Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Thc Land of Broken Promises t ; ?Stirring v Story of the Mexican Revolution 1! Bj DANE COOLIDGE itihr vf "The Fit bil of Fool." "HUdeu W?irn.-' "Tbe Teticma." Etc IllustrationsbyT)Qti J. LAVIN tCopyrizhU 1314. by Freak A. Munac/J CHAPTER V. The JournW to Futuna ls p, ?Cant fifty miles by : measure, bi i within these eight kilometers there ls a lapBe of centuries in standards. As Bud and De Lancey rode out of battle-scarred Agua Negra they traveled a good, road, well worn by the Mexican wood-wag ons that babied in mesqult from the hills, /theft.'as they left the town and the wood roads scattered, the highway changed by degrees to a broad trail, dug deep by the feet of pack-animals and marked but lightly with wheels. It followed along the railroad, cutting over bills abd'down through gulches, and by evening they were in the heart of Old Mexico. ' Here wore men In sandals and wom en barefoot; chickens tied up by the legs outside of .brush Jacales; long nosed hogs,-grunting fiercely as they skirmished for food; and rn.lf-nakcd children, Blaring like startled rabbits at the strangers. The smell of garlic and fresh-roast ing coffee was in the atr aa they drew Into town for the night, and their room was an adobe chamber with tile floor and iron bars across the win dows. Riding south the next day they met vaqueros, mounted on wiry -mus tangs, who saluted them gravely, tail ing no shame-for their primitive wood en saddle-trees and pommels SB broad as soup-pistes. As tbey left the broad plain end clambered up over tbe back of a moun tain they passed Indian booses, brush built and thatched with long, coarse grasses, abd by the fires the women ' ?round corn on s ton o metates ss tbelr ancestors had done before tho fall .For In Mexico - there afc two peoples; tbe Spaniards end the natives, and tho Indians still remember the days when tbey we're free. It was through sueh a land-th?t P?? and Hooker, rode on their gallant ponies, leading a pack-animal weil loaded with supplies from the north; and aa the people gamed from their miserable hovels and saw their -atilt they wondered at their wealth. But If they were moved to envy, the bulk of a heavy-pistol, showing through the swell of each coat, discouraged them from going farther; and the cold, searching look ot the tall cowboy as he ambled past stayed In their mem ory long afte>-the pleasant "AdiosI" of De Lancey had been forgotten. . Americans were scarce in thone days, and what few came by were rid: lng to the nbrtb.< How bold, then, must this big man be who rode in front-r .arid* certainly be bad Some great re ward befbro him to risk such a horse among the rovo Ho BOB! SO reasoned the simple-minded natives of tbe moun fains, gazing in admiration at Copper Bottom, and for that look in their eyes Bud returned hie forbidding stare. There ls something ubout a good horse that fascinates tho average Mex icat?-perhaps because they breen the finest themselves and are in a position tb judge-but Hooker bad developed a romantic attachment for hiB trim Uttle chestnut mount and" be resented their wlda-ey ed gapings as j i [ lb Ve r resents ?lances at his lady. Thfa, and a frontier education, rendered him short-spoken and gruff with thepa'/jsnos and lt waa left to the cavalier De Lancey to do the courtesies of the road. ' As the second day wore on they dipped down into a rocky canyon, with huge cliffs of rod and yellow sandstone glowing tn tho slanting sun, and noon they broke oat into a narrow valle v. well wooded with sycam'-.c? and mc* ? Quite and gi?nt/t^s&ecrry trees. The shrill toots of a dummy engine came ,mi^denly ;from;.dotei? .below ariji ? mantle of black smoko rose majes tically