Page 6 - lw3217

4 CHILDREN OF THE SOUTH
to apprenend a law breaker. He rides almost at will,
for the poor unconsciously protect him. And whole
armies are sent in search for him without avail.
Two years have elapsed and our stories now cross.
Manuel goes to the ranch of Juanita's kin folk-with
charitable intentions. He has seen the neglect and
sordidness of the place. From a distance he sees
Roderigo brutally throwing Juanita upon the ground-
where she cowers in fear that is not all physical. She
has a fear of this man that she cannot describe. Rod-
erigo leaves her and goes inside, throwing a club of
wood at the lowering Wolf dog as he does so. Manuel
watches the girl enter her hovel and then he comes to
her. And Wolf dog knows it is different and allows him
to enter-while he follows. Manuel finds Juanita
cringing with fear on her bundles of dried brush. She
is covered with rags and bruises, but she is so frightened
and her story is so jumbled, he cannot get the true facts.
He consoles her as best he can and goes away, only to
lie out in the brush for days, with no one aware of his
hiding place, but the Wolf dog.
At last Manuel is rewarded and finds what he seeks.
He sees the poor half-starved girl dragged by the hair
of her head through the rear door of the house, closely
followed by Laynez, his wife, and Roderigo.

Roderigo tries to rescue the half insensible girl from
Rosita's cruel blows. He does so. And then Rosita
turns upon him and upbraids him. She accuses him of
wanting to love Juanita. She is insanely jealous.
Roderigo is guilty. It is exactly what he has in mind.
He hasn't a spark of real affection, or decency, in his
whole being. But, he intends to use this sixteen year
old child Juanita.
To appease this shrew Rosita, and to throw her off
the scent, so he can fullfil his damnable desires, when
ready, he laughs boisterously and brutally. Then
picking up the almost limp form of Juanita, he strikes
her hard-full in the face-with his horny open hand.
Then throws her through the door into her hovel.