Over the Border Part 40

Like the rolling, twisting funnel of a cyclone, it swept toward that other distant cloud, and when they met and merged the greater cloud rolled backward, slowly at first, then with increasing speed.

"Weekes was wrong!" It came out of the correspondent in an excited yell.

"He's smashed 'em to smithereens! Me for a wire at once!" But as the cloud continued to sweep on he added a qualification, "That is, if Valles stops and comes back."

When, later, the cloud drew steadily down the horizon the doubt evolved into criticism. "Whatever is he thinking of? There he's gone with all the cavalry and left his flank exposed!"

At intervals along the far blue haze the flash of cannon now broke with greater frequency. The rifle-fire rivaled the rapid roll of a thousand drums. Answering the "threes," shrapnel sh.e.l.l came on long, shrieking curves and burst around them. In as many minutes one blew up the next wall, killing half its defenders. A second disabled a gun. The man next to Bull collapsed without a groan.

Turning his gla.s.ses eastward, the correspondent saw men piling in heaps where shrapnel was bursting on the edge of the trench. On the far hill came the flash of explosions among the Valles guns.

"Brains win! They were only playing with us, using less than a third of their guns! They've drawn Valles off with a false retreat! Now they'll flank us! My G.o.d! there they come!"

From the chaparral, on their right, had burst a new, thick line of smoke. Bullets were slipping like hail along their flank, tumbling men.

He leaped and caught Bull's arm.

"Come on! Let's get while we can!"

They could already see the Carranzistas, thousands of them, half-wild, maniacal figures, looming through the smoke. Yet Bull shook his head.

"Some chance for shooting now. Light out yourself."

"Man! Valles is defeated!" The other seized and shook him. "Do you know what that means? This army will be scattered throughout northern Mexico.

If you won't consider yourself, think of your girl! Are you going to leave her to face this bandit rabble, stung by defeat, mad against Americans?"

Bull had turned on him with suppressed fury. But through the din and smoke, into that h.e.l.l of cries and groans, whistling, crashing sh.e.l.ls, there came to him first the old wistful vision of Mary and Betty Mills; then the feel of Lee's soft, cool arms on his neck. Himself forgotten, the l.u.s.t of battle suddenly chilled, he shook with fear.

"Come on!"

Turning, he ran down the hill toward the chaparral where they had hidden their horses, half a mile away. Coming in they had faced only the rain of bullets curved over the hill. Now, from the flank, they came fast and low, a heavy cross-fire. Yet while they ran breathlessly through the dust under the merciless blaze of the sun the correspondent cracked his jokes.

"Consolation race! Odds a hundred to one!" he gasped. "Gosh! but that chaparral is going faster the other way!"

A few minutes later he dropped, almost on its edge. Yet even in that dire moment he remained his cheerful self.

"Shot in the leg! I always said that was the only way they'd ever get me. Here's my notes, Diogenes! Give them to Weekes and tell him to chuck 'em on to the wires. Now, _run like h.e.l.l_!"

And Bull did "run like h.e.l.l"-with the correspondent across his shoulders, into the chaparral where the rain of bullets slacked; faded out by the time he reached the horses. The bullet had gone through the knee. All that he could do was to stop the bleeding with a handkerchief twisted tight above. Then, with the correspondent lying forward in his saddle, arms around his horse's neck, he headed for the town.

As they rode, in their rear rose a huge, raucous voice, the charging yell of the Carranzistas pouring in a brown flood over the trenches.

Followed the terrible roar of a rout-yells, shrieks, curses, victorious shouts, scattering shots, occasional volleys. On the edge of the town it caught and engulfed them, that mad rout. Helpless jetsam, they floated above, a stream of wild, sweating faces, powder-grimed, b.l.o.o.d.y, flecked with a yeast of glistening, fearful eyes, floated through the painted adobe streets to the railroad yards.

