The Argosy, November 1908 — page 39: what you’re looking at

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

BY BULLET PERSUASION. At the foot of the cliffs, between them and the lake, there stretched a shingle beach about six or seven huridred feet wide. And on this beach, within easy gunshot, there was a house of logs. On a rude bench, evidently made on the spot, sat Bonilla and Hernandez. Hernandez had a paper spread out on his lap, and he was earnestly explaining something to Bonilla. Bonilla would nod once in a while to show that he un- derstood. And, standing in a listless attitude on the shore of the lake, with her hands clasped behind her, was Consuelo. Although my acquaintance with her had been so slight, and my wish to marry her due as much to my desire to help her escape Hernandez as it was to any in- fatuation, a man doesn’t chase a girl he believes to be his wife from one country into another, thinking about her all the time, without feeling more than when she left him. And I experienced a thrill of pleasure and great love when I saw her now. ~ I could see that she was unhappy. The prospect of being compelled to marry Hernandez after all n.ust have seemed appalling to her. She was dressed in a gown different from the one she had worn when I had taken her home to hide her. She presented a neat ap- pearance, and was the picture of a beau- tiful girl in distress. I looked at her a long time. She stood so motionless, so absolutely lacking in interest in the beautiful scene before her, I longed to throw discretion to the winds, or the lake, or anywhere, and rush to her side. But this would never do. Some distance from this group there was a camp pitched at the very foot of the cliff, and here there were at least a dozen men. ‘They were not Indians, but nevertheless were short, dark, and were all down on the shingle playing cards or some other game. Their intense interest in what they were doing was evidence that it was some game of chance. I could see no horses, although I knew of course that nobody would come to that place unless in the saddle, and unless they had had horses they would not have been there so soon. 605 I wondered what they had done with Namona. Then I felt grave fears for the woman, for IJ remembered that it had been the Yaquis who took her away. But again came the remembrance that Mrs. Bonilla had said they had brought her as a companion for Consuelo. My anxiety lasted only a short time, for my Indian servant presently came from the house, carrying something. She went to where the two men sat and they called Consuelo. She went, evidently with great reluc- tance. Then all took glasses and drank something. It was evident that, despite the difficulties of transportation, Hernan- dez had, somehow or other, found a way to supply the house with needful things. We were situated where we could watch with little fear of detection. Al- though the region was not heavily wood- ed, there were clumps of trees, and from these we could see and not be seen. ' When Namona had returned with the glasses, Hernandez got up. He walked along the shore a short distance, and then picked something up. He returned to Bonilla. , He walked with evident difficulty. He limped and seemed to lean to one side. But I marveled that the man could walk at all. Though many things had hap- pened since, it had not been so very long ago that I had sent him home with Bo- nilla in a wagon. It puzzled me, until I recalled that Senora Bonilla had said that at no time had he been as helpless and badly wound- ed as he had pretended. I could realize that such a ruse might have come into his head, for Hernandez certainly was no fool. If, by pretending to be helpless he could remain in bed at my house and watch and spy on me, he could, perhaps, find Consuelo. Billy Barefoot touched me on the shoulder. I followed his nod, and we moved farther away. '“ Now you see,” he said, “ there are no Yaquis. Only peons that belong to Her- nandez. ‘They are not fighters like Ya- quis, but they shoot.” “What are you going to do?” I asked. ‘Even if they are only peons, we can’t very well make an attack on so many.” “No. We must think. We do noth- ing now only wait.” comicloooks.corn