The hatti
Broken 1
By BAX COI
A ut lu
??Thc Fighting Foc?L" "HW)
Illustration I).
k --
Previously Continued
tlug on a log and continuing hie
harangue.
Then, In the middle of a terence,
and while Bud woo bending over the
fire, tho Mexican stopped short and
leaned to one! side. A tense silence
fell, and Hooker waa waked from his
trance by the warning click of a ?un
lock. Suddenly his mind came back
to his guests, and he ducked like a
flash, but even as he went down he
heard tho hammer clack!
The gun had snapped!
Instantly Hooker's band leaped to
his pistol and he' fired from tho hip
pointblank at the would-be murderer.
"With a yell to the others, one of tho
Mexicans sprang on bim from behind
and tried to bear him down. They
struggled tor a moment while Bud
Bhot blindly' with his'pistol and went
down fighting- . .
Bud' was a giant compared to the
stunted -Mexicans, and he threw them
about like dogs that hang on to a bear.
With a man in each hand he rose to
his feet, crushing thom down beneath
him; then, in despair of shaking off
his rider, he'Staggered a few steps
and hurled himself over backward Into
the lire.* ? " . '
A yell of agony followed their fall
and, SB tho live cook) blt through tho
Mexican's'thin shirt, ho fought like a
cat to get free. Rocks, pots and hot
Threw Them About Like'Doga That
Hang Onto a Bear.
ties were kicked In every direction,
and when Hooker leaped to his feet
the Mexican scrambled up and rushed
madly.for the"creek.
. But, though Bud Was free, the bat
tle had turned against, bim. for in the
brief interval of hie fight,-the other
two. Mexicans had..run, for their guns.
The instant he rose they covered .him.
Their chief, who by some miracle had.
escaped Bud's shot, gaye a shout for
them to halt. . Cheated of h ia victim at
the first he waa claiming the right to
kui.
< As Hooker stood blinded by the
smoke and ashes the fellow took do
; liberate aim- and once-more his rifle
snapped. . Then, aa the- other Meal?
cana stood agape, surprised at, the
failure of tb? shot, tho cannonlike
whang of a Mauaer rent the air and
_ ? the leader crumpled down in a heap.
An instant later a shrill yell roso
from up the canyon and, aa the two
Moxicana etarted 'and Blared,- Amig?
came dashing in upop them, a spitting
pistol In one-hand-and bis terrible
''wood-chopping'* - kn.ire ? brandis bei
high lb) the, p^be?:. , . r.
In tho ' dusk his eyes and teeth
gleamed white!, .hie black hair seemed
to ,bristle w ith fury, and the glint of
his. long 'knife made a light as he
vaulted, ovejr the last rock and went
plunging on their track. For, nt the
flrat glance nt this huge, pursuing-fig
ure, the two -Mexicans had turned and
bolted like; rabbits, and now, as the
Yaqui whirled In after them. Dud could
hear thom squealing' and BC rambling
as he. bunted them down among the
rocks.. .. ;", - .
It waa'grim .work, too, even for-his
stomach, but Hooker let tho Indian fol
low * his notur?. .* When . Amigo. carno
back from, bia hunting there wa? , no
need to ask Questions. .Hls.ey es shone
so .terribly that Hooker Bald nothing,
but Bet - about clean!ng up camp.- ..
Arter ho had washed the ashes from
bia byes, end'-'wb'efV, the -fury hnd van
ished from Amigo's foco, they went aa
by common1 consent and gazed nt tho
body of the cli??f of tho deopoTftdoeB.
Evan In death hta fneo seemed RtraaGO
ly familiar; but aa Hooker Blood gad
ing at bim thp V?qul picked UP bia
eua.
*XocAI'! h? ahid,>nd pointed to Si
b ulle t- s pl ash . w b o r o, :. aa the . Mexican
held the gun acroat his breast Bud'*
pistol oho* had fla tte nod harmlessly
against the lock, -lt waa that which
had saved the-Mexican chief from in
stant, death, and the'Jar of the>ahot
bad doubtless - broken tho rifle'' and
oavod Bud, in turn, from the second
shot_;_,
? 8 1 ?? ? 1 . ' 1 1 Bj 11 U
d of
promises
?? *- jf ? AH !
UJ.iBGF.
