
placed a tin cup in her hand. She
mumbled something in answer to his
greeting nnd the hoarse, ravenlike
croak in her voice startled her; then
she drank, with trembling eagerness,
drenching the front of her dress. The
water was warm, but it was clean nnd
delicious.
“Easy now. Take yonr time,” said
the man, ns he refilled the cup. “It
won’t give out.”
She knelt and wet her face and neck.
Felt the strnnger's hands beneath her
arms, felt herself lifted to a more com
fortable position. Without asking per
mission, the strnnger unlaced first one,
then the other of her dusty boots,
seeming not to notice her weak at
tempt nt resistance. Once he hud
placed her bare feet In the water, she
forgot her resentment In the Intense
relief.
The man left her seated In a col
lnpsed, semiconscious state, and went
back to his fire. It was dark when for
the first time she turned her head to
ward the cnmp fire and stared curious
ly at the figure there. The nppetiztng
odor of broiling bacon had drawn her
attention, and as If no move went un
noticed the raun said, without lifting
his eyes:
“Supper will be ready directly.
How’d you like your eggs—lf we had
any?”
He spoke with an unmistakable Tex
as drawl; the woman put him down at
once for a cowboy. Well back from
the fire he had arranged a seat for her,
using a saddle blanket for a cover
ing, and upon this she lowered herself
stiffly.
“I suppose you wonder how I—hap
pen to be here," she said.
“Now don’t talk ’til you’re rested,
miss. This coffee is strong enough to
walk on its hands, nnd I reckon about
two cups of it ’ll rastle you into shape.”
As she raised the tin mug to her lips
he waved a hand and smiled. “Drink
lienrty!” lie set n plate of bread and
bacon in her lap, then opened a glass
jar of jam.
The woman ate and drank slowly.
She was too tired to be hungry, and
meanwhile the young man squatted
upon his heels and watched her
through the smoke from a husk ciga
rette.
“Have you had your supper?” she
finally inquired.
“Who. me? Oh, I’ll eat with the
help.” He smiled, nnd when his flash
ing teeth showed white against his
leathery tan the woman decided he
was not at all bad-looking. He was
very tall and quite lean, with the long
legs of a horseman—this latter feature
accentuated by his higli-heeled boots
and by the short canvas cowboy coat
that reached only to his cartridge belt.
His features she could not well make
out, for the fire was little more than
a bed of coals, and he fed it, Indian
like, with a twig or two at a time.
“I beg your pardon. I’m selfish.”
She extended her cup and plate as an
invitation for him to share their con
tents. “Please eat with me.”
But he refused. “I ain’t hungry,” he
affirmed. “Honest!”
Accustomed as she w r as to the dif
fidence of ranch hands, she refrained
from urging him, and proceeded with
li6? repast. When she had finished she
lay back and watched him as he ate
sparingly.
“My horse fell crossing the Arroyo
Grande,” she announced, abruptly. “He
broke a leg, and I had to shoot him.”
"Is there any water in the Grande?”
asked the man.
“No. They told me there was plenty.
1 knew of this charco, so I made for
it.”
“Who told you there was water In
the arroyo?”
“Those Mexicans nt the little goat
ranch.”
“Balll. So you walked in from Ar
royo Grande. It's a good ten miles
straightaway, and I reckon you came
crooked. Eh?”
“Yes. And it was very hot. I was
never here but once, and —the country
looks different when you’re afoot.”
“It certainly does,” the man nodded.
Then he continued, musingly: “No wa
ter there, eh? I figured there might
be a little.” The fact appeared to
please him, for he nodded again as
he went on with his meal. “Not much
rain down here, I reckon.”
“Very little. Where are you from?"
“Me? Hebbronville. My name is
Law.”
Evidently, thought the woman, this
fellow belonged to the East outfit, or
some of the other big cattle ranches
in the Hebbronvtlle district. Probably
he was a range boss or a foreman.
After a time she said, “I suppose the
nenrest ranch Is that Ball! place?”
“Yes’m.”
“I’d like to borrow your horse.”
Mr. Law stared Into his plate. “Well,
miss, I’m afraid —”
She added, hastily, “I’ll send you a
fresh one by Balli’s boy In the morn
ing.”
