Yellow Silk.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13330, 6 July 1907, Page 2 (Supplement)

Yellow Silk.

[V.y Izola Forrester). The roarl from Santa Juana to the N:w Mexican bonier is a. long and devi ».is route, if vmt go by the way of Japala Pas-. It is the official route. The ger.i-f.it trend of public traffic lies that way. It L-. an easy, tleany mad. and it is safely guarded from th-.- predatory brigand ty tourtious, fffit-i.-nt rural::? in full pan.ply of office, said p-innii y being both erfi-ai-" and picture-quo. ami as visible as the naked and watchful eye of the predatory brig;ind ay the name-colours! agave blossoms that dot tii: tills of .Tabpa. But to pc rains in a hurry, or in an unsociable mood. there is another route, neither clean nor °asy, nor safely guarded. Not being a public highway, the rurales do not bare- it in mind, except on rare occasions when two Governments unite in fretful and active co-opetation to stamp out ".he. r.'Uow-silk trade from their mutual border land. Then does the picturesque rurale become fretful and active also, and under stress of constabulary duty to be done, lie leaves the road of Jalapa, and rid;i> on the trail of yellow-silk up and down the Madres of Chihauhau. It was past midnight when the yellowsilk train out of Santa Juana reached the northern slope of El Dorado. The- mufes were- tired Once the bigboned grey to the rear stumbled heavily over a rolling stone, anil would have dropped to its kv.es if Danny had not- caught the bridle Eb vailed behind the rest. and carefnlly cinched the hamper straps rr.dtT i'.c belly, steadying the hamper with oc hand as he went on up the '.rail. A sma T l new moon shon? to the son.'hwest, one crescent tip seeming to touch tits peak of a shadowy, violet mountain. Below El Dorado, Xew Mexico lay, a still, fiat land here at the border, with a silvery tracery across it in the moonlight where the Snake river cut through the desert. ■Danny took off his hat when the train of mules cam? Co a halt on a bit of plat-ran. and stared back »r. the crescent moon and the violet- mountain. Just beyond that particular mountain lay Santa Ju.-na. He grinned happily, with half-closed, retrospective eyes, and whistled a sweet, tantalising bar or so of music to himself, as he smoothed the flank of the big grey mule, and waited to see what the halt wa« for. It was a Mexican dance air. They had played it at Lorndo's two night before, and he had danced with the girl with the flower in her hair. It was a red flower, not a rose; something loose petalled and iich in bloom like a peony, but heavy with fragrance. The loose petals of it lay in Danny's flannel shirt pocket. He wondered idly whether Lorado, jun.. had opened the door of the win?-cellar yet.

He had liked Lorado, jnn. Lorado, sen. was stoat, and small-eyjd, and unimpressionable. His son was tall and slender, and most impressionable. Danny had strayed from his own rctfit three w«eks before in a joyous honr of aberration caussd by multiplied glasses of Mexican-"wine; which is nauseatingly rvrect to the novice rata he has drank many, and catches the , vaguely bitt-jr tang that lL~ge:s after one has swallowed. Lorado, jnn., had STipplbd his wine from the cellar of his fire. It was a small, dark, stone cellar the north end of the patio. Yott went,down a few uneven steps to a rm?H pa=sage-way, ilim and cool, and rank with the nneH of things underground. . There were more steps at the fnd of the" ,- passage, then the door. Lorado, sen., trusted nn man. It wps the door of a treasure chamber, and he held the key, but Lorado, jnn., had laughed, and had led Danny, not along the dim, cool pas-sags-way, bat to the garden, and had shown him a half-burkd window, sninfc deep ia the flowers and vines. It was a very narrow window. Xuther Canny nor Lorado, sen., could have passed through it, but the body of Lorado, jnn.. slippeil through, swift and supple from long practice, and the bottles of 6weet, dark rod wine which he passed np were many and untold.