?r o?
len Waters," Thc Toxlcuu," etc.
t now J. LAVIN
All thia waa in the Yaqui's eye as he
carefully tested the action; but, when
he throw down the lover, a cartridge
rose up from the magazine and glided
smoothly Into the breech. With a ri Ho
tull o? cartrldgeu the Ignorant Mexican
nad been snapping on an empty chara
ner, not knowing enough to jack up a
abell!
? For a moment Amigo stared at the
(fun und the man, and his mouth drew
aown with contempt
"Hal Pendejo!" ho grunted, and
kicked the corpse with his foot,
think of Bernardo Bravo and his men?
They captured the last up train from
Fortuna; loaded all the men Into the
pre cars and empty coaches; and,
while the federals were stUl in their
barracks, tho train ran clear into the
station and took the town by storm.
"And eight days later, at sundown,
the federals took it back. Ah, there
waa awful slaughter averted, sepor.l
But for the fact that the fuse went
out two hundred Yaqui Indians who
led the charge would have been blown
Into eternity.
"YeB, so great waa the charge of
dynamite that the rebels had laid tn
their mino that not a house in Agua
Negra would have been left standing
it tho fuBo/hud done its work. Two
tons or dynamite! Think of that, my
friend!
I "But these rebele were as ignorant
of its power as they were or laying
a train. The Yaquis walked Into the
town at sundown and found it. de
serted-every man, woman and child
had Sod to Gadsden and the rebela had
fled to the west. t
"But liston, here waa the way lt
happened-actually, and not aa com*
mon report has it, for the' country is
all in an uproar and the real facts
were never known. When Bernardo
Bravo captured the town of Agua Ne
gra the people acclaimed his a hero.
"He sent wdrd to the Junta at El
Paso and set up a new form of gov
ernment All waa enthusiasm, and
several Americana joined his ranks
to operate the machine guns and can
The. Artillery Drove'Them Back.
non. Aa for the federalB, they occu
pied the country to the cast and at
tempted a few sallies, but aa they
had nothing but their rifles, the artil
lery drove them back.
"Then, aa the battle' ceased,. the
rebela began to celebrate their vic
tory. They broke into tho closed can^
tinas, disobeying their offlcere and be
ginning the loot of the town, and
while half of their number were drunk
the. federals, being informed of their
condition, suddenly- advanced upon
; them, with tho Yaquis far. in tho lead.
"They did not shoot, those Yaquis;
bat, dragging.their guns behind them,
they crept up through tho bushes and j
dug*plts quite close to the'linea. Then,
-when the rebels discovered them and
-manned, their guns, tho Yaquis shot
down the gunners. ?. ra j
1 - "Qrawiiag bo|der.. they crept farther
to tiie front->the rebela became dlsor- j
ganMzed, their men became, mutinous
and at last when they Baw they would1
surely be taken, the leaders burled
two tona of dynamite In tho trenches
by tho bull-ring and set a tlme-fuso.
to explode when tho Yaqula arrived.
: "The word, sprcai through the town
like .-wildfire-all th ti people, all/tba
soldiers fled every .which ' way ta es
eft?e-?end then, - wh^nrih? worst- "irsis
expected . to happen, tho dynamite
failed to explode and tho Yo quia"
rushed ,th? trenches at sundown:.'.1
, ."Did ;tbose YaflUta know ^bout; th^
dynamite?" Inulped.Bud- - , ;
c^Kww.r/ repeated Don Juan, waving
tho thought away; "not a wprdl freehr
commanders kept it from them, even
after they discovered.the mine- And
now tho Indiana are making boanta;
they, are drunk with tho thought ot
their valor and claim that the rebela
.'fled from them '^lbne.
"The , rpadmaster came ;lnto towri
thia morning op. .a yelpcii^e a^d
that tho Yaqula aro insufferable, think
ing that it wa.?; their renown aa fight,
eva and not-the news of the dynamite
.thai drove all Ute oetdler* from, townv
"However, Agua-Negra I? once more I
in tho Ji un ii M pf tl io government; the
track is clear and most of the bridges
repaired; eo why quarrel with the
Yaquis? While they ore, of course,
nothing but Indians, they serve their
purpose in battle."
"Well, I guess yes!" responded Hud
w.-rmly. "Serve their pur pone, eh?