Law shook his head. "I cijn’t loan
you my horse, miss. I got to meet a
man here,”
“When will he come?”
“He’d ought to be here at early dark
tomorrow evening." Heedless of her
dismay, he continued, “Yes’m, about
sundown.”
“But —I can’t stay here. I’ll ride to
BnlU's and have your horse back by
afternoon.”
“My man might come earlier than I
expect,” Mr. Law persisted.
“Iteally, I cau’t see what difference
It would make. It wouldn't Interfere
with your appointment to let me—”
Law smiled slowly, and, setting his
plate aside, selected a fresh cigarette;
then, ns he reached for a coal, he ex
plained :
“I haven’t got what you’d call ex
actly an appointment. This feller I’m
expectin’ Is n Mexican, and day before
yesterday he killed a man over In Jim
Wells county. They got me by 'phone
at Hebbronville and told me he’d left.
He’s headin’ for the border, and he’s
due here about sundown, now that Ar
THE NORTH GEORGIAN, CUMMING, GEORGIA.
royo Grande’s dry. I was aimin' to
let you ride his horse."
“Then —you’re an officer?”
“Yes’m. Ranger. So you see I can’t
help 'you to get home till my man
comes. Do you live around here?”
The speaker looked up inquiringly, and
after an instant’s hesitation the wom
an said quietly:
“I am Mrs. Austin." She was grate
ful for the glOGtn that hid her face. “I
rode out this way to examine a tract
of grazing land.”
It seemed fully a minute before the
Ranger answered; then he said, in a
casual tone, “I reckon Las Palmas is
quite a ranch, ma’am.”
“Yes. But we need more pasture.”
“I know your La Feria ranch, too. I
was with General Castro when we had
that fight near there.”
“You were a Mnderlsta?”
“Yes’m.' Machine-gun man. That's a
fine country over there. Seems like
the Almighty got mixed and put the
Mexicans on the wrong side of the
Rio Grande. But I reckon you haven’t
seen much of La Feria since the last
revolution broke out.”
"No. We have tried to remain neu
tral, but —” Again she hesitated. “Mr.
Austin has enemies. Fortunately both
sides have spared La Feria.”
Law shrugged his broad shoulders.
"Oh, well, the revolution isn’t over!
A ranch in Mexico is my idea of a bad
investment.” He rose and, taking his
blanket, sought a favorable spot upon
which to spread—it. Then he helped
Mrs. Austin to her feet—her muscles
had stiffened until she could barely
stand —after which he fetched his sad
dle for a pillow. He made no apolo
gies for his meager hospitality, nor did
his guest expect any.
When he had staked out his horse
for the night he returned to find the
woman rolled snugly in her covering,
ns in a cocoon. The dying embers flick
ered into flame nnd lit her hair redly.
She hnd laid off her felt hat, nnd one
loosened braid lay over her hard pil
low. Thinking her asleep. Law stood
motionless, making no attempt to hide
his expression of wonderment until,
unexpectedly, she spoke.
“What will you do with me when
your Mexican comes?” she said.
“Well, ma’am. I reckon I’ll hide you
out in the brush till I tame him.”
“Thank you. I’m used to the open.”
He nodded as if he well knew that
she was; then, shaking out his slicker,
turned away.
As he lay staring up through the
thorny mesquite branches that roofed
him inadequately from the dew, he
marveled mightily. A bright, steady
burning star peeped through the leaves
at him, and as he watched it he remem
bered that this red-haired woman with
the still, white fnce was known fur and
wide through the lower valley as “The
Lone Star.” Well, he mused, the name
fitted her; she was, if reports were
true, quite as mysterious, quite as cold
and fixed and unapproachable, as the
title implied. Knowledge of her iden
tity had come as a shock, for Law
knew something of her history, and to
find her suing for his protection was
quite thrilling. Tales of her pale
beauty were common and not tame,
but she was all and more than she
had been described.
She had not been too proud and cold
to let him help her. In her fatigue
she had allowed him to lift her and
to make her more comfortable. Hot
against his palms—palms unaccus
tomed to the touch of a woman's flesh
—he felt the contact of her naked feet,
as at the moment when he had placed
them in the cooling water. Her feeble
resistance hnd only called attention to
her sex —to the slim whiteness of her
ankles beneath her short riding skirt.