sgaiuat the sky-thon, at a turn of the trail, they topped the last bill and Fortuna lay .before them, j In that one moment they were set brfck again ?teMJ tallesM?lear back across tie ttbe^?r Fortuna wai American, froh. . the* ^wer-housa' oh . the creek bartk to the mammoth con centrator bri the bill. ; AU the vbulldftfgs were of stone, .qu'are kritTnnRorja. First a central, plaza, flanked with- offices and ^r& houses; then behind them barracks and lodging houses and trim cottage? ? tri orderly rows; ?n? over serosa tb6 canyon loomed the hage bulk of the mill rind tho .cobce?ttttwr with Its aerial tramway arid endless row of gliding buckets. . ii >-ttiv ?n?r" oV the lower hlUs^wher?! lbw rough country rWk crt?pW ub ?n\t th^^Mfm,W^W^p? l?eserl II eeir in ar crude buddie of half Ind lan - h?nf; 't^etWt?Hn]ft? o? the ea're-fiee mv tivea. ' .*^>;*.--^. .?Well, by Jove!* exclaimed De L*n Preising ?ye. "thlB doesn't look very mach like Mexico-or a revolution, either!" "No, it don't," admitted Bud; "evefy "flilng running full blast, too. Look at "Which Way Are You Boys Travel ing?" that. ore - train coming around tho hui!" ; "Gee, what a burg!" raved Phil; "aay. there's soma class to this-what? If I mistake not, we'll br, able to find a few congenial spirits 'herd-' to-help' Ifs upend our money." Talk about: coin pahy town! ni bet you1 tnet'r barroom is full Of Am er leann. Th o roe- the cor ral down uclow-let's ride -by a*?'d leave bur horses and BOO whit's tho price of drinks. They c?nkt feeze me, whatever it 1B-we doubled our money st the line." Financially considered, they had done Just that-for,-for every Ameri can dollar in their pockets' they could get two thal were just as good, ex cept fof tho picture on the side. Thia in itself was ? great Inducement for a ready, spender and, finding good com pany' at the Fortuna hotel bary Ph it bou'jsht Ave dollars*', vioirthr' of drinks, throw' down a' ffve-doliar bill, and got ba flvo dbiiars^-Mea?., The proprt^t?r, a laVg'tf and Jovial boniface,' pulled off his fiscal miracle, with the grehfest ?Obd humor*' and then, hhvlng in.viferf .'tlje? to. partake of a very exqli?sltVrdtx'lur? ot his own Invention, propped himself urjtin bis' elbows across tho bar" and Inquired with" an. ingen?o?s/fcmile'. "Well, which-aVay are you boya "?hV down bel??w'artf??\l?vlitm? De . . Chelsy, ?1 wjy aYwa^yV chttstituted himself th?; board bf flfrate?y."- "Just ramWing- ?to'?pd a lltti?--atow's the country arbhbd here new?". "Oh; quiet, MeU * i ?^t?red their host "ThCBO Mexicana don't like the cold: weather much-they,w?uld f reo?e you knpw, if lt waa riot for that zarape which they wind about them.so!" ' He made a motion as of a native wrapping his entire wardrobe about his 'neck and smiled, and' De Lanc?y knew, that he was no Mexican. ! And yet that soft "which away" of his be trayed a Spanish tongue. "Ab, excuse me," he said, taking quick advantage of his guess, "but from the way you pronounce that word 'zarape'I take it that you speak Span ish." . ;. "No ono be tier." replied the host, smiling pleasantly at being, taken at his true worth, "since I was born In th? city of" Burge a, where they speak the true Castillan. It ls a different language, believe me, from this bas tard Mexican tongue. And do -you Bpeak Spanish also 7" ho" Inquired, falling back Into the staccato of Caa dle. "No indeed!" protested'DeLoncey la s very; creditable imitation; "nothing but a little Mexican. ?O get along' with th'b natives. My friend and I aro min ing men, passing- through, the country, and wo Bpeak tho beat we'can. Hov is this district here for'work along bur line*" "None better!" cried the Spaniard, shaking his huger emphatically. "It is of the beat, and, bollovo