Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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The Land of Broken Promises A Stirring Story of the Mex ic a n Revolution By DANE COOLIDGE Avtkrr tf "1 hr T-'thrlnr Foul." "Hidden Witrrt." "The Tciiraii." Ftc. lUuttratiantAv DON J. LAVIN I" "I iCopyruht. WU, by Frank A. Mutucy.) CHAPTER Ul. On the untrammeled frontier, whore most men are willing to pnss foi' what they aro without keeping up nny "front," much of tho privnto business, as well as the general devilment, I? transacted In tho back rooms of sa loons. Tho Waldorf was nicely fur nlshr'I '-i '' ' s regard. After u drink ot the bar, In which De Loncey and Hooker Joined, Henry Kruger led tho way casually to tho rear, and In a few moments they wore safely clouuted. "Now." began Kruger, as he took a seat by the tnblo and faced them with snapping eyes, "tho first thing I want to mnko plnln to you gentlemen is, if I make any deal today lt's to be with Mr. Hooker. If you boys aro pardnero you cnn talk U over together, but I deal with one man, nnd that's Hooker. "Ali right?" he Inquired, glancing at De Lunney, and that young man nodded indulgently. "very well, then," resumed Kruger, "now to get down to business. This mine that I'm talking about is located down here in Sonora within three hours' rMe of a big American camp. It Isn't i,ny old Spanish mine, or lost padra layout; lt'o a well-defined ledge running three or four hundred dollars to tho ton-and I know right where lt io, too. "What I want to do IB to establish the title to ll now, while this revolu tion is going on, and make a bonanza out of lt afterward. Of course, If you boys don't want to go back Into Mex ico, that settles lt; but if you do go, and I let you in on the deal, you'vo got to see it through or I'll lose tho whole thing. So make up your minds, and if you say you'll go, I want you to stick to it!" "We'll go, ail right," spoke up De Lancey, "if it's rich enough." "How about you?" Inquired Kruger, turning impatiently on Bud; "will you go?" "Yes, I'll go," answered Bud sullen ly. "But I ain't stuck on the Job," ho added. "Jest about get lt opened up when a' bunch of rebels will Jump in and take everything we've got." "Well, you get a title to lt and pay your taxes and you can come out. then," conceded Henry Kruger. "No," grumbled Hooker, "If I go I'll stay with IL" He glanced at his pard ner at this, hut he, for ono, did not seem to bo worried. "I'll try anything-once!" he ob served with a sprightly air, and Bud grinned sardonically at tho well-worn phrase. "Well," said Kruger, gazing inquir ingly from on? to the othor, "Is it a go? Will you shako hands on It?" . "What's tho proposition?" broke in De Lancey eagerly. "The" dear Is between mo and Hooker!" corrected Kruger. "I'll give him three hundred a month, or an equal share tn tho mine, exponeea to be shared between us." "Make it equal shares," said Hook er, holding out his hand, "and I'll glvo bal' of mine to Phil." "All right, my boy!" cried tho old junan, suddenly clapping him on tho shoulder, "I'll go you-and you'll never regtet lt," ho added significantly. 'Then, throwing off the air of guarded secrecy which had characterized his notions so far, he sat down and began to talk. .Boya." he said, "I'm feeling lucky today or I'd never have closed th lo deal. I'm letting you In on one of the biggest things that's ever been found In Sonora. Just to show you how good lt is, here's my smelter receipts for eight hundred pounds of picked ore one thousand and twenty-two dollars! That's the first and last ore that's ever been chipped from the old Eagle Tall. I dug. it out myself, and sacked it p.nd shipped it; and then some of thom crooked Mexican officials tried to beat rae out of my title and I blowed up the Whole works with dynamite! "Yes, slr, clean as a whistle! . I had my powder stored away in the drift* and. tho minute 1 found out I waa euchred-1 laid a fuse to It and brought tho whole mountain down. That was ten years ago, and old Aragon, and tho asente mineral have bad the land located ever Bineo. . "I bet they've spent five thousand pesos trying to find that lead, but be ing nothing but a bunch of Ignorant Mexicans, of course' theV never found nothing. Thon Francisco Madero' comes tn and fires the agente mineral off bia Job and old Aragon leta the land revert fer taxe*. -l'ya sot a Mexican . that keeps'me posted, and ever since ho sent me word that tho title had lapsed I've been crasy to relocate that , claim. "WeU, now, that don't look -so bad; ??"