Following his first amazement at be
holding her had come a fantastic ex
planation of her presence—for a mo
ment or two it had seemed as if the
fates had taken heed of his yearnings
and had sent her to him out of the
dusk —wild funcies, like these, bother
men who are much alone.
CHAPTER 11.
The Ambush.
Alaire Austin, like most normal
women, had a surprising amount of
endurance, both nervous and muscu
lar, but, having drawn heavily against
her reserve force, she paid the penalty.
During the early hours of the night
she slept hardly at all; ns soon as her
bodily discomfort began to decrease
her mind became unruly, nnd It was
not until nearly dawn that she dropped
off Into complete unconsciousness. She
was awakened by a sunbeam which
pierced her leafy shelter.
It was still early; the sun had Just
cleared the valley’s rim and the ground
was damp with dew. Somewhere near
by an unfamiliar bird was sweetly
trilling. Alaire listened dreamily un
til the Uird-caroi changed to the air of
a familiar cowboy song, then she sat
up, queerly startled.
David Law whs watering his horse,
grooming the animal meanwhile with
a burlap cloth. It was a beautiful
blood-bay mare, and as the woman
looked it lifted its heud, then with
wet, trembling muzzle caressed its
owner's cheek. Undoubtedly this at
tention was meant for a kiss, and was
as daintily conferred as any woman’s
favor. It brought a reward In a lump
of sugar.
“Good morning,” said Mrs. Austin.
Law lifted his hat in a graceful sa
lute as he approached around the edge
of the pool, his spurs jingling musical
ly. The mare followed.
“You have a fine horse there.”
“Yes’m. Her and me get along all
right. I hope we didn’t wake you,
ma’am.”
“No. I was too tired to sleep well."
“Of course. I heard you stirring
about during the night.” Law paused,
and the mare, with sharp ears cocked
forward, looked over Ills shoulder In
quisitively. “Tell the lady good morn
ing, Bessie Belle,” he directed. The
animal flung its head high, then
stepped forward and, stretching its
neck, sniffed doubtfully at the visitor.
“What a graceful bow 1” Mrs. Aus
tin laughed. “You taught her that, 1
presume.”
“Yes’m!. She’d never been to school
when I got her; she was plumb igno
rant. But she's got all the airs of a
fine lady now. Sometimes I go with
out sugur, but Bessie Belle never
does.”
“And you with a sweet tooth !”
The Banger smiled pleasantly.
“She’s as easy ns a rockin’ chair.
We’re kind of sweethearts. Ain't we,
kid?” Again Bessie Belle tossed her
head high. “That's ‘yes,’ with the re
vorse English," the speaker explained.
He would not permit her to help with
the breakfast, so she lay' back watch
ing her host, whose personality, now
that she saw him by daylight, had be
gun to challenge her interest. Phys
ically Law was of an admirable make
—considerably over six feet in height,
with wide shoulders and lean, strong
limbs. Although his face was schooled
to mask all but the keenest emotions,
a pair of blue-gray, meditative eyes,
with a whimsical fashion of wrinkling
half-shut when he talked, relieved a
countenance that otherwise would
have been a trifle grim and somber.
The nose was prominent and boldly
arched, the mouth was thin-lipped and
mobile. In his face there was nothing
animal in a bad sense. Certainly It
showed no grossness. The man, de
spite his careless use of the plains ver
nacular, seemed to be rather above
the average in education and intelli
gence. On the whole, she rather re
sented the good Impression Law had
made upon her, for on general prin
ciples she chose to dislike and distrust
men. Bising, site walked painfully to
the pond and made a leisurely toilet.
Breakfast was ready when she re
turned, and once more the man sat
upon his heels and smoked while she
ate. After a while she remarked: “I’m
glad to see a Banger in this country.
There has been a lot of stealing down
our way, and the association men can’t
seem to stop it. Perhaps you can.”
“The Bangers have a reputation In
that line,” he admitted. “But there Is
stealing all up and down the border,
since the war.”