When Danny had awakened he had found himself laid out comfortably in the>~ .shadeat the north end of the little square p?tjb; with Lcrado, jun., wafching him in lazy/ dreamy-eyed admiration, his cream-col-oared sombrero palled low over his eyes,/ his cigarette nnlighted between his fingers. Danny had sat op, and taken inventory of himself. The past was a blank cf delirious joy and the rnshing of many waters. "Anything doing, special, Lory?" he had asked, meditatively. Lorado, jnn., has lighted his cigarette before replying. "There is a man who may die by sunset. Yon had better go soon. If he- dies " Lorado shrugged his slim, expressive shoulder:; courteously. " It is but lately we have had law in Santa Juana, but now that we liava it, we keep it. A sinner saved prays loudest. If the man should die, then ii is better for you that you go bsfore hj? di s. And it is better for the girl, also." " There was a girl " Danny's tone was Interestedly interrogative. Lorado. jun-, nodded. Hi 3 narrow, brewn eyes were serene and dreamy. Danny, raised himself on one elbow. "Dolores!" " Dolores, senor." The mist which had blurred the brilliancy of the sunshine cleared suddenly, and Danny stood fre.'i- He.began to rememb:r things which had happened in .Santa Juana before Lorado, jun., had tapped the un- • numbered treasures of his father's wine cellar. "Where is she?" " You were dancing with her." rcpii.d Lorado, calmly. " The man was an American also, Lispemrd. He was very drunk, very much more drunk than you. senor. and he snatched the flower from Dolores's hair as she passed him. You shot at him over hex shoulder—so, and kept on dancing." " Where- is she ?" repeated Danny. Lorado smiled, courteously, even pleasantly, o " Ths senor was already avraro- that Dolores and I am betrothed? To-morrow v.v will marry." '* Lory, me boy," Danny's eyes wc-p? calm and menacing as th?y lookwl down

:it the slim, picturesque figure beneath the :h;t!e of the cream sombrero, '"to-morrow is the day that never comes. Also, Lory, you dcCi-ive your-eif, and the truth is not in you. Sab?? Xoir, listen to your old uncle Bill. My rony's gone, and I have'nt got a cent left. You get a Dutch hustle on yon. and find me a pony, before you talk of chasing me out of town, or I'll stay at .Santa Juana till sunrise to-nscrrnw, and assist at Voth the funeral and the wedding, and, T nry. boy, it won't be your wedding, and there's a. slight possibility of a double funeral if you decide to press matters to a finish. I've owned bigger and better towns than Santa Juana for the time being." ......

Danny smiled back at the shadowy, violet mountain, and laid a caressing hand on the grey muleV hamper. As a proper vehicle for rapid transit, the grey mule lacksd certain points of excellence, butfor strength and endurance it ranked first among its kind in .Santa Juana. After Lorado had departed from the patio to seek such a vehicle, Danny had wandered through the garden. And he had found his way back to the half-buried window nf the wine cellar, the wine cellar of which Lorado kept the key. He laughed up at the moonlight- on the side of KI Dorado, and wondered again whether the door had been unlocked as yet. It had b.K-n easy, the taking leave of Santa Juana. Xon? of its\citizens impeded his progress. But as he rode forth on •the grey mule's back, he had reen two figures watching him from the shadow of the fruit stall at ihe side of the market. One wore a cream sombrero, and the other the picturesque garb of the rurale, the frontier mounted police of Mexico. Danny did not look back. He rode leisurely and comfortably out towards Jalapa Pass, and neither figure followed. At moonrise the grey mule returned, leisurely and comfortably, and had remained outside of tha north end of the patio garden, while its rider entered and sought the half-buried window. The taste for the bitter-sweet win? is a masterful longing.

At daybreak Danny had joined the traders in yellow-silk, and his way did not lead over the Jalapa Pass. They were a Grange lot, the traders in y.d!ow-silk. Danny watched them through h-.lf-closed lids, as the rested on the ledge of land overhanging the arroyo. There were eight mules and six men. Four of the men wers Chinese, although they wore Mexican clothes. Each mule bore two packs, huge hampers of woven grass and hemp. You can see them all along the docks of "ihe coast towns waiting for the Customs officers' overhauling. Generally they contain silk, yards and yards of silk from the land of the Dragon. Sometimes" the contents vary. There is tea, spices, and fancy china, or strange toys. Sometimes there are other ihings. Hence the necessity for the ovei hauling. Once, at Tepultuan, they found enough opium in the yeliow-siilk hampers to furnish pipe dreams to all Mexico. And more ihan once the fretful and..active Governments of the two nations "had rebuked the rurales of the Jalapa Pass and the border Madres, for having permitted the smuggling in of the mild Mongol himself in the gnise of yellow-silk. "' Tis a dangerous and nefarious trade," raid Danny, blithely, and he loosened the top of the hamper on the grey mule, and raised it three inches to admit the air.