me, my friend, wo should be glad to have yob stop with us. The country down bo low is a lit?!d dangerous-not now, perhaps, jut later, .when-the warm weaner comos on. ' . "But In Fortuna-no! Hero wa are on the railroad; tho carno ls'controlled by Americans; abd b?ca??e sb many W* MR* country tho Mexic^nc witt Biil their. prospects cb'?ap. , ""Then again, if you doVe?op a mino near by; It will DP Very.busy to sell lt rHRttd If you wtsfr to *oik it? ttfat is easy, toa I au only the proprietor of the hotel, but it you cftn ush my pobr i?rYlcei;?i?'afiyr wa* ? ?hall'bo very hippy tb'p?eas? y?^v ?* room? Ode of the be?t! And if you stay aw eek" or more I will. gi\e you tho, lowest fate'" ' ? Tliey -'ilaas'ea^wi?B-' "windli?*'. Stairs s*<r down ^ 'Idng.c?rfldb?; af fie ead of-which the proprietor showed tndin Into a room; throwing "Operi (fio outer doora ait ? shut fers to 1st then? see the view from>tha wirfdow. ."Here ,1B-a little balcpny." he said, stepping outside, '"where you cati sit ?nd look do wn on tho-plata: .. Wo hov o tho band and t?uslc when the weather | h' nae. and you cad watch tho pr ??rU-?moliere: But yd* nive been fonte and^?e lJuicey~jpvV'h*sn;a re turn. "My nsm?." h? .continued, "is J tl on d? Dio* - Braeburn!do jr Kscglonj but with these Americana that does not go, as you say, so in general they call me Don Juan. "Thers ls something about that name-I do not know-that makea tho college boys laugh. Perhaps lt is that poet. Byron, who wrote so scandalous ly about u? Spaniards, but certainty be knew nothing of our language, for he rhymes Don Juan with 'new one' and 'true one!' Stilt. I read part of that poem and ic io, in places, very interest ing-yes. very interesting-but 'Don Joo-an!' Hali!" He threw up his hand In despair and De Lancey broke into a Jollying laugh. , "Well. Don Juan," ho cried, "I'm glad to meet you. My name in Philip De Lancey end my pardner here is M'.v ' Hooker. I Shake hands with him, Don Juan de DIOB! But certainly a man so devoutly hamed could never descend to reading much or Don Joo-an!" ' */Ab? bo," protested Don Juan, roil ing his dork eyes and smiling rakishly, '"riot moch---only tho most ln-tereeting passages 1" HcaaJuted and disappeared in a roar of laughter, and Ue Lancey turned triumphantly on bis companion, a self satisfied smile upon bis lips. "Aha!]' he said; "you see? That's what'five dollars' worth of booze will <!0 in'opening up the way. Here's our old friend Dob Juan willing, nay, anx ious, to help us all he can-bo sees I'm a live wiro and wants to keep me around. Pretty poon we'll get him feeling good and bo'Il toll us all ho knows, Don't you never try to mako me sign the pledge again, brother n lew shots Just gets my intellect to working right and I'm crafty as a fox, "Did you notice.that coup I made -asking him if he was a Spaniard? There's nothing in the world makes a Spaniard so mad as to take him for a Mexican-on the other hand, nothing makes him your friend for life Uko recognizing bim for a blue-blooded Castillan. Now maybe our old friend Don Juan has got a few drops of Moor ish blood in-his veins-to put it po litely, but-" he raised his tenor voice and improvised "Jest because my hair ls curly Hat's no reason to call me 'Shine!'" "No," agreed Bud, feeling cautiously of the walls, "and Jest because you're happy ls no reason for singing so loud, neither. These here partitions ar? made of inch boards, covered witlt paper-d? you get that? Well, then: considering who's probably listening, it BtrikeB me that Mr. Brachamonte Is tbe'.feal thing in Spanish' gentleman; and' I've heard that all genii wine Span iards have their hair curly, JeBt like a-huh?" But DO Lancey, made suddenly aware of his Indiscretion, was making all kinds of exaggerated signs for sir I'pnce, and Bud stopped with a Slow, good-natured smile, - "S-B-st !" hissed De Lancey, touching bis finger to his lips; "don't say lt somebody might hear you!" .