? tjoea lt?" be asked, beaming paternally at Hud. "There ain't a man in town that wouldn't have Jumped at tim cilanco, if 1 wau whoo 1 could talk about it, but that'a Just v. hat 1 couldn't do. I bad to find some at rancor that wouldn't Bernte what mino I waa talk ing; about and then git bim lo go In on it blind! "Now bcre'? tho way I'm flx-'d, buys," ho exclaimed, brushing hlu un kempt beard and -milling craftily. "When I dynamited the Kugle Tail it waa mine by rights, but Cipriano Ara gon he H tim big Mexican down at old Fortuna-and Morales, tho mineral agent, had buncoed ino out of tho title. "Ho, according to law, 1 blowed up tlmlr mine, ami if I ever showed up down there I reckon they'd throw mo into Jail. And if at any limn they lind out that you're working for me, why, we're ditched timi's ul!! They'll put you out of business. Ho, after we'vo mudo our agreement and I've told you what to do, I don't want to hear a word out of you-I don't want you to ??orne near me, nor even write mo a letter-Just go ahead tho best you can until you win out or go broke. "lt ain't a hard proposition," he continued, "if you keep your mouth shut, but If they tumble, It'll bo a fight to a finish. I'm not raying this for you, Honker, because I know you're safe; I'm saying it for your pardnnr hero. You talk too much. Mr. Ile Lan cey," ho chided, eying him with sud den soverity. "I'm afraid of ye!" "All right,' broke in Hooker good naturedly, "I reckon wo understand. Now go ahead and tell us where this' minn is and who there ls down there to look out for." "The ronn to look out for," an swered Kruger with venom. "Is Cipri ano Aragon. He's tho man that bilked mo nut of the mine once, and he'll do it again If he can. When I went down there-lt wns ten years and more ago -I wasn't on to those Spanish ways ot his, and he was so dog-guncd polite and friendly I thought I could trust him anywhere. "Ho owns a big ranch and mescal still, runs cattle, works a fu-v placers, sends out puck-trains, and has every Mexican and Indian In the country in debt to him through his store, so if he happens to want uny rough work done there's always somebody to do it. "Well, Just to ehow you bow he did me, I got to nosing round those old Spanish workings enst of Fortuna and finally I run scroHB the ledge that I'm telling you about, not far from aa abandoned Bhaft. Hut the Mexican mining laws aro different from ours, and an American has lots of troubla anyway, so I made a trade with old Aragon that he should locate the claim fur me under a power of attorney. Didn't know him then like I do now. The napers had to bo sent to Mocte zuma and Hermosillo, and to the City of Mexico and back, and while I was walting around I dug in on this lead and opened up the prettiest vein ot quartz you ever saw in your life. Hero's a Bample of lt, and it's Bure rich." He handed De Lancey the familiar piero of quartz and proceeded with bia story. "That oro looked sn good to mo that I couldn't walt-I shipped lt before I got my title. And right there I mado my mistake. When Arngon s.iw the gold In that rock ho just quietly re corded the concession in his own nanto and told me to go lo blazes. That's the greaser of lt! So I blew the whole mino up and hit for tho border. That's the Dutch of lt. I reckon," he added grimly. "Anyway, my old man wa3 Dutch." He paused, smiling over tho mem ory of his misplaced credulity, and Hooker and De Lancey Joined in a hearty laugh. From tho town bum that ho had first seemed this shabby little man had changed in their eyes until now, he was a border Croesus, the mere recital of whose adventures conjured up In their minds visions of gold and hidden treasure. The rugged face of Bud Hooker, which 'had been set In grim lines from the first, relaxed as the tale proceeded