[ A bullet clipped nearly past his ear. He j her.rd th? singing of it, and being wise in the way of sudden things, he did not turn j his head, nor exhibit any symptom of I nndue or vulgar curiosity. Saio'ke cirlcd in slowly widening circles from a ridge of rocks above the eagle palms. From the opposite side of the clearing, a puff of it showed greyly against the dark underbrush. The yellow-silk train was held at a disadvantage. Danny Ist the cov:r of th? hamper drop, and wait-d. He did not believe with taking liberties with ProviJence. From the underbrush, and behind the rocks, rode for;h two rurales. Even in the moonlight- they were, picturesque. So was a cream-coloured sombreno which showed back of one. " Drop your weapons," ordered one rurale. With the three remaining Chinese, and two'white men, Danny obeyed, and sighed in the act. Lorado, jun., had surely opened the door of the wine cellar. He rode slightly ahead of the rurales, and smiled down into Danny's face. It was not a pleasant smile. Danny wished he had not dropped his gun. "This is the man." said Lorado. "He has killed Sc-nor I.ispenard, an American, and has abducted the Senorita Dolores Quesada of Santa Juana." The larger and more picturesque of rurales stared interestedly at Danny. Such criminality was rare when one was merely on -ihe trail of yellow-silk. More, it was stimulating to the sense of duty one ow<>d to fretful and active Governments "And these?" He waved his hands at- the others. Lorado answered in Spanish Danny called to his companions. '• He says you're a lot- of Chink smugglers." " Senor, I arrest you," began the large rurale, but Danny ignored him. Loradc was bending towards him from his saddle. '• If you will tell me where she is, I will save you." "Senor Lory, I salute you,'" returned Danny, with a sweep of a Texan sombrero at- tii? cream-coloured one. " t's a shame to put- a hustler like you out of flie business. Oenilemen, I'm no Chink smuggler. I'm Danny M'Carter, America no-Irisho, direct from the ' M.K.' ranch forty-two miles to your right, up on the Snake River. Li.~penard's my partner. After I go on a stampede, Lispenard follows the trail to collect th ; - pieces. In an affair over a flower, two g.-ntk-men do not ask questions. Neither do they bear grudges. That's Lispenard to your left, raenors. second whit? smuggler. You'll find him in fairly good health. In leaving Santa Juana suddenly. I longed for his company, and assisted him to escape from your too hospitable hospital." Lorado, jun., staled from the face of Danny to that of tlin second white smuggler to th. left. Tt was th:- American Lis-

penard. The two rurales.gazed steadfastly at the ■ pack-hampers and their faces were .sceptical. "As a mere matter of form, senor." said the smaller one, as he raised his revolver, " I venture to perforate your packs of silk, and we will waive all examination of contents. As a mere matter of official form Danny stood rigidly beside his hamper, and watched the rurale deliberately shoot bullets through each of the other packs. It was a recent trick of official form. Onee> over on the Sonora line, they had found two dead Chinamen when the hampers were opened. It was a mere matter of form, but Danny's face ■ went suddenly pale as the last bullet sang towards Lispenard's pack, and the rurale turned his horse about and took aim at the hamper beside the grey mule. Instantly Danny's body shot ov-er the mulo and landed before (he hamper, shielding it. The rurale held him covered. "An official examination of that pack shall be made," he stated. "If the senor stirs I will shoot him dead." The lips of Lorado, jun., parted in. an amused smile. He reached for paper and tobacco from the inner pocket of his silklined jacket, and started to roll a cigarette. Danny's hands dipped to his boot tops. So did Lispenard's. They do not stop for an interchange of civilities at crucial moments in the Madres. There were three ■shots fired at one. The Mexican's horse, did a capable sidestep as one of Danny's bullets buzzed through its ear, and Danny's right diand fell limply to his side. He swore softly under his breath, and pulled bfcck the hammer of the other revolver with his- teeth, as Lispenade sprang at. the rurale's bridle. Suddenly the lid of the grey mule's hamper was tilted back, and the head of Dolores appeared. ■vith unsteady fingers. ' The rurales doffed. fheir high-peaked hats and swept th? senorita low bows, most apologetically. Lorado spoke, and his tone was gentle. "We will escort the •Senorita Quesada safely to her home." " The senorita chooses for: herself which way she goes," said Danny. '< Lorado eyed him haughtily. " The ■ senorita will be my wife tomorrow." "She can't," retorted Danny, joyously. "■' Because she's mine to-day. Lory, boy, lidn't I tell you to-morrow's the day that never comes ? Next time you lock your treasures in the wine cellar, put a key on the garden window." Lorado held out his arms to the slender, jirlish figure standing .upright in the hamper, one hand resting on Danny's shoulder, and his voice was full of tenderness. " Dolores, mia carina." "Say it in United. States, please," corrected Danny. " Mrs. Dan M'Carter will lo from you. We took the precaution t<i have it changed as w© came through Los Oros. Is there any further matter of official form to detain this honeymoon train from moving tewrirds the"M. K. "ranch '!" ■ The rurales again swept bows to their horses' manes. . "We wish the senor joy." " Tils senor thanks you like Kixty-nine. Don't mention it." Danny held out his left hand to his bride md helped her from the hamper " But," he. added, " I don't mind telling •on two official gentlemen, that you came mighty near spoiling the finest pack of yellow-silk that ever came over Madres."