*A!i''right," agreed Bud; "and don't you say lt, either. I hate to knock, j Phil," bb added, "but sometimes I I think the old man was right when he said you talk too much." "Psst!" chided De Lancey, shaking his Unger like a Mexican. Tiptoeing Pet lino Cautiously of the Walja. softly over to Bud, he whispered In his esr: "S-s-ot, I can bear the feller bi the ncx-t room-shaving'himself!" " r?Laughing'heavily *f tnt?jok?, they went down etairo for sapper. ' ^ .?HALTER VI. . .1 ? W/.'f..f:-.y?--:: ,r?- ... .. ?f - . it itho. FJagle Tall mi?e had been' 'lo ca t??cf in Arizona-or 'even farther down In Ojd WS?tocP?-t?i? mettbd' ot jumping tho ciairn would have been dellgBifdliy staple. ; : " The title bad Jspsed^ and' fb? iai\d bad revert?d to Abe ?overnmentHsH lt neede*. tn Arizona was a new set of monuments^ a location notice at tbe discovery 'shaft, a pick'and ebovel thrown into the hole, and a few le??l formal it iee. . '. '"V. . But- ' -' l^et?co;ti ls .different Not that i .?gal formalities are tackiug -fat /om lt-*nt tho whole theory of mines and mi ifg is diff?rent. Tn Mex ico a mfuldtf title !B. in a way, a lease, a ^oncessl?ft- from -the g?nerai 'gov ernment giving tbe conc?sBlonnalro' tho righi to work a certain pi^ce of ?round and to bold it ss long as be phyB a raining tax.of three dollarB an i^^^ -?? or pt?n^ a^ ever bumed', trio j^fwesslon of the sur face of tho gTo?nd does ?oi ?o with the right to m'ue benatb lt, and In cer tain parts of Mexico nc foreigner can Jho|4 UHo to either u>lneg oj Isjpjj, . -- . V'!f ' - A prohibiten oriTtmrnsr son?, eighty kilometers in'width. Hos along the in ternational boundary line, and in that neutral zone' no foreigner can de nounce a mining claim and no foreign corporation can acquire a title to one. The Eagle Tail wao just inside the tone. But-there, ls 'always a "but" when you go to a good lawyer-while for purposes of war and national eafoty foreigners ar? not allowed to 'ibid land along tho line, tliey are at perfect lib erty to bold stock in Mexican corpora tions owning property within the pro hibited tone; and-here i? whore the r;raft coined in-they may even hold title in their own nadie if they first obtain express 'permission from the chief executive ot tho republic. Not having any drag with the chief executive, and not caring to risk their title to the whims of succeeding ad ministrations, Hooker and De Lancey, upon the advice of a mining lawyer In Gadsden, had Organized themselves Into the Eagle Tatt Mining company, under the laws of the.republic of Mex ico, with headquarters at Agua Negra, It was their plan to get some Mexican to locate the mine for them and then, for a consideration, transfer it to the company. The one weak spot in this scheme Was the Mexican. By trusting Aragon, ! Henry Kruger had not only lom title to his mine, but ho had been outlawed from the republic. And now he had bestowed upon Hooker and De Lancey the task of finding an honcBt Mexican, and keeping him honest until he made the transfer. . While the papers wero being made I out there might bo u great man j ! temptations placed before that Mexl I can-either-to keep the^ property ipi himself or to hold put for a bigger re , ward than hod been Specified. Af tel his experience' with the aristocratic Don Cipriano Arag?n y' TreS Palacios j Kruger was in faVor of taking a chane? 