Part 33 (1/2)

”Who? What are you talking about?”

Something in her husband's inexplicable agitation, something in the hunted, desperate way in which his eyes were running over the room, alarmed Alaire.

Ed utterly disregarded her question. Catching sight of the telephone, which stood upon a stand in the far corner of the room, he ran to it and, s.n.a.t.c.hing the receiver, violently oscillated the hook.

”Don't do that!” Alaire cried, following him. ”Wait! It mustn't get out.”

”h.e.l.lo! Give me the Lewis ranch--quick--I've forgotten the number.”

With his free hand Ed held his wife at a distance, muttering harshly: ”Get away now! I know what I'm doing. Get away--d.a.m.n you!” He flung Alaire from him as she tried to s.n.a.t.c.h the instrument out of his hands.

”What do you want of Lewis?” she panted.

”None of your business. You keep away or I'll hurt you.”

”Ed!” she cried, ”Are you out of your mind? You mustn't--”

Their voices were raised now, heedless of the two people In the adjoining room.

”Keep your hands off, I tell you. h.e.l.lo! Is that you, Tad?” Again Austin thrust his wife violently aside. ”Listen! I've just learned that Dave Law and old man Jones have crossed over to dig up Ricardo's body.

Yes, to-night! They're over there now--be back inside of an hour.”

Alaire leaned weakly against the table, her frightened eyes fixed upon the speaker. Even yet she could not fully grasp the meaning of her husband's behavior and tried to put aside those fears that were distracting her. Perhaps, after all, she told herself, Ed was taking his own way to--

”Yes! They aim to discover how he was killed and all about it. Sure! I suppose they found out where he was buried. They crossed at my pumping-plant, and they'll be back with the body to-night, if they haven't already--” The speaker's voice broke, his hand was shaking so that he could scarcely retain his hold upon the telephone. ”How the h.e.l.l do I know?” he chattered. ”It's up to you. You've got a machine--”

”ED!” cried the wife. She went toward him on weak, unsteady feet, but she halted as the voice of Longorio cut in sharply:

”What's this I hear? Ricardo Guzman's body?” Husband and wife turned.

The open double-door to the living-room framed the tall figure of the Mexican general.

XIX

RANGERS

Longorio stared first at the huddled, perspiring man beside the telephone and then at the frightened woman. ”Is that the truth?” he demanded, harshly.

”Yes,” Austin answered. ”They are bringing the body to this side. You know what that means.”

”Did you know this?” The general turned upon Alaire. Of the four he was the least excited.

From the background Paloma quavered: ”You told us Ricardo was not dead, so--it is all right. There is no--harm done.”

A brief silence ensued, then Longorio shrugged. ”Who knows? Let us hope that he suffered no harm on Mexican soil. That would be serious, indeed; yes, very serious, for I have given my word to your government.

This--David Law--” he p.r.o.nounced the name carefully, but with a strange, foreign accent--”he is a reckless person to defy the border regulations. It is a grave matter to invade foreign territory on such a mission.” Longorio again bent his brilliant eyes upon Alaire. ”I see that you are concerned for his safety. You would not desire him to come to trouble, eh? He has done you favors; he is your friend, as I am.

Well”--a mirthless smile exposed his splendid white teeth--”we must think of that. Now I will bid you good night.”

”Where are you going?” demanded Miss Jones.