Paloma Jones was trembling now. She clung to Alaire, crying,
thankfully: "It's the Rangers! The Rangers!" Then she broke away and
ran out into the moonlight, trailing her absurd firearm after her.
"Now, boys," the Ranger captain was saying, "I know 'most every one of
you, and we ain't going to have the least bit of trouble over this
thing, are we? I reckon you-all are friends of Ricardo Guzman, and you
just couldn't wait to find out about him, eh?"
Alaire, who had followed Paloma, was close enough now to recognize the
two Guzman boys as members of the Ranger party. Lewis and his men had
drawn together at the first alarm; Longorio's Mexicans had gathered
about their leader. The entire situation had changed in a moment, and
the Ranger captain was in control of it.
Soon Dave Law and Blaze Jones came up over the river-bank; they paused,
stricken with surprise at finding a score of people where they had
expected no more than four.
Blaze was the first to speak. "What the hell?" he cried. He peered
near-sightedly from one to the other; then his huge bulk shook with
laughter: "Say, do my glasses magnify, or is this an Odd-Fellows
meetin'?"
"Dad! Oh, Dad!" Paloma scurried to him and flung herself into his arms.
"Lord of mercy, kid!" the father exclaimed. "Why, you'd ought to be
home and abed, long ago. You'll catch your death of cold. Is that gun
loaded."
Dave Law was even more amazed than his companion. His first glimpse of
the waiting figures had warned him that something had gone wrong, and,
therefore, he did not stop to ask himself how Tad Lewis and Longorio
could have learned of this affair, or what could have brought Alaire
and Ed Austin to the scene. Recovering from his first surprise, he took
a position beside his superior officer.
Captain Evans did not seem at all troubled by the disparity in numbers.
One Ranger, or two at the most, had always been sufficient to quell a
Texan disturbance; now that there were three of them, he felt equal to
an invasion of Mexican soil, if necessary. In consequence he relaxed
his watchful vigilance, and to Dave he drawled:
"We've got most of the leading citizens of the county, and I reckon
somebody in the outfit will be able to identify Guzman."
"There's no trouble about that, sir. We found him. Pedro and Raoul can
make sure." The sons of Ricardo Guzman stepped forward promptly, and
Law waved them toward the boat landing, where the two helpers were
waiting with Ricardo's remains.
Despite the Ranger captain's easy assumption of command, the strain of
the situation had not subsided, and Longorio drew swift attention to
himself when he said:
"It is fortunate that I chanced to learn of this matter. You have done
me a great service, Señor Law, for I came to Romero purposely to
examine into the death of this unfortunate man. But I could learn
nothing; nobody knew anything whatever about the matter, and so I
became convinced that it amounted to little. Now--behold! I discover
that I was deceived. Or--perhaps there still may be a mistake."
Blaze Jones thrust his daughter aside and advanced toward the speaker.
"There's no mistake," he declared, belligerently. "I don't make
mistakes when I go grave-robbin'. Don Ricardo was shot by your men. He
had five thousand dollars on him, or he should have had, and he was an
American citizen. Your Colonel Blanco covered the body, but he'll have
a hell of a job coverin' the facts. It's time we came to a showdown
with your murderin' outfit, and I aim to see if we've got a government
in this country."
"Heaven guided my hand," devoutly breathed the general. "It is
regrettable that you used this means when a word to me would have
served the purpose, for--it is no trivial matter to desecrate a Mexican
graveyard. My country, too, has a government. An officer of the State
of Texas, under arms, has crossed the Rio Grande. What does that mean?"
Captain Evans had a sense of humor; Longorio's ominous words amused
him. "Say, general, it ain't the first time," he chortled. "And you're
an officer, too, ain't you? You're in Texas at this minute, and I'll
bet if I frisked you I'd find that you was under arms." The Mexican
understood English sufficiently well to grasp the significance of these
words. After a moment's consideration, therefore, he modified his
threatening tone.
"But my mission was friendly. I had no criminal purpose," he said,
mildly. "However--perhaps one offense condones the other. At any rate,
we must have no international complications. There is a more practical
side to the matter: if Don Ricardo Guzman met his death in Mexico there
will be a rigid investigation, I assure you."
Evans agreed. "That's fair! And I'll make a bargain with you: you keep
still and so'll we. We never aimed for this affair to get out, anyhow.
I reckon these men"--he indicated Lewis and his followers--"ain't
liable to talk much."
The two Guzman boys, greatly moved, returned to announce that they had
indeed identified their father's body, and Longorio could not well
refuse to accept their evidence.
"Very well," said he. "I am indebted to you. Since there is nothing
more to be said, apparently, I will return to Romero." With a bow to
Mrs. Austin, who had silently watched the play of these opposing
motives, he turned away, and Tad Lewis followed him.
But Dave Law had recognized Adolfo Urbina in the crowd, and, stepping
forward, disarmed him, saying:
"Adolfo, there's a warrant for you, so I'll just take you in."
For a moment Adolfo was inclined to resist, but, thinking better of it,
he yielded with bad grace, bitterly regretting the curiosity which had
prompted him to remain to the end of this interesting affair.
Tad Lewis gave him some comfort. "Never mind, Adolfo," he said. "They
can't prove anything on you, and I'll go your bail. Ed Austin knows
where you was the day that stock was stole." He and his two remaining
men moved toward their automobile, and a moment later the vehicle went
clattering away up the thicket road.
So ended the attempt to foil the return of Ricardo Guzman's body to
Texas soil.
When Alaire came to look for her husband he was gone.