'."hera wore these Mexican soldiers
and them Spapisb ofJlcere when the
Yaquis were taking the town? And
that was just like a dog-goned Mexi
can-setting that time-fuse and then
not haying lt go off. More'n likely the
poor yap that fired lt was so scairt he
couldn't hold a match-probably
never Ht it, Jest, dropped the match
and run. They're a bum bundi, if
you want to know what I think. I'd
rather have a Yaqui than a hundred
of 'em!"
"A hundred of whom?" inquired a
cool voice behind him, and looking, up
Hooker ?aw the beautiful Gracia gaz
ing out at bim .through the screen
dopr. .
But if the Mexican had been a fool,
.be had paid the price, for the second
-time be snapped-bis gun Amico had
Shot him through and through.
_^ CHAPTER XX.
In a country where witnesses to a
crime are imprisoned along with the
principals and kept more or lesB in
definitely in Jail, a man thinks twice
before he reports to the police.
With four dead Mexicans to the
Yaqui's account, and Del Roy In
charge of'the district, Hooker folk- .ved
his second thought-he said nothing,
and took his chances on being ur?. -1
ed for murder. Until far Into tho n't-. it
Amigo busied himself along tho UU1
sido, and when the Bun roso not a sign
remained to tell.the story of the fight.
Men, hornes. Baddies and guns-all
bad disappeared. And, after packing a
little food in a sack, Amigo disap
peared aleo, with a grim mullo in prom
ise of return.
The sun rose round and hot, the
same as usual ; the, south* wind came
up and blew Into a bellying mast ot
clouds, which lashed back with the ac
customed rain; and when all the,earth
was washed,clean and fresh the last
traco of the struggle was gone. Only
iby the burns on his bands waa Hook?, r
aware of the fight and of the treachery
which had reared its bead against h'm
?like a snake which -has been warmed
.and fed. . , .
Nowhere but in Mexico, where the
low pelado ciasHOB have made, such
doods a Bubtioty, could the man be
found to dissimulate, like that- false'
assassin-in-chlef, "To pause suddenly
in a protracted speech, swing OT . and
pick .up a gun. and .bait his vit im-for
tho shooting by tho preparatory click
:<*rthe lock-Mhat ib.deed -ceM?! tor n
brand of'cunning rarely-found In the
United States. -
., There was one thing about the affair
thai .vaguely haunted Hooker-why
? waa lt.that a man BO cunning as that
bad failed to load hip gun? Twice, and
with everything in bis favor, be had
raised hie rifle to fire; and both times
lt bad snapped-In bis hands. Certainly
be must have been inept at arms-or
accustomed to aingle-Bhot guns.'.'
The reputed magic.ot the awift ur
in g rifles evidently bad been his undo
ing, but where had tie ?ot his new
gun ? And who was he, anyway 7 with
these two haming questions Hud wres
tled as he sat bea Ido his door, and at
evening bte answer came.
The sun was swinging low and he
was coll-jptlug wood .down the gulch
for a fire when, with & pudden thud of
boots, a horseman rounded the, point
and came abruptly to a halt. It waa
Aragon, and he was QP/lng on the
'WPP-.. ? * ' ' '.. < - *i
For a full minute be scanned tbe
hquse, tent und mrno with, a look KO
snaky and sinister/that Bud could read
bis heart like a book. Here was the
man who bad sent.the assassins, and
he had come to view.their work!.
Very slowly Bud's band ? crept
toward bisBix-?hooter but,'slight as
waa the motion, Aragon caught lt and
'sat frozen In his place. Then, with an
inarticulate pry, he fell fiat on bis
^horse's nepV .and,.yent 'spurring out
.of sight.., ::. ,"
Tbe answer to Bud's questions waa
very easy now. The Mqgcap who bad
led the attempt cn his life wag-one
of Aragon's bad men, ono of the four
gunmen whom .Hooker, had. .looked
over ap carefully when they carno to
.drive him from tho mine, and Aragon
had 'fitted him out with new arma. to
make the result moro sure. But with
that question answered there carno up
another and another until, in a nud
- den clarity of vision, Dud euw through
the hellish plot and beheld himself
;the master. - V
Aa man to man. At agon would not
dare to taco him DOW, for he knew
that he merited death. Dy his sly
approach, by the took In his ey CB and'
ibo dismay -of his - frenzied retreat,-j
be had acknowledged".'^pr?^'sur?ly |
thah by words IJJB guilty knowledge ;j
of tho raid. Coming t? a camp,wbere i
bo expected to find all dead and a till,
?L?. V.,5 ' - Jt V'(M?1f..f&M>V?A ~?