“The ranchers have organized. They
have formed a sort of vigilance com
mittee in each town, and talk of using
bloodhounds.”
The ranger has a serious en
counter with enemies, and a curi
ous relationship springs up be
tween him and the lady—be sure
to read the next installment. See
what your friends think of the
story.
CIO BE CONTINUED.)
Gave the Thing Away.
Harry —I understand Gertrude mar
ried a man who made a big fortune by
a lucky speculation in soap.
Grace —Yes, and he disgraced her
while they were on their honeymoon.
Harry —How did he do it?
Grnce —Gertrude wunted the other
passengers to think an ocean voyage
was un old story to them, when her
husband, almost as soon as they were
orf-board, pointed to a row of life pre
servers, and asked the captain what
was the Idea of the extra tires.
Back Given Out?
Housework is too hard for a woman
who is half sick, nervous and always
tired. Hut it keeps piling up, and gives
weak kidneys no time to recover. It
vour back is lame and achv and
kidneys irregular; if you nave * blue
spells/' sick headaches, nervousness,
dizziness and rheumatic pains, use
Doan’s Kidney Pills. They have done
wonders for thousands ot worn out
women.
A Georgia Case
Mrs. Habra Bur- “I*,, (Ware Mu Stan"
gess, Toccoa, Ga..
says: “A number of
years ago I was suf 1 I ,
fering with rheti- I| j
matic pains and oth- I l
er kidney trouble. I I j
My kidneys didn't | | pj / Tar "Jk
act right at all and \ j t ''“fOr.jMr*
I was bothered a
good deal by that rrfTßfiS
weakness. My back
was lame and pain- L 1 | Dyl f (
ful and had a bear- , ÜBJmgmk
down ache In it. all iLJ &J3J
the time. I also had wEj/B "'pv* jKfr
severe pains through r
the back of my ■
neck. I hadn’t taken Doan’s Kidney
Pills long before my kidney trouble
had all disappeared.”
Get Doan's aft Any Store, 60c a Box
DOAN’S vrjs.v
FOSTER-MILBURN CO.. BUFFALO. N. Y.
Small PIU
Small Dose
Small £
Jnukibd 1
illver
r%\ Ml
FOR
CONSTIPATION
have stood the test of time.
Purely vegetable. Wonderfully
quick to banish biliousness,
headache, indigestion and to
clear up a bad complexion.
Genuine bear, signature
PALE FACES
Generally indicate a lack
of Iron in the Blood
Carter’s Iron Pills
Will help this condition
Most people have u spice of goodness
in them, but not all try to cultivate it.
THIS IS THE AGE OF YOUTH.
You will look ten years younger if you
darkeu your ugly, grizzly, gray hairs by
using "La Creole" Hair Dressing —Adv.
Il’s better to lie judged by your up
pennince limn by your disappearance.
MOTHER!
Huve you ever used MOTHER'S JOY
SALVE for Colds, Coughs, Croup and
Pneumonia, Asthma, and Head Ca
tarrh? If you haven’t get It at once.
It will cure you.—Adv.
Knew What a Sapling Was.
An American ambulance driver
lately returned from the French front
tells of visiting an instruction camp
In England before sailing for the
United Slates. A gunner, he said, was
learning to shoot at targets, and the
officer In charge asked the nolce:
“You see that sapling on the hill
side?"
"No, sir," replied the gunner after a
careful look, “I don’t see no sapling.”
“What!” yelled tlit- officer, “you see
no sapling? Why, there's one right In
front of you.”
After another spuint the soldier re
ported as before.
“Look here,” said the other, “do
you know what a sapling is?"
“Oh, yes, sir,” answered the gun
ner, “a young pig.”—New York Hun.
Milk an Economical Food.
Milk is a fairly economical food as
prices now stand. It contains no refuse
and tin- food nutrients It furnishes are
completely digested. However, the
amount of water In proportion to nu
trients is large. Even at a high price
per quart, milk should be used as u
staple urticle of diet.
A Remedy.
“My wife is very careful about tny
health. In fact, her rare Is very ari
loying at times.”
“Why not carry more life Insurance
>ld man?”
I'm glad there’s such
a big corn crop —says
mork
POST TOASTIES
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