Daughter of the Sun

Y PARADISE

THER SORT

ich nosed the row boat bringing Jim Kendric and Twisty Barlow treasure seeking. In the stern crouched Nigger Ben, come ashore in order to row the boat back to the New Moon, his eyes bulging with wonderment that men should co

re I'll get my bearin's and we'll steer a straight-string line for what's ahead, Headlon

cliffs against the path of men who did not know their every crevice, and it was full day and the sun was up before they came panting

ds, here and there cut by ancient gorges, tumbled over by heaps of black rocks, swept clean of dust on the high places by racing winds, piled high with sand and small stones in the depressions. Where growing things thrust up their heads, they were the harsh, fanged and envenomed growth of desert places. The place had an air of unholiness in the l

to poor old Juarez. See those three peaks, standing up together? We bear a little off to the south for a spell an

aid Jim. "

dric, to whom any such experience was always primarily a lark, expanded and mounted steadily to fresh stages of lightheartedness. It mattered less to him than to his companion what might lie at the end of their journey; the journey itself was with Jim Kendric the golden thing. He felt alive, jubila

a dusty jack rabbit, a circling buzzard, a thin spotted snake, a wild pony with up-flung head staring at them from the further ridge, gone whisking away as they drew on. And they came to trees whose shade was grateful, oaks and, later, a few dusty straggling pi?ons. Wisps of dry grass, an occasi

their canteens and rested in the shade on the way up. At last they came to the crest of the barrier of the blistering hills, having been on foot for a full five hours. And now, for the first time, looking forward, down the steep slopes and across the miles,

ng in the shade of the wide-spread oaks, standing indolent in the golden sunshine. A bright stream of water cut the emerald sward in two, coming from the bordering mountains at o

aradise!" he c

yes were upon the mountainou

d swinging up his rifle. "It would be three to five miles, easy go

ng adobe with white-washed walls, barns and smaller outbuildings, all making a sizeable group. They stood in an oak grove a

wanting to know what we're about, potte

there," growled Barlow. "T

on, and came at last to the creek where they rested under an oak and drank deeply and smoked. As the

w. "They'll be wantin'

man jack of them wears a rifle. And they're in a rush, Twisty, old

on the oncoming riders. "I'm goin' to roll up in my blanket und

they appeared. "The way to argue with these sort of gents," said Barlow contemptuously, "is shoot their eyes out first and talk next." But as the foremost of the

and gave the lie to his speech. "You would be fatigued with walking across the cursed desert; you would be parched

sition, being somewhat extravagantly dressed, showing much ornamentation both on his own person and that of his mount in the way of silver buckles and spangles. He was the youngest of

s." All along, until the very moment, he had fully intended explaining by saying they were on a hunting trip. But as he spoke it struck him that the slopes ab

xican nodded

cted, se?ores; everything is prepared for you. Oyez, Pedro, Juanito," turning in his saddle and addressing two of his men. "Rope two horses and let los A

g and swinging into great loops. Presently they were back, leading two captured ponies. Dismounting, they made i

for the kind invitation. But you've got the wrong guests. I

ifted his fin

res Kendric and Barlow

ringly at him, th

stranger," grunted Barlow.

ly, to the Mexican, he said: "You're right, se?or. And, to com

on the grip of the revolver bumping at his hip, giving the perfectly correct impression that the man who wore that

each man started. Before now, many times in the flood of their tumultous lives, they had lived t

ation. It would be the pleasant thing to rest up in the shade during the afternoon. Tomorrow, perhaps, it could b

s. Obviously, he meant to go straight about his business, all the more eager to come to grips with the naked situation since Escobar was on the ground and had made himself

anyway," and swung up into the saddl

and rode back toward the upper end of the valley, his ragged foll

c softly. "What did you see? What made

back of the ranch house, Jim,

eight like those across the valley. For the life of him Barlow did not know which was the group toward which he had been directed by

es of high adobe walls ringing the buildings and by the architecture of the main building itself. There were columns, arches, corridors after the old mission style. But it had all been made over, added to,

and high-flung head, shot out of the shadows like a shaft of sunlight. On its back what at first appeared an elegantly dressed young man, a youth even fastidiously and fancifully accoutered, with riding boots that shone and a flaunting white plume an

telmar!" gas

w's eyes, a strange flush in Barlow's cheeks. Then he saw only the girl's d

ezuma! The gods have willed t

red face, ignoring Barlow,