-;.f??'.-Trrf1wr*?*-'*- WfcTtt*trR?i3fi imp
with the5 very nura ,be had squgbt lp,
kill. How. thea> bad .Ufa ?American
escaped dost ruction, and what bad
occurred to his men? . n .
> ' Porbaps, In hh, tfeuorance, Aragon;
waa raging at bis h 'rel In ge becau BO
thty bad shirked their task; perhaps,
n>* knowing tfcjifc (they were dps<? "be
,yaa waiting in,a tyh$ jttPatiencb
eyer ttwaa,.tii^M^H^^
high card, apdy** waa poi aJow,tp act
in tho morningbo saddled Copper
Bottom, who-bad been confined (p. the
corral for weeks, and weet galloping
Into town. . Thora he lingered : about
!i ntl* ha eaw bia man and
?? him. _ Surprise,,!
'tift?iul fear chased them- !
Cerosa * Aragon's face aa he
stood, but Bud walked proudly by.
"Good morning, senor!" was all Bud
said, but the-.look) in hlb eyea wan
eloquent of a grim hereafter.
And instead of hurrying back to
guard his precious mine Hooker loi
tered carelessly about town. His
mine was safe now-and he was safe.
Aragon dared not raise a band. So he
eat himself down on thc broad veranda
and listened with boyish interest to
Don Juan's account of the war.
"What, havo you not heard of tho
battle?" cried portly Don Juan, delight
ed to have a fresh listener. "Agua
Negra has been taken and retaken,
and tho railroad will soon be repaired.
My gracious! have you been out In
the hills that long? Why, it was two
weeks ago that tho rebela captured
the town by a coup, and eight days
later the federals took it back.
. "Ah, there baa been a real war. Mr.
Bud! You who have laughed at the
courage of the Mexicans, what do you
pathy with our great cause, I will ask
you for that horse. Of course, I will
give you a receipt."
He fetched out a blank-book as ho
apoke and motioned to a ragged beg
gar at his beela. Bud checked the
man's mah with a look.
"One moment!" he said, and as the
soldier turned baok his general glanced
up sharply.
"Only this. Senor General," an
swered Bud. . "You are welcome to
anything 1 have-food, blanket H , mon
ey-but r.cannot give you that horse."
"But, senor!" protested the general,
regardlnayhlm wit!) arrogant pig eyes
that glinted wickedly, "this poor sol
dier's feet are sore. Surely you would
not make him.walk. Only name your
price and I will give you a receipt for
him, but my man munt have thc
horse." x..
There waa a pause and men began
to dismount and, move in closer. Al
a word from their commander an)
one of them would draw and kill him
as Hooker very well knew, but nh
love for Capper Bottom made him ob
durate.
"If tho men ia lame," he said, "
will glvo h|m another horse-but h<
cannot have tale, sorrel."
He stepped quickly over to tho cor
ral and turned with his back to thi
gate, while the commander spat ou
arder? in Spanish and armed mei
carno running. ?
"Senor," he Bold, advancing brusque
ly upon the defiant- Hooker. "I mus
trouble you for that pistol."
"No, senor 1" answered the cowboj
keeping bia hand upon bia gun, "no
tp you nor no man- and I'll never g Iv
it up to a Mexican!," '
"Caral!" exclaimed the officer lmpt
tiently, "you aro. un Americano-no?
"Not only that/''rumbled Bud, drav
lng himself up in iii? -prias, t!i sui
Tejero also, and if any man touche
that horse I'll kill him!" .
' His. voice trembled with anger, bu
his hand was steady.and the Mexican
did not deceive themselves.
"Ha, un .TejanoI" murmured tb
men who stood about, and one or tw
who nad started to climb the fenc
thought better of it and dropped bac
to the ground. .?'-??