and his honest eyeB glowed with ad miration as he heard the well-planned scheme. As fer Da Lancey, be could hardly restrain his enthusiasm, and, drawn on by the contagion. Henry Kluger made maps and answered ques UonVunt'.l every'detail was settled. After the location had been marked, and the lost tunnel charted from the .corner monuments, he bade them re member it well and destroyed every vestige of paper. Then, as a fina! ad monition, he said: "Now go In there quietly, boys don't hurry. Prospect around a little and tho Mexicans will all como to you and try to sell you lost mines. Cruz Mendez is the man you're looking for -he's honest, and he'lr tako you to the Eagle Tall. After that you can UBO your own Judgment. Bo good-by"--ho took thom by the hands-"and don't talk!" Ho held up a warning finger as they parted, and Bud nodded briefly lb reply. Silence was a habit with him. desert-bred, and ho nodded his head for two. CHAPTER IV. Prom tho times ot David and Jona than down to tho present day the world has been full of young, men sworn to friendship and Booking ad venture' In' palra. "Phrdhera," they call then-. !a the wast, and though the word hos not crept- into the dictionary yet, lt. ts as different from ."partner" as a friend ls from a business associate. - Tliey travel together, these pa rd ne ra of the West, and whether they be cow boys or"'Cous in Jacks;" the boss; who fires one or them' fires both of them, aud they go share and share in every thing. . *ffi*S? *V:, ? . . . . . '. it'ZvJ v Hud Hooker um] I'll ll i p Do Lancey had met by chance In Kl I'asm when tim revolution wau just beginning io boil and tho city was swarming with adventurers. Thc agents of thu rebels were everywhere, urging Americans to join tlu lr cause. Military preferment, cash payments, und grants of lund were tin; baits they used, but Hooker stood out fruin the first mid took He Lancey with him. A Mexican prom iso did not paes current where he was born and they went to tho mines in stead. Then the war broke out and, while fugitives streamed out of stricken Chihuahua, they finally struck out against the tide, fighting their way to a certain mine far back in tho Sierra Madn a, wlicro they could dig tho gold on shares. Ilehind them the battle waged; f'asas Grandes was taken and retaken; Juarez., ARU?I Negra and Chihuahua fell; Don Porfirio, Hie Old .Man of Mex ico, went out and Madero took his place; and still they worked for their stake. Then new arms and ammunition flowed in from across tho border; Orozco and bia rebel chiefs went out, and the breuth of war fanned higher against tho hills. At last tho drat broken hand of rebels rame straggling j by, and, reading bato and envy ' in their lawless eyes, tho Americans ?lug up their gold at sundown und rode ull thu night for their lives. And now, welded together hy all that toll and danger, they were pardners. cherishing no delusions as to each tither's utreugth or weaknesses, but joined together for better or worse. It was the last thing that either of ' them expected, hut three days after i they fled out of Mexico, and with all j their money unspent, tho hand of fate , seized upon them mid sent them back' to another adventure. It was carly morning again, with crowds along tho street, and au they! Made Maps and Answered Questions ' Until Every Detail Wae Settled. ambled slowly along toward the lino tho men on tho corners stared at them. The bunch of cowboys gazed at Hud, who sported a new pair of high-heeled boots, and knew him by the way ho rode; nnd the mining men looked searchingly at He Lancey, as if to gueus tho secret of his quest. A squad of mounted troopers, riding out on border patrol, gazed after them questioningly, but Pud and Phil rode on soberly, leading their pack, and headed for Agua Negra acrosB the line. lt was a grim place to look at, this border town of Agua Negra, for the war had swept lt twice. A broad wasto of level land lay 1 reen it and the prosperous American city, and across this swath, where tho Manners and machine guns bad twice mftwed, lay the huddle of lov house? which marked the domain . I Mexico. Fussy little CUB . n3 officials, lurk ing like