1 on the lower classes. He'had therefore recommended to' thom One Cruz Men I doz, a wood vender whom he bac i known and befriended, an tho man t< play the part. .. Cruz Mendez, according to Kruger was hard-working, sober and bonest for a Mexican. He was also ai m plc minded, and easy to handle, and wai the particular man who had sent won that tho* Eagle Tall had at last beei I abandoned. And al BO ho was easy ti I pick out, being a little, one eyed mai and'going by the name of ;,?1 Tuerto.' So, in pursuance of their policy o playing a waiting" game. Hooker am De Laney bung' around tbs hotel fo several day?, listening to.the goBsf] of Don Juan de Dios and watching fo one-eyed men' wini, prospects to sell In Sonora" be in a poor and unimal lnative mun Indeed Who haS not a least one lest mibe or "prospecto" t .'?eli; antf'prbfeport?sdOol?l'hgstranger! riding through tft?'.c?hntry."arc otto beckoned asido bfv half-naked paisano j eager to show thorni the gold mines c the Spanish padres.for a hundred do I ?"lp MV.? I I , -It was only. ar"matter of time, the thought, until "mz Mendez"would bur , them up and'try to sell them the Eagl Tall; and it warf their Intention r> lue tant ly to CIOH? tho bargain wit him, tor a specified sum, "add the stake him to the denouncement fee and gain possession of tho mine. AB thia was a Commonplace In th district-no Mexican having ca pit; enough to work a clrilm and.no Amer can having tho right to locate One-! was a very natural ; abd inconjplcuqv way of jumping .Senor Aragon y Trt Palaclos' abandoned claim. If the j discovered the load immediately afte ; ward it would pass fol? a case ot fool ; luck', or at least so they "hoped, at riding out .e. little 'each day and silt ir on the hbt?l-,pQrch''^ttU'-)3p?'(Jnan' tl rest of the timo, they" waited'until p Hence seemed nO longer a virtue. "Doh. Juan," F aid Do Lancey, taklr up tho probe at last, "I hada Mexlca working foir ta? when we were bver I the Sierras-one pf Vour - teal, ol time workers that' had fi ever bec spoiled by an education-arid he wt ! always talking about 'La' Fortuna.' guess this' way the1 pince' bis meant, bi ftJ doesn't look "like -?e-Uiccording i Kira H was ? Mexican town. Msyl ho's' around here now-Ida name wi Menoaa." *i .M"H- "' . i "Jose Maria' M e n de?* r r i ? q dir ed Dc Jltad^wbo wsa rf t?vla1r?(dlW?<ory [ thoriate.' .'Itfcai'dbV Pancho? Crus "Crus!" cried Do Lincey; "that wi it?-':-, - % :. ..He lives down the rive;' a couple miles," Bald Don Juan; "down at O Por tuna,';.-;.. , <? '?..' "Old Fortuna!" repeated Phil, didn't know there was ?vclv a place V^thf}m^ai^^i^mm^t??? Di Juan de Dios, ?can eral tied' by BO, tghor?nct?. '"jM;.>ybuT]ra^fe',to,say yi have been ?ere throe days and nev heard 5 abbot '?ch-tutt* y&?jf 'Wt tb Ia Isn't .Firtim a I thia li ari' Ame can mining camp-tba.' old town down below. ,..}->. "that's where this man Aragon, t m M?xicari lo^'tK?'t??tintry; n-As-'t ranch and#stott. ' Bps'nMhT Him? h indeed-mllad! H? Is half Spanish a llHiS **** 18 dure' s>nrar*^ro?^ *. ?fut Woman in her day. with gold hair and thctprasene*Of .a dt?een! , ATWert?a?a' think that: everybody wi red h?if W iriffh! WhV. - th$'nfo*t-"bet tTTu? wb?Keri &m?m tfaVe-cheStn bair ?? jofl ^fbo fu? ^^^btf j|?^t!^ la a very iri?avl*a9y .for.^W%*|?p||>f.4i never omits to boW to me when % comes up to take the train. I renie I TJOOB Cruz Mendos work for him?