Bud knew the fate of several me
who hod proclaimed themselves Amer
leans to the insurrectos-boastful]
done, lt was Bald to be the qulck?i
way there was of drawing a Mexlca
bullet But to bb a Texan was ditto
ent-somehow the very name augges
ed trouble to their minds and an Al
mo fight to the death. . Hooker sa
that he had made an Impression, an
he wuB not'slow to follow it up.
?""If you need a. boree," .he said t
the general, "let your'mah go up thi
arroyo and ho will fin?), one hobbled t
the flat. Then give nie your receii
for two hundred dollars gold and
will contribute a saqdle."
It was-a reasonable concession, U
der the circumstances, and, beat of a
lt saved tho generala, face. The bl
eous" frown with which, ho had regal
ed tho American changed suddenly
a look of pompous pride. He jerk)
an imperious head ot his ragged I
tainer arid' drew forth ala recelpt-boi
with a flourish. ^
While be waited for the horso to c
"pear he turned .upon h\a snooping m
and droye them to their mounts wi
curses. Evidently lt waa rib ainecu
to command in the army of the Iib?
atlon. and the veiled mutterings
his followers' showed 'that they we
little .better than tlgera.Ju leash.
I Mounted' upon borees, mules, a
even burros; armed with, every et
celvable weapon itom a musket
standard repeating rifles, they were
tatterdemalion army, more flt I
"treason, stratagems and spoils" th
the stomer duties of war. ?
.- Bud looked them over closely, w
Nsatisfied tp have bia bach, against
.wall, and when tho lpw-browed .
,'tnl.nor came hurrying back with t
homo ho quickly took- tho worth!t
receipt and watched them on thi
? way. Then, as the last camp-follow
j disappeared, ho ran for his.saddle a
.rifle .and within a .minute he vt
mounted and away, v
There were rebels below bim-v<
likely th or o were mere to como-i
oujy ?aje i?Jace. for ' Copper Botj<
ifoB qyer tog hills at jto'tfuria. ' Wi
but Stopping for. path br trail, he bet
od straight northwest over tho ridg
.riding aa tho cowboys do when tb
rake th? ranga for, cattle. Hardly I
rio topped the. first high ?rest wh
-,ho came Ia sight of Aralgo, load
down with .his cartridge-belts and c
rylng his heavy Mauser.
In a long, shambling trot th<* Ya<
W?? drifting. #0*3 the hillside w
toped on over hogback and barren
! picking out the Dost trail by .iur.Mnot
' and Batting auch a paco that Hud. Waa
I bard pressed to keep up with bim.
Ho bad beard it aald t ii at in tba
' Yaqui country no white man, no mat
I ter bow well bp waa inuun'.cJ, could
1 outdistance the Indiana on foot, and
i now he knew lt was true. Hut why
thia killing baste on the.part of Ami
! go? He bad neither (rieuds nor kin
In towo; why. then, should bo run no
I fast to warn them of the enemy T
They racked on, up one hill and
down another, while tho Insurrectos
followed tho canyon that swung to the
? south, aud flnully, in a last scramble,
! they mounted a rocky ridge and
looked down upon old For tuna.
Already the hard-driven peons were
out in the fields at work and smoke
waa rlBlng from the mescal still. Ara
gon was busy, but hin labors would be
worse thon wasted if the red-flu ((gora
took hlra prisoner. Aa Bud*b.---r.l,:ed
bis horse ho hesitated wl.e:hi r :'de/
back end war" bim *~. rrjji
"A hundred Mexicans!*' he repeated,
and Gracia murmured "Oh!" and waa
gone.
"Miss Aragon ls very loyal to her
country," observed Don Juan, but
Hooker only grunted,
-v. Somehow, since th ooo four Mexicans
had come to his camp, be bad soured
on everything south of the line; and
even the charming Gracia could not
roake bim take back his words. If she
had intended the remark as a chal
lenge-a Bubtle invitation to follow
ber and defend hi* faith-aho failed
for once of her purpose, for if there
waa any particular man In Mexico that
Bud bated moro than another lt waa
her fol8e-heartod fu?t bur.
Hooker had, In fata, thought more
seriously of making her a half-orphan
than ot winning her good will, and he
lingered about the hotel, not to muka
love to the daughter, but to strike tor
rar to Aragon.
