I. A Gentleman of the Range
When Madeline Hammond stepped from the train at El Cajon, New Mexico, it was nearly midnight, and her first impression was of a huge dark space of cool, windy emptiness, strange and silent, stretching away under great blinking white stars.
"Miss, there's no one to meet you, " said the conductor, rather anxiously.
"I wired my brother, " she replied. "The train being so late—perhaps he grew tired of waiting. He will be here presently. But, if he should not come—surely I can find a hotel?"
"There's lodgings to be had. Get the station agent to show you. If you'll excuse me—this is no place for a lady like you to be alone at night. It's a rough little town—mostly Mexicans, miners, cowboys. And they carouse a lot. Besides, the revolution across the border has stirred up some excitement along the line. Miss, I guess it's safe enough, if you—"
"Thank you. I am not in the least afraid."
As the train started to glide away Miss Hammond walked towards the dimly lighted station. As she was about to enter she encountered a Mexican with sombrero hiding his features and a blanket mantling his shoulders.
"Is there any one here to meet Miss Hammond?" she asked.
"No sabe, Senora, " he replied from under the muffling blanket, and he shuffled away into the shadow.
หนังสืออิเล็กทรอนิกส์เพิ่มเติมจากผู้แต่งคนเดียวกัน / บรรณาธิการ
183,720 หนังสืออิเล็กทรอนิกส์ในหมวดหมู่นี้