There fugitives were already piling by thousands on top of the trains and increasing the confusion; there came, just then, a flash from the hills they had left. Followed the shriek, rising crescendo of the sh.e.l.l, then-the explosion smoke cleared, showing a splintered ma.s.s be-spattered with mangled humanity that had been, a moment before, sentient human beings. The Carranzistas were sh.e.l.ling the station with Valles's own guns.

"We're farther up!" the correspondent whispered through white, drawn lips. "We bribed the engineer, last night, to pull us out on the main line to insure our getaway."

He spoke again, with an effort, when they had ridden another half-mile.

"That's queer. It stood about here, yet I don't see the placards.

Perhaps we have overshot."

But as Bull made to turn a man slipped from the brake-rods under a car ahead. "Here, senores! This way!"

Just then, too, the door rolled back and the "dean" looked out. "Hurry up! Ten minutes more and you would have been too late. The Gonzales Brigada played discretion for the better part of valor and made a quick sneak. We go next! We tore off the signs for fear they might cut us out.

We're traveling, for the present, incognito. You're hurt! Here, you fellows, lift him in and shut the door quick!"

After the correspondent had been laid in his bunk the "dean" turned to Bull. "That chap outside has been here ever since yesterday morning, looking for you. He said his business was muy importante, so the Chinaman kept him fed. Perhaps you had better see what he wants."

But when Bull looked out the man was gone. Also, just then, a welcome accompaniment to the roar of the mad rout outside, came the groan, bang, and rattle of cars starting in succession under the engine's tug.

x.x.xII: TRAVAIL

The instant she pa.s.sed from Gordon's sight Lee's smile went out, quenched by mortal fear. For years tales that defied by their black horror exaggeration by even the fervid _peon_ minds had filtered into Los Arboles, and, more vividly than Gordon, she realized her danger.

It was not so much Ramon. At San Carlos she would have a fighting chance; stood ready to match her woman's wit against his man's strength.

Her fear centered on the men.

As, overtaking them, he rode by on the narrow path, Ilarian pressed close against her. "Cheer up, little one! 'Tis the fighting c.o.c.k that wins his hen. 'Tis the way of the world, and what matter it so long as she be won? 'Tis his turn now, but later 'twill be for thee to keep him itching."

Laughing hoa.r.s.ely, he rode on, but in pa.s.sing his rude fingers searched the softness of her arm and she caught the bold look into her eyes of his grinning fellow. Thereafter she felt their glances touching, plucking at her like fumbling fingers. Now glowing with shame, again frozen with terror, she endured it-to her it seemed hours before she spoke to Ramon.

"I'm afraid of those men. Can't you-send them away?"

He shrugged. "You have more reason to be afraid of me."

"You?" In spite of the deadly chill at her heart she managed a little laugh. "That is impossible."

"Why?"

"Fear one's oldest friend?" Already, with intuitive guile, she was laying the foundations of her defense. Though he looked at her with quick suspicion, she returned the innocent eyes nature has given woman for her chief protection. "For you-a man of whom I have known only good?

But these men fill me with fear."

Suspicion clouded, for a moment, his eyes. Pa.s.sing, it left his gloom lighter. Rea.s.surance softened his tone. "Don't be afraid. They will leave us at San Carlos."

"But, Ramon, it is now noon. If we ride hard we cannot get there before dark." She shuddered at the thought.

"You would rather we were alone?"

"A thousand times." She returned to his gaze the same innocent eyes-and once more his gloom lightened a shade.

"They are going to San Carlos anyway, so I can hardly send them away.

But I am armed, and there is no necessity for you to be afraid. Also-you said that the jefe and priest at San Carlos would refuse to marry us. If so, these are the men who can help me compel."

"Ramon!" she spoke with dread earnestness, "look quickly behind you!"

He did, and his quick frown told that he was not pleased. Dismounting under a pretext of cinching up his saddle, he motioned for the two men behind to pa.s.s ahead.