** Interjected Do Lancey desperately. I "No, indeed!" answored Don Juan patiently; "he packs In wood from tho hills-but ns I waB saying-" and from that he went on to tell qf the un failing courtesy of the Senora Aragon to a gentleman whom, whatever his present Biatlon might be, she recog nised as a member of ono of the oldest families in Castile. De Lancey did not press bis in quiries any further, hut the next, morn ing, Instead of riding back Into tho hills, be and Bud turned their faces down tho canyon to seek out the elusivo Mendez. They had, of course, been acting* a part; for Don Jean, since Kru ger bad described Old Fortuna and tho Senor Aragon with' great minuteness. And now, in the guise of innocent strangers, they rode?n down the river, past the concentrator with its multiple tanks, its gliding tramway and moun tains of tailings, through the village of Indian houses stuck llko dugouts against the barren hill-then along a river bed that oozed with sllcklngs un til they came tn sight of tho town. La Fortuna was an old town, yet not as old as its name, since two Fortunas before it had been washed away by cloudbursts and replaced by newer dwellings. The settlement Itself was somo four hundred years old, dating back to the days of the Spanien con quistadores, when it yielded up many mulcloads of gold. The present town was built a little up from the river In* tho lee of a great ridge of rocks thrust down from the hill and well calculated to turn aside a glvt of waters. It was a comfortable huddle of whitewashed adobe build Ingo set on both sides of a narrow and irregular road-the great trail that led down to the hot country and was worn deep by tho pack-trdins df centuries. On the lower side was the ample store and canfina of Don Cipriano, where tho thirsty arrieros could get s drink and buy a panocho of sugai without getting down from theil mounts. Behind the store were the polo corrals and adobo warehouse* and the quarters of the peons, ano across the ro: d was the mescal still whero, in huge copper retort am worm, the fiery liquor was distinct from the sugar-laden heads of Yuccas This was the town, but the most im portant building-net back Iii thc shade of mighty cottonwoods ant pleasantly aloof from the road-wai the residence of Senor Aragon. It wai this, in fact, which held the undivldec attention of De Lancey a? they rdd1 quietly Inrcugh, the village, for, hi had becomo accustomed from a lon. experience in the tropics to look to: Something elusive, graceful and fem! nine in houses'?-et back in a garden Nothing stirred, hoyvever. and* hnvini good reason to' avoiri*" Dob Cipriano they jogged steadily dr. their way. "Some house!"'?b?erved Phil, wit] a last hopeful look over hls'shouldoi "Uh," assented Bul, as they cairn to a fork in the road. "Say," ha con tinued. "let's turn off on this crail , Lot of burro tracks geing cut-expec it's our friend. Mr. Mondez." I . "AU right." Said Der Lancey kl sent ly; '.wonder .wber?old ?rsgOi keeps that bee-ut If iii daughter of lil.ti the ono Don Jordan was telling'hboiil Have to stop on the way back, an nam pie tba Old man's mescal," ri ' , _"Notn?ng doing!" countered Hooke latently. "Now you heard what fold yon^toereV two things you leav I alone for sixty day's-boozo and won en. After we dach our title you ca: get as gay se you please.'.' "Oo-oo!".piped. Phil, "hear the bo talk!" Bot he said nd more of win and women, for he knew how tbey d complicate ll fd. .. Tboy r?do to the east nov?, follow lng the long, flat footprints of the bbl ros, ami by alt tbs lan'd'mATkS Bu saw that they Were, heading straigti for the old E?glb" TaiT mine. At Ol j Fortuna tho river Iurns weat and a the same time four canyons came I from th? east and SC" V. Of tbes they had: taken'the first to the nort and It waa leading the nr. psYit alf th old workings' that, kruger' bad spoke about. In fact, they wore almost c the mino when Hooker swung dbw suddenly from" his horaa and motlone Phil to follow. : ."ThbreVeome bun^ cbtm^g,"'^ Bald, glan cin? -bick significantly ; an when' the padk-trnln carno by, . enc animal, plied 1}iga with broken , woo< the two Americans were busily ta) ping away at. ? s ec li cur of. countr rock. A men. ?nd a, boy followed b1 hind" ibo" animals^ gating with woad? nt tho stranglers, arid ais Phil brid them a pleasant "Buenos dins!" the caine .tb a halt arid stared at" the' lh dh st ry i in' : ?fie ri ce. In t h o 1 n t ervi Pk? waif pleased tot note that the ol mari bid only ono eye. . *^ ^?bse^t? tfeaVtn&eyc? ol fi hil ly Inquired; "what are you Icol ffigrforr.'