THE LIGHT OF WESTERN STARS by Zane Grey Contents I. A Gentleman of the Range II. A Secret Kept III. Sister and Brother IV. A Ride From Sunrise to Sunset V. The Round-up VI. A Gift and a Purchase VII. Her Majesty’s Rancho VIII. El Capitan IX. The New Foreman X. Don Carlo’s Vaqueros XI. A Band of Guerrillas XII. Friends from the East XIII. Cowboy Golf XIV. Bandits XV. The Mountain Trail XVI. The Crags XVII. The Lost Mine of the Padres XVIII.Bonita XIX. Don Carlos XX. The Sheriff of El Cajon XXI. Unbridled XXII. The Secret Told XXIII.The Light of Western Stars XXIV. The Ride XXV. At the End of the Road THE LIGHT OF WESTERN STARS 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. She entered the empty waiting-room. An oil-lamp gave out a thick yellow light. The ticket window was open, and through it she saw there was neither agent nor operator in the little compartment. A telegraph instrument clicked faintly.