The company being good, and a
train bolng expected Boon, Bud stayed
over another day. In tho morning,
when he came down for breakfast, he
found that Aragon had Qed before him.
With hie wife, daughter aad retinue,
he had n to ved suddenly back to bis
home. E joker grinned when Don Juap
told bim the newe.
"Well, .why not?'' he asked, chuck
ling maliciously. "Hero H's the mid
dle of the rainy season and the wai
going on all summer and nary a rebel
la sight. Where's that big fight you
was tolling about-the battle ot For
tuna? You've made a regular fortune
out of these refugees, Braonamonte,
bat I fall to see the enemy."
? "Ah, you may laugh,*' shrugged thc
hotel-keeper, "but wait! The time wil
come.' The rebels are lost no w-BO mc
day, when you least expect lt, ' th03
will come upon UB and then, believ?
me, my guests will be glad they an
. here? j What je a few weeks' hill com
pored to be|ng held for ransom ? Lool
at that rich Senor Luna, who was hen
for a tune In the spring. Against mj
advice he hurried homo and now ht
is paying the, price. Ten thousanc
pesos lt cost to save his wife am
family, and for himself and bun hit
triepda advanced ten thousand more
It make no evil prophecies, but 1
would.',be bettor for our friend if h
stayed on at my poor hotel."
''Whose friend?" Inquired Bui
bluffly, but Don Juan etruck him upoi
tho back with elephantine playfulnes
and hurried off to his duties.
Aa for Hooker, he tarried in towt
until he got his mail and s copy o
the Sunday paper and then, well eat
lsfled that the times were quiet an
wars a thing of the past, ha amble
: back to the Eagle Tall and settle
! down for a rest.
I Flat on his back by the door wa
1 be lay on hip bed and smoked, readin
his way through the lurid BupplemeE
and watching the trail with one ey?
Since the tight with Aragon'a Mex
cana all his apprehensions had lei
bim. He had written briefly to Pb
and Kruger, and now be was holdin
the fett,
lt bid been a close shave, but ID
had escaped the cowardly assasBit
and had Aragon in his power. Hot I
-any force of btw, but by the force <
, fear and the gnawing weakness of Ax
gop.'s own evil consol once.
Aragon was afraid - of what he bs
done, hut it waa the suspenso wk lc
rendered bim so pitiable. On .a di
he, had sent /four armed Mexlcai
to kill this Texan-not one had r
turned and the Texan regarded bl
sneeringly. Thia it, wk*, that brol
the. qpanlard/B will, for ba knew ni
what to think. But aa, for Hud, be U
on"'his back by the doorway ai
Iuugli?a at the funny pago.
As he sprawled there at his readln
Amigo carno In from the'hills, and fa
too, waa content-.-to relax. Grave
scanning tho colored sheet, bis dai
face lighted up.
It was all very peaceful and .plec
ant, but lt was not destined to hist.
CHAPTER XXI.
On tho morning after they hi
laughed at the comic paper and doc!
ed that all the world waa fair, Hook
anet Amigo woro squatting by tba fl
sad eatbag a map's-slxe breakfast.
, Tho creek,, Bwollen by yesterda
torrential' rain, bad settled to a rit
let. Tfae wind had not risen and t!
san waa Just over the bill when, wi
? rush' and a scramble, Amigo ,thr<
down his cup and waa off In.a flash f
tho rocks,
;A piora on tinter two men rode dot
tito canyon, and thon two' more, a;
two more. It vu ? column of mc
all armed " with - rifles, - and they es
envious oye a at Copper Bottom aa tb
halted before tho camp< Aa for Di
nba^ntad gray^yii fpr bo.viR??
for what they were. (
] These wera tho lost forcea Of Bi
nardo Dravo and SalaxAr, Rojas ai
the other bandit chiefs, and they
marchi-.; aa he well knew, upon For
tuna. They marched quietly, and the
great whistle had not blown.
ll would make a rich prize, Fortuna,
If they could take it by surprise! The
ran noni for the Spanish h nc lc mia don
alone would amount to thousands ot
dollars, and the mine-owners could
afford to poy anything In ordar to savo
their works.
A box pt dynamite under the giant
concentrator and the moqoy would be
produced at once, and yet the scoun
drels halted at a one-man camp to
steal a single horse.
