For Honor’s Sake by Connie Mason Page A

then relegated to nothing more than curates as the missions were turned into parishes.
    Their first day along the trail was exhausting as well as nervewracking for Julie. Rod not only kept his pistol at the ready but a rifle placed at his feet for added protection. He patiently explained the need for caution.
    “Brigands and
banditos
frequently travel these roads in search of easy prey,
querida.
No one knows the actual count of the number of persons who met violent deaths along El Camino Real. Robbery, murder, even lynchings are common occurrences.”
    Julie suppressed a shudder, imagining a brigand behind every dune and rock waiting to pounce upon them. At noon the first day they had lunch at the Grizzly Bear, a well known roadhouse. That night Rod secured a room for them at the Nightingale. Julie was relieved when he made a pallet on the floor for himself and fell immediately asleep.
    The next day, after having lunch at the Mansion House, Rod informed Julie that civilization for them would end at the Red House Inn. From this point on, they would sleep in the wagon during the remainder of their journey.
    The going was sometimes rough, the paths taking them at times along stretches of road hugging mountain sides, through swollen streams and across miles of parched semi-dry desert country. Julie held her breath each time they began yet another of the steep climbs and descents, but Rod’s expert driving brought them through safely. After all, he was no stranger to the pitfalls of El Camino Real.
    That evening Rod built a fire and Julie prepared a simple meal of beans, bacon, biscuits and coffee. While she cleaned up, Rod made their beds amid the sacks and barrels, laying down a thick pad of blankets. When it was time to retire he thoughtfully turned his back while Julie slipped off her dress and slid between the rough blankets wearing nothing but her thin chemise. She did the same for Rod until she felt him settle down beside her, squirming to make himself comfortable.
    Because of their close quarters Julie could feel the heat of Rod’s body scorching her along one side. She felt him shudder at the contact and flushed, mistaking his reaction for revulsion. Was he still thinking about Brute Kelly and how he had laid hands upon her, she wondered? Did he think she had enjoyed his foul touch? Finally, she felt him relax and allowed sleep to overtake her.
    Sometime during the night, the wind arose and Julie instinctively moved closer to Rob, seeking his warmth. As if to hold her in place, Rob threw a leg over her slight form, his body half covering hers. Julie awoke with a start, suddenly aware of the weight pressing down upon her. She screamed, reliving in her mind that horrible moment when Brute Kelly was attacking her even though she remembered very little of it.
    “No! No!” she cried out, thrashing about wildly. “Please don’t hurt me!”
    Abruptly, Rod awoke to find Julie in his arms, crying out and fighting off an imaginary assault. “Julie, it’s Rod,” he soothed gently. “No one will hurt you,
mi amor,
Kelly is dead. He won’t be able to harm anyone again.”
    His words must have gotten through to her for she immediately calmed down. “Kelly is dead?” she repeated dully. “How do you know? Did you …are you the one who—”
    “No,
querida,
” Rod admitted ruefully, “but I wish Ihad been the one to snuff out his worthless life.”
    “Then, who—”
    “No one knows. He was found along the trail the day after … after … he abducted you. His tongue was missing and so were his … genitals.”
    “My God!” gasped Julie, hiding her head against Rod’s shoulder.
    “He bled to death. Some think
banditos
were the culprits but I’m more inclined to think the Tong responsible for the killing.”
    “The Tong?”
    “A secret Chinese society that seeks their revenge by cruel, almost inhuman methods. I believe your friend, Wong Li, had a hand in it.”
    “I’m not sorry he’s dead,” Julie grimaced,