spiders itt their cooped-up guardhouses, rv ' cd out SB they crossed the dec, men and demanded their permit to . ar arms. The mo ment they err- >d tho line tho atr ' Boomed to be v-ryaded with Latin ex citability and :t.dian jealousy, but De Lancey repli in florid Spanish and before hts r to assurances and ful some compll;.. nts lt wau dissipated tn a moment. "Good! t tss on, amigos," cried the beady-eyec little jefe, pasting a label on their >?ack?s "Adios, senor," he added, rc: urnlngv Phil's salute with a Military flourish, and .with a scornful glance at Bud he observed that the gentleman waa muy caballero. * "Hub!" remarked Bud, as they rode on through tho town, "we're In Mexico all right, all right. Talk with both bonds and get busy with your eye brows-and holy Joe. look at them pelones!" The pelones referred to ware a squad of Mexican federal soldiers, so* caned' from their heads being shaved, and they were. marching doggedly to and 'fro through the thorny mesqult bushes in responso to shouted orders from un officer. Being from Zacatecas, whero the breed ls short, they stood about as high as their guns; and their crumpled linen suits and flapping san dals de trac ted sadly from the B?ldlerly offset. I Big and hulking, and swelling with tho pride of his kind. Hooker looked them over slowly, and spoke his hid den, thought. " , wonder." he said, turning to Phill "ho? many of them I could lick- with onojland?" . "T&ll.'-they're nothing but a lot of petty convicts, anyway." answered De LancVy. "hut. here's soma boys ahead that ni bet could hold you, mao for i man. husky as you arc, oh! follow." TIK-.V wore riding pa*t a store, now I serving as an improvised barracks. 1 and romping about in tho streets were j a pair of tall Yaqui Indians, each deco I rated with a cartridge-belt about his hips in token of his military service. ! Laughing und grabbing for holds, they ) frolicked like a couple of boys until ' finally they closed lu a grapple that re vealed a sudden and pautberliko strength. I And a group of others, sunning j themselves against the wall, looked up , at thc Americans with eyes us fearless t as mountain eagles. "Yes. that's right," admitted Bud, returning tho' ?idly greeting, "but we'll never iiavo no trouble with them " "Well, these Nacionales are not so bad." defended Phil, us they passed the nt.it o 60bllers of Sonora on tho street, "but they're Just as friendly au the Yaquis." "Sure," Jocrcd Bud, "when they're sober! But you get a hunch of 'em drunk ?nd ask 'ctn what they think of tho gringos! No, you got to show mo -I've ^ecn too much of 'em.'' "You haven't seen as much of 'em as I have, yet," retorted He Lon coy quickly. "I've been all ov^r tho repub lic, except right hore in Sonora, und I swear these Sonorans here look good to me. There's no use holding a grouch against them. Hud - they haven't done un any dirt." "No, they never had no chance," grumbled Hud, gazing grimly to tho south. "But wnit till thc hot weather conies and the revoltosos come out-of their holes; walt till Hiern Chihuahua 1 greasers thaw out up in the Sierras and come down lo get some fresh mount?. \V< ll, I'll tell 'eui one thing," he end.ed, reaching down to pat his j horse, "they'll never get old Copper Bottom hero-not unless they steal him ut night. It's all right to be cheer ' ful about this. Phil, cvd - m keep right ! on being glad, but I i >f, ? low-down I hunch that we're going io get i." bad." "Well, I've got just aa good ?; hm. "h," came back Do Lancey, "that woic -0 lng to make a killing." "Yes, and speaking.about killing,.