Part 47 (1/2)

”There is nobody about Perhaps they have gone on, because they had news fro e their plans”

Sitting down outside the building, they began to consider what o on without our et as soon as possible; but we ht The road is the nearest way, but now that Gomez has his orders he may have sent out soldiers to stop all travelers Besides, there are _rurales_ about”

”Then we'll take to the mountains,” said Walthew He did not uess they've disar us we couldn't put up ht”

”There's another,” Blanca returned quietly ”I ood shot, but he ive it back to me; and, as time is important, ill take the road”

She silenced Walthew's objections and they set off, striking into a broad track some distance farther on For a ti about their feet heavy with the dew, across a belt of cultivated land where indistinct, orderly rows of coffee bushes ran back froed into thick forest, where the soil was soft and the darkness i to feel their way For all that, Grahame was conscious of keen satisfaction as he breathed the warorating after the foul atmosphere of the _carcel_ where he had been iain Waltheever, felt anxious and li for several hours, and he held hiirl he loved Listening for sounds of pursuit, he tried to pierce the darkness in front, and started when a leaf rustled or soht his footsteps rang down the branch-arched track alar country, where clurew in fantastic shapes The track led upward, and it was obvious that Blanca was getting tired Unless they are the wives of peons, Spanish-American women do not lead an active life and, as a rule, li stroll in the plaza

For a while Blanca leaned on Walthew's ar o much farther, but there is a house near here,” she said

”We can rest e reach it”

The house proved to be e that its occupants had hurriedly fled, but on searching it with a light they found so pot Blanca and Walthew hadjourney after their lastsince his very plain breakfast at ten o'clock

Following the girl's instructions, he lighted the charcoal and set the pot near the door while she prepared the food, but Walthew lay down in the dust outside He was physically tired, and nohen he iined they were comparatively safe, he felt very slack and his mind was dull

For all that, he lay where he could see the road, and only lanced into the slow that forced up the face of the stooping girl out of the darkness and touched her skin with a coppery gleaure, fanning the fire, and Walthew felt half jealous that he should help

Then he found hiarette, he fixed his eyes resolutely on the road All was very quiet, and there was not a er yet

CHAPTER xxxI

THE AMERICAN TRADER

Waltheas al, when he was startled by a sound that came out of the darkness It was soular beat in it, and when it grew louder he could not doubt that so fast up the road

”Move the fire back--there's soive Grahame your pistol?”

He used her name for the first tis to think about The faint glow of the charcoal vanished, and Graha

”Stay where you are and guard the door!” he said ”I'll drop behind that bush, and then if the fellow gets doe'll have hi, he vanished into the gloo fast The drureer as the rider climbed the hill before the house, but Walthew could not see hi his mule It was some comfort to realize that they had only one man to deal with, but if he was a spy of the President's, he th, quickly worked his elbow into the dust to steady his pistol hand

When the stranger was three or four yards away he stopped and looped the bridle round his arm Then he put his hand into his pocket, and Waltheith his nerves a-tingle, supposed that the ht have to shoot, and he held his breath as his finger tightened on the trigger He heard the er's hands, and Walthew started as he saw his face It was the man who had carried the President's orders into Rio Frio