A flicker of scorn passed over Hook- I
er'a face aa tho leader carno dashing
up, hut tho Texan greeted him with a
stow smUe.
"Due?os dlae, genornl!" he said;
"you have many men.*'
"Enough!" observed the "general"
hurriedly, "but some In the rear are
on foot- Aa I euppoae you are in syhv
sound as a cloud obscures the light,
stopped suddenly in its roar, and the
crowd at tho hotel became calm. The
superintendent, a wiry, gray-haired
little mun, with decision. iu every
movement, came running from his
fort-llko house on tho hili and ordered
all the women to tako shelter there
and take their children with them.
So, while the rifles rattled and stray
bullets began to knock mud from tho
walls, they went straggling up the bill,
rich and poor,' patrician and peon,
while the air was rent by the < walls
of the half-Indian Mexican women,
who held themselves aa good as cap
tured by the revoltosos, concerning
whose scruples they entertained no
{ Illusions.
i Tho women of the aristocracy boro
! themselves with more reserve, aa be
fitting their birth and station, aud the
Americana who gathered about them
with their protecting rifles pretended
that all would be well: but in tho.
t minds of every one waa that same
I terror which found expression in tho
peon wall and, while scattered rebels
and newly armed minora exchanged
volleys on both sides of the town, the
non-combatant Americana sought out
every woman and rushed her up to tho
big house. There, If worst came to
worat, they could maka a last stand,
or save' them by n ransom.
So, from the old woman who kept
the candy stand in the plaza to tho
wives of the miners and the cherished
womenfolk: of the landowners, they
wera all crowded Inside tho broad halls
of the big houso; and seventy odd
Americans, armed with company rifles,
paced nervously along the broad yeran,
das or punched loopholes In tho adobe
walls that inclosed the summer garden
behind..
Along with the rest went Hooker
and. Grac(a, and,, though her mother
beckoned and her father'; frowned
sternly,'tho wflfui daughter of the Atv
sons did not offer to leave him ns they
scampered up the hilt In fact, she
rode olose beside him, spurring when
he. spurred and, Anally, when the,
shower of etray bullets bud passed,
she led on around tho house.
"Won't you help me take my horse
Inside tho walls?" she asked. Bud1
followed after her, circling the fortress
whose blank adobe waihi gave shelter
to the. screaming women, and she
smiled upon bim with the most en
gaging confidence.
"I know you will have to go soon,"
she Bald, "and I suppose I've got to be
shut In with those creatures, but we
must be sure to Bave our horses. Some
bullets might.hit them, you know, and
then we could not run sway !
"You remember your promise!" she
reminded, as Hud gazed at her in as* ?
tonlshment. "Ah, yes, I knew you did ,
-otherwise you would not have picked
such a good horse for me. This roan
is my father's best riding boree. You ?
must put yours inside the wall with
him, and when the time is right we
will.get them and ride for. the Une." ,
"What?" cried Hooker incredulous'
ly, "with tho country full bf rebels?
They're liable to take the town In half
an houri"
"No, indeed they will not I" respond*
ed Gracia with spirit. "Yon do not
understand the spirit ot us.Sonorous 1
Woman and C? " t?'?r. Tifck Shelter
'more.
Can't you (iee how the firing bas Black
ened? ...The minoru have, driven your
rebels back already, and they will do
more-they will follow them up and
kill thom l Thon, when the rebels aro
in flight and Dal Bey and hie rurales
aro away, that will be a. good time, for
"Nothing doing!"announcedHook/sr,!
ns ho dismounted nt the corral. "You
don't know what you're talking about!!
nut I will leavo my horse here," ho
lidded; "I suro don't wont him to get
hurt."
"Hut you promised!" protested Gra
cia weakly.
"Promised nothing!" retorted B?ft/
ungraciously. "I promised to take carat i
of you, didn't lt Well, what'd, tao uso
of talking, then? You better stay right
here, whore you're safo, Co m 9.. OG;.
let's, go to the house!"
"No!" cried drama, her dark eyes1'
turning misty with imminent tears.
"Oh, Mr. Hooker! ' she burst out, .
"didn't I keep them aK walting while I
put on thia riding-skirt? 1 thought you:,
hud come to take me awa;M What do
I vare to bo safe? 1 want to be free!