\" said Hud, "you don't wat.t to overlook j that." j Ho pointed at a group of disman tled adobe buildings standing out on j the edge of tho town and flanked by a segment of whitewashed wall nil spat tered and breached with hallet holes. "There's where these prize Mexicans of vonni pulled off the biggest killing lu Sonora. I was over here yesterdaj with that old prospector and ho tole mc that that wall is tho bull-ring After tho first big fight they gatheret up three hundred and fifty men, mort or less, and throwed 'em In a trend atong by thu wall-then they blowed ii over on 'em with a few sticks of dyna mite and let 'em pass for burled. N< crosser, or nothing. Excuse me, if the: ever break loose Uko that-we migh get planted with tho rest!" "By Jove, old top," exclaimed D< Lancey, laughing teasingly, "you'vi certainly got the Til nos today. Herr take something out of th's bottle am see if lt won't help." He brought out a quart bottle fror his saddle-bags and Bud drank, am shuddered at the bito of it. "All right." he raid, as ho passed I back, "and while we'ro talking, what' tho matter with cutting it out on booz for thlB trip?" "What are you going to drin? than?" cried Do Lancey in feline alarm, "water?" "Well, something like thot," admit ted Bud. "Come cn-what do yo say? Wo might get Ht up and tel something." "Now lookee here, Bud," clamorc Phil, who hod bad a-few drinks n ready, "you don't mean to InBinuat* do you? Next thing I know you'll b asking mc to cut it out on the hay might taBt in my sleep, you know, an give the whole snap away!" "No, you're a good boy when your asleep, Phil," responded Bud, "bu when you get about half shot lt's di ferent. Come on, now-I'll quit If yo will. . Thnt's fair, ain't it?" . "What? No little toots aroun town? No serenading tho senoritas an giving tho rurales the hotfoot? Wei what's the usc of living. Bud, If yo can't havo a little fun? Drinking don rcako any difference, * aa long as' w stick together. What's the uso c swearing off-going ca record in at vance? Wo may find some fellow ths we cant work any other way-we ma have to go on a drunk with him In o: der to get his goat!- But will yo stick? That's the pohit!" ' ' Bud glanced at him and grunted, an for a long time he rode on in ellene Before them lay a rolling plain,' di ping by broad gulobea and dwlndlln ridges to the lower l?vela of Old Me leo, and on tho skyline, thin and bin stood the knifelike edges of the Fo tunas miles away. With desert-trained eyes he nott tho landmarks. San Juan mountain't the right. Old Niggerhead to the. Iel and the feather-edge of mountains ft below; and as he lodked be stored away in his mind in case- ka shod come back on the run some nicht. lt was not a .foreboding, but U training of his kind, to note the lay the ground, and ho planned Just wbe he would ride to keep undercover be ever" made a dash fer the. HneJ. B all the time his pardner waa talking friendship and of th?necessity o? thc sticking together. "I'll tell you. Hud," he bald at hu his-voice trembling with sentlmei 'Whether' we win or lose, I won't ha a single regret as lo?g aa I know wc' been true to one another. Ton m knOw Tolas and Atizona, Bud, bot t know Old Mexico,-the land ot mana and broken promises. I know tho coi ? try. Bud-and the climate-and t women! _ "They play the devil with tho bent of UH, Bud. these dark-eyed senoritas! That's what makes all the troublo . ? down here between man and man, lt's, these wemen and their ways. They're not satisfied to win a man's heart- : they want him to kill somebody to j t;how that he really loves them. By j Jove, they're a fickle lot, and nothing , pleases 'em more than settiug man! against man, oue pardner against an other."_ A "We never hail any trouble yet,"jib served Hud sententiously. j "No, but we're likely to," protested Do Lancey. "These Indian, women up in the Sierras wouldn't,!urn nnyhody's head, but we're eo'ng down into the hot country now, where the girls aro pretty, tu ru, ta-ra, and we talk through the windows nt midnight." 1 "Well, if you'll cut out the booze," said Hooker shortly, "you can have 'em all, -jr all of me." "Sure, thnt'e what, you say, hut wait till you see them! Oh. h., la, la"-- he kissed his fingers eCBtutlcally-"lil be glad *o see 'em myself! But listen,' Mud, here's the proposition, lot's take! an oath right now, while we're start- ? ing out, that whatever comes up we'll always be true to each other. If one ! of us ls wounded, thc other stays with ! him; if he's in prison, ho gets him out; j If he's killed, he avenges his-" "Say," broke in Bud. Jostling him rudely as ho reached liito the B?ddlo- ; bags, "let me carry that bottle for a while." He look a big drink out of it to pre-. vent Do Lancey from getting It all and . shoved it inside his overalls. "All right, pardner," ho continued,' with a mocking smile, "anything you j say. I never use oaths myself much,1 but anything to oblige." "No, but I mean it, Bud!" cried Do Lancey. "Here's tho proposition now. Whatever happens, we etay with each other till this deal is finished; on all scratch cases we match money to soe who's it; and if we tangle over somo girl the best man wins and the other one Btays away. We leave It to tho girl which ono wins. Will you shako . tads un that?" ?