We use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) during our scanning and processing workflow to make the content of each page searchable. You can view the automatically generated text below as well as copy and paste individual pieces of text to quote in your own work.
Text recognition is never 100% accurate. Many parts of the scanned page may not be reflected in the OCR text output, including: images, page layout, certain fonts or handwriting.
The Senonta's Conquest
(Lubin)
By HELEN M. COOLIDGE
*\ Tow then, if some of those blamed i\ greasers dont give evidence to the tune of five hundred dollars, I miss my guess."
Ralph Duncan, the new sheriff of Guarez. viewed the result of his lit-1 erary efforts with satisfaction. He was more accustomed to handling a six-shooter than a pen, but by dint of patience and perseverance he had evolved a proclamation which the local printer had now reduced to a triumph of black art. It informed the reader that $500 would be promptly paid for the capture of the chief of the band of Mexican bandits, whose depredations along the American border had been terrorizing the country.
Among the crowd that watched the posting of the placard was a Mexican ne'er-do-well called Pedro.
Pedro was not interested in the printer's work from an artistic point of view; neither did he seem to care much for the promised reward; but he went up close to the offending placard and deciphered as much of it as his limited knowledge of English would permit.
"Go blazes!" he muttered, tearing down the paper with one quick jerk. ' ' I take him with me. Mebbe Juan, he like to read."
An hour later, in a house just across the border, Pedro joined the other members of the band for whom the price was offered.
"See!" he remarked, holding out the offending paper ; "see the work of the Americano ! ' '
"To with the Americanos!"
growled the chief, snatching the paper from the other's hand. "Five hundred devils!"
"One week now has he been sheriff, and he expects already to overthrow us — a plague on him ! ' ' cried one.
"We expect many things in this world which we do not get."
The last speaker was Dolores, the beautiful daughter of one of the oldest members of the band.
"Why do you not take the sheriff yourself, Juan?" she inquired, tauntingly. "So great a bandit as thou shouldst not hesitate to go boldly among the Americanos and capture whom thou wouldst. "
"Heart of Saint Peter! Thou little fool ! I fear thou wilt yet marry one of them," exclaimed the girl's father, grasping her roughly by the arm.
Dolores turned angrily. She was a beautiful girl, with features small, but sharply cut. The square chin and firm, sensuous mouth had the lines of courage and violent emotions. Her dark, sparkling eyes interpreted a terrible power of love and hate.
"I — I marry an Americano?" she cried; "Dios! Never! They are ingrates — cowards. They would make beggars of us all. I hate them."
The chief took a step forward.
"Thou speakest well," he thundered, "else we should have thought thou favored them and thyself wanted to win the reward. I would the man who offered it were in my power. ' '
"Shall I bring him?"
Again Dolores' eyes flashed, but now there was a suspicion of laughter in their depths. She liked to see Juan in a rage. She was sure of herself. Her blood tingled with the thought of opportunity for plot, intrigue, action. She would go, she explained, to the cafes. She would sing, dance, smile. She would win the affection of the man — the sheriff who wrote the proclamation— and would entice him to her home. Once there, Juan might take him and do what he would. She cared not but for the triumph. If she succeeded, they could pay her a reward. Since the Americanos were so
129