The Argosy, November 1908 — page 17: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

BY BULLET I was in a quandary. I was not sure whether I had sinned against the law or not. The girl had appealed to me for pro- tection, and I had given it. I had not begun any fighting, but when it had be- gun I judged it to be my privilege to help defend my home. Anyway, I had plenty to do before I went to see Saxe. He was at San Diego, miles away, and I had the two dead Yaquis on my hands. Whether to bury them or not, I did not know. But I could not go to San Diego, on the coast, and leave Sam and Hernan- dez behind, wounded. I settled the matter for myself, since there was no one else to settle it for me; and taking my spade, I dug a grave, made a rude box for each of the Indians, and covered them up. This took some time, and Bones, as usual, squatted near me, looking on wonderingly at my operations. It was the first time he had seen me turn sex- ton, and he didn’t know what it all meant. ‘““ Now,” I said to myself, “I'll see about the girl.” Then I stopped, and a queer feeling came over me. I did not know what Namona had done with her. CHAPTER IV. A TROUBLESOME SITUATION. HERE was a dilemma, indeed. I had offered a young lady a safe hiding-place. She was there, and I did not know where it was. Namona had been gone more than two hours. She had had time to go some distance and return, and I tried to think of the likeliest place in an hour’s walk or run where she could have hidden Miss Bonilla. I knew that at several spots along the Carriso there grew thick clumps of trees, but these little groves did not seem to me to be the safest hiding- places in the world. There was not one of them that could not be looked through by a man riding around them on horseback. It was not a region where mysterious caves could be found. PERSUASION. 583 If Namona had started Miss Bonilla off toward the San Jacintos with some mystic word that would give the girl the benefit of the friendship of the Moquis, then she was still on the way. But I did not think Namona had done this. Her triumphant look when she re- turned indicated that whatever she had done or attempted was completed, and that she did not tear a search or pur- suit. I went into the house again to get my rifle. “What is your name?” asked Her- nandez. ‘John Denny.” “John Denny, do you think I will die?” ‘No, not if you keep quiet.” ‘What do you mean by that?” he asked in alarm as he saw me pick up my rifle. ‘ Will you kill me, after all?” ‘““T have no desire to kill you, Her- nandez.”’ “Ah, you know my name! Consuelo is here. ‘“T know your name,” I answered. “I did think that you were the girl's father, Bonilla, until you told me she had run away from her father. Then I knew that you must be Hernandez, the man she feared and—” ‘“Oh, say it. It will not be new.” “IT was going to add, hated. I don’t know just why she hated you, and don’t care. It’s none of my business. But I met the girl on the Vallecita trail, and she begged. me to help her and hide her. JI brought her here. Any man would have done the same.” ‘“And where is she now?” ‘JT don’t know.” ‘You don’t know, after hiding her?” ‘“T wasn’t the one who hid her. I gave her to Namona, and told her to do it. And when she returned the fight- ing began, and I forgot to ask where the girl was hiding.” ‘And you will find her?” ‘Vm going to try.” ‘“Will you bring her here? If I am going to die, I would be happy to see ers ““T don’t know yet what I shall do with her, I certainly shall not bring her here. There is no woman here now, comicloooks.corn Then