\'t need to," responded Bud; "iii cl " ' ny way." 'Well, shake on lt>then!" Insisted Do Lancey, holding out his hand. "Oh, Sally!" burst out Bud, hanging his head In embarrassment, "what's the uso of getting mushy?" But a moment later he leaned over in his saddle and locked hands with a viselike grip. "My old man told me not to make no such promises," he muttered, "but lil do it, being's ifs yc_." (To be continued.) FOR THE TENNIS GIRL More and more ls the sportswoman getting to bc the'rival of her brother when lt comes tb a matter of comfort able clothes. Here we have her en joying the freedom of a poefo&t. Bho can Corry 'uti1 Soria. of things In. It, and they will not fall out, for tinder Its trimming of buttons and buttonholes there ore two snap fasteners, easily opened and easily shut. 9f= UL. i , i^.iiu4-^?^?-m.j \ NOTICE OF STOCKHOLDERS MEET ING The annUal meeting of the Perpet ual Building & Loan Association Ot Anderdon, S." C.; will be held at the Bank of Anderson, Tuesday, june 23, 191?. at 4 o'clock'. Please be repres ented either in person or by proxy. R. E. Llgon, Pr?sident P. E. CUnkscalos, Cashier STOCKHOLDERS* MEETING A meeting of the stockholders of Anderson Theatre Company will bo held at the Chamber of Commerce of Andersen. S. C., at 5 o'clock P. M, on Tuesday, June 23rd. 1914,.for the pur pose of changing Ute name of , said company and nuthorlzlng"nns increase ] of the capital stock to. Thirty thous-} and Dollars. ' \ I J. S .FOWLER, . . ? <, . . ? president, . I A Our Annual June Under wear Sale is now on. All underwear displayed on center aisle first floor. D Agents GoFsard Coreel Taking it up one side and down the other, as well as we can gather, there is around 66 2-3 or 70 per cent of a stand of cotton in this section. The Government report puts it 72 per cent. Some. sections of the State may have better stands than we have, and so taking it up one side and down the other, our stand as well as we can gather, is around 66 2-3 or 70.per cent of a perfect stand. While this is not ideal, still there is enough cot ton up to make a good crop of cotton if you will feed it and nurse it and pomper it. If you will side dress it once or twice, putting from 150 to 200 pounds of fertilizer to the acre, each tinvj, you get all out of your crop that can be gotten. And that is all that you can do. You can get more out of this 66 2-3 per cent of a stand by feeding it and nursing it and pom pering it than you can get out of an ordinary stand where you don't side dress it. But in side dressing this crop, you want the very best goods made for this purpose. It is no time for experi ments, the business of this crop requireth haste, it is no-time to take chances, you want a sure tbing. The side dressing fertilizer made by the An derson Phosphate & Oil Company is the best made. Remember that side dressing makes more bolls and larger bolls, stands drought better, stands anything better, it is better fed and is stronger. Remember, too, that 1300 pounds of seed cotton that has been side dressed, will make as heavy a bale of cotton as 1500 pounds that has not been side dressed. But it takes the best fertili zer to do this. When you buy side dressing get the best. Get the best, and forget the rest. OIL GO. It will pay you to pomper your co?n crop too this year. It will be pretty rough to make a short cotton Crop, and then buy corn. It pays handsomely, to fertilize corn. ^ .. .. 7ewytm,$B,?^4.-'m-^-.-L..-3. i. . ':.L' ? ? 1 We Have Buggies ^ .?? coming in almost every day Hie latest shipment being a <:ar of -COLUMBUS N Come in and let ca show them. They aro 1914 Mode!?. Wo have a nice line of Pony buggies.