.: ' ;.:?;1 g' And when Phi? oracularly anawere "Qol'd!" the old mon made a mot lc tb the boy to go on and sat down c a neighboring rock. - . .; ' Db you want' to bay a.prospect! he asked, and Bud glanced up sit bli grimly. ' "We find our own' prospects," a swerfed Phft "But r know dr ? very T'?h prb peet," protested' Mendez ; **v?ry rich! He shrilled bia voice to express ho rich it wa?";. 2Jg? .'-, ' "Yesf ?: obkeWefr Thl?; j *toen wi don't- you dig tbs gold out? But, t for us, wo find our own mines.. Th, ls our business." "Seguro!" nodded M tn doz, gland t itt their b*oOil ?^prbvTngry/ "But i a ? poor l?aii-very poer~l' ?anribt d have a friend-a very rici ; ?n?a-^: Uadsden, brit ho will not-como; so I w|l|. sdi \\ \o yon," ;# ?Did you get that, Bud?" Jeate? Phil tn English. "The old man hers thinks we're rich Americans and ho wants to sell ue a mine." Bud laughed silently at thin, and Mr. Mendez, his hopes somewhat blast ed by their levity, bega* to boast of Sst Toying With His Pistol. his find, giving the history of the Eagle Tail with much circumstantial tty and explaining that it was a lost padre mine. "Bure," observed ".di, going back to his horse and picking up the bridle, "that's what they all say. They're all lost padre minea, and you can eeo them from the door of the church. Come on. Bud, lu t'a go!" "And so you*could this!" criad Men dos, running along after them as they rode slowly up the canyon, "from tho old church that was washed away by the flood! This ie the very mine where tho padres dug out all their gold! Are you going up this woy? Come, then, and I will show you-tho very place, except that tho Americano ruined lt with a blunt!" He tagged along after them, whee dling and protesting while they ban tered bim about his mine, until they finally came to the place-the ruins of the Eagle Tall. ? It lay spraddled out along the hill side, a series of * gopher-holes, dumps and abandoned workings, looking more like a badly managed stone quarry than a rallo of padre.days? , Krugers magazine of giant powder, exploded in one big blast, bad de stroyed all traces of hia mino, i sides starting an avalanche of loos? shale that had poured down and filled the pocket. Added to this, Aragon and his men had rooted around in the debris in search of the vein, and the story ot their inefficient work was told by great piles of loose rock stacked up beside caved-ln trenches and a series or timid tunnels driven into the neigh boring ridges. * L 'Under tho circumstances it would certainly call for a mining etudnee/ to locate the lost lead, and De Lancey looked it over thoughtfully as he be gan to figure on the work to be done. Undoubtedly there was a mine there and th? remains of an old Spanish smelter down the creek showed that the ground had once been very rich b?t If Kruger had not told him In advance ue would have .passed /up tho Job in a minute. "Va "Well," be said, turning coldly upon the fawning Mondos, who was all curves In hie desire to please, "where ts your prospecto?" "Aqu?, senor1!" replied the'Mexican", pointing to the disrupted rock Elido. "Here it wss that the Americano Crooks had his mine-rich with gold much gold!" He shrilled his voice emphatically, and De Lancey sbrilled his In reply. "Here?" he exclaimed, gazing blankly at the hillside, and then he broke into a laugh. "AU right, my friend," he