FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134  
135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   >>   >|  
ds farther the Kid stopped the roan and gazed intently through the prickly openings. Then he dismounted, dropped the roan's reins, and proceeded on foot, stooping and silent, like an Indian. The roan, knowing his part, stood still, making no sound. The Kid crept noiselessly to the very edge of the pear thicket and reconnoitred between the leaves of a clump of cactus. Ten yards from his hiding-place, in the shade of the /jacal/, sat his Tonia calmly plaiting a rawhide lariat. So far she might surely escape condemnation; women have been known, from time to time, to engage in more mischievous occupations. But if all must be told, there is to be added that her head reposed against the broad and comfortable chest of a tall red-and-yellow man, and that his arm was about her, guiding her nimble fingers that required so many lessons at the intricate six- strand plait. Sandridge glanced quickly at the dark mass of pear when he heard a slight squeaking sound that was not altogether unfamiliar. A gun- scabbard will make that sound when one grasps the handle of a six- shooter suddenly. But the sound was not repeated; and Tonia's fingers needed close attention. And then, in the shadow of death, they began to talk of their love; and in the still July afternoon every word they uttered reached the ears of the Kid. "Remember, then," said Tonia, "you must not come again until I send for you. Soon he will be here. A /vaquero/ at the /tienda/ said to-day he saw him on the Guadalupe three days ago. When he is that near he always comes. If he comes and finds you here he will kill you. So, for my sake, you must come no more until I send you the word." "All right," said the stranger. "And then what?" "And then," said the girl, "you must bring your men here and kill him. If not, he will kill you." "He ain't a man to surrender, that's sure," said Sandridge. "It's kill or be killed for the officer that goes up against Mr. Cisco Kid." "He must die," said the girl. "Otherwise there will not be any peace in the world for thee and me. He has killed many. Let him so die. Bring your men, and give him no chance to escape." "You used to think right much of him," said Sandridge. Tonia dropped the lariat, twisted herself around, and curved a lemon- tinted arm over the ranger's shoulder. "But then," she murmured in liquid Spanish, "I had not beheld thee, thou great, red mountain of a man! And thou art kind and good, as well as st
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134  
135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
Sandridge
 

killed

 

escape

 

lariat

 

fingers

 
dropped
 
uttered
 

reached

 
vaquero
 

Guadalupe


afternoon

 

Remember

 
tienda
 

surrender

 
curved
 

tinted

 
ranger
 
twisted
 

shoulder

 

murmured


mountain

 

liquid

 

Spanish

 

beheld

 

chance

 

stranger

 

officer

 

Otherwise

 

cactus

 

hiding


leaves

 
thicket
 

reconnoitred

 

surely

 

condemnation

 
rawhide
 

calmly

 
plaiting
 

noiselessly

 
prickly

openings
 

dismounted

 
intently
 
farther
 

stopped

 

proceeded

 
knowing
 

making

 
Indian
 

stooping