.ant tn run away-.ind go across the'.'
line lo dear Phil!" she '. -Herod. Thon
lbe ippkojl >tp at him sharply and her
.. nn accusing tone,
notify Fortuna; but even for that
brief spell the Yaqui could not walt.
"Adios," ho said, coming close and.
holding ?ut his black hand; "I go thia
way!" And he pointed along the ridge.
"But why?" said Bud. still at a loss'
to account for hie haste. Then, seeing
the reticence In the Indlan'a eyes, he*
thrust out hlB hand in return.
"Adios, Amigo mio!" he replied, and
with a quick grip the Yaqui was gone.
With that samo deceptive speed ho
shambled through tho bushes, still lug
ging the heavy rifle and making tor
higher ground.' Bud knew ho had
some purpose-he oven bad a sneak
ing idea that lt waa tb take ipotehotai
at Captain del Bey-but six months in
Mexico had made him careless, and ha
half hope-; the Yaqui would win.
The captain had lt coming to him
for hlB brutality, but with. Aragon, tt
waa different-Aragon had a wife arid
Speed Was What Was Needed.
daughter-rind/ with the memory ot
Oracle In hts mind, Bud sent'his hors?
plunging down the ridge to warn mem
before it was too late.
There wore som o brush fences to bo
Jumped, but Copper Bottom took .them,
flying, and. as ..they. eu| into tho riv?
trail he made tho mud-puddles.up"
Across the ; fields' to ' the south . "
could see'the peons running for coy
-the Insurrectos must be In sight *
yond the bills. \' . .
He was going south, they were mov
ing weat, but it was Aye miles north
again tb the town, Bpeod was what
was needed and Copper Bottom gave
his best. ' They dashed Into Fortuna
like a whirlwind, and Hooker raised
bis voice in ? high yell. ,
"Insurrectos!" he Bbouted. "Ladro
nea! Pr-onto- a Fortuna 1"
There was a jrush, a moment's si
lence, and then heads appeared from
every v/in?^-y and wc-mor. ran acream
ing-wlth, toe newp. 'A^gorieanm rush
ing from the store and confronted bira
angrily; then, reading 'conviction'' In
his tones, he called for horses' andar?n
frantically Into the house., ' >
A shrill screech .earn? .from tua hin
side, where ? , ??r ring-woman .bad
ftcampered to view, the yeHey*,and, a?
she painted her Arider ano. ser asmad,
mothers laid hold of their Uttlo ones
and Started up the valley ?ri foot.
Still the men rap about In tho horso
pen and Aragon adjured bia women
folk tn tho house. Burnlos'-with lai
patience. Bud spurred, b^.;W?,^.Jfc?
corral where, they w^fii^'aUnav-g^
reata and rigging and dropped ? ropo
on the Arat horse he saw. Thoo bo
Snatched a side-saddlo from, a trata-y
hiing peon and slapped lt on the
brute's back. Grabbing up. tho prldle,
he led the horse back to tho hpuBo,aad
bridled it while he inputed1 for hasp.
Still the xMB?lNr%^^^h
sound Qt galloping carno from Ute
south. Then, as all ti??&?d lost, (Bri
Mexicans eenie bumping out'from the
stable with tho family -noach, Aragcpt
sud bte wife' leaped, in. arid qracta.
neaUyr attired .in ^iridln^fklriv catos*
Ulpplng down trie B|OD8, ^ . -
Even In su/h U.ics as : these, sae
Boomed tn iLuiisa'''risr^fuwt'r?u.ty to
h<-rr.eli, u.id Hooker ba<J to gaze for a
niuiuuiit bafbro bo holped her np., ?ha
offered her, ifl?i\ and.vaulted lightly
Into toe aaddie; ,toq(epaeh wont
lag on. ahead,: and. ?*. tl*e fer
scattered before.her abo galloi
at the Side bf &*xA , '
. .". (To Be Oontltfoed:>v - ' \kr
George Tompkins, o? Richmond. .Va.?
ha? arrived ip toe 'etty. Jpr .^ylait^?
his pant, Mrs: Q. p.. Browne.- . .. j|
Frank Henry, pt Gre^yUle?.^U
spending a-few days iri th?:city-withj
friends, ^t??r'? ','-. : ?? t