Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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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