said,, giving Bud a face [ tlous Wink; "how much dd you want for this prospect?" : "Four hundred dollars," answered Mendez In a tone at once hopeful and : apologetic. "It is very rich. Senor ' Crooks shipped como ore that was full of gold. I packed it out for him on . my burros; but, 1 am sorry, I have 'no piece of it!" . ' ? "Yes,'' responded De Lancey, "I am sorry, too. So, of course,'wo cannot buy the prospecto since you have' nb o'to show; but I om glad for.thlsy i senor Mendez," he continued with a : kindly nmile; "lt shown that, you aro an honest man,. or yob would ,havo ! stolen a pi? co of or? from the pen.. Sd show up now 'where' the, gola ,w|? ;foucd, the nearest that y"bu csb j member, and perhaps, if we' think we can find lt, wo will pay you to. de nounce- the claim for us. "? ? At this the one good eye ot Crux. Mendez lighted up with a' great hope ? and,/skipping lightly over the rook piles with, his sandaled feet, ho ran to a certain spot, locating it by look ing across tho canyon and up and down the creek.' "Eftre. senor***.* he" pVonot?hced,r*i$ where the mouth of the old tunnel bathe out. ; Stand lng inside lt I could eeo that tree over there, and look 1 rig down tba r?ver ' t ; could' just : See tba shit 1 ter around tho point So. then, the sold must be tn there." He point* ed iowara the hill. "Surely," said Da Lancey; Tot where?" . Tho old Mexican shrugged his shoul ders depreca ti nglyt ~i do'not k'now, senor." ba answered ; "but If you wish to dig I will denounce, the claim for you." "For how much?" Inquired Pe Lan* "For ono hundred dollars," an swered Mendez, and to his delight the American seemed to be considering it. lie walked buck and forth across tho hilde, -picking up*rocke and looking at them, dropping down into the futile trenches of Aragon, and frowning With' studious thought. His pnrdn>-r howover, Sat listlessly on a boulder abd tested tho action of hts six shooter. "Linien, my friend," said De Lancey, coming hack and poising his Unger im pressively. "If I should And the ledge the one hundred dollar? v/ould be noth ing to mc, sabe? And If 1 should spend all my money for nothing lt would be but one hundred dollars more. But listen! I huvt known some false Mex icans who, when an American paid them to denounce a minc, took ad vantage of his kindness and refused to givo it over. Or, if it turned out to be rich, they pulMd a long face and claimed that they ought to be paid more. Now if-" "Ab, no, senor!" clamored Mendez, holding up his hand in protest; "I am a poor man, but I am honest. Only give me tho hundred dollars-" "Not a dollar do you get!" cried De Lancey eternly; "not a dollar-until you turn over tho concession to the mine. And if you play us false"-he paused impressively-"cuidado, hom bre-look out!" Once moro Cruz Mendez protested his honesty and his fidelity to any trust, but De Lancey silenced him im patiently. . "Enough, hombre!" he said. "Words ore nothing to us. Do you see my friend over there?" He pointed to Bud, who, huge and dominating against the Bky Hue, sat toying with bis pistol. "Buen'! Ho is a cowboy, sabe? A i'exnn! You know the T? janos, eh? They do not like Mexi cans. But my friend there, he Ilka's Mexicans-when they are honest. If not-no! Hoy, Dud," ho called In English, "what would you do to this fellow If be beat us out cf the mine?" Bud turned upon them with a slow, good-natured smile. "Oh, nothing nm rh," he answered, putting up bis gun; and tbe deep rumble of his voice utruck fear Into tho old man's heart. Phil laughed and looked grimly at Mendez while ho delivered his ulti matum. "Very well, my friend," he said. "We will stay and look at this mine. If we thin1.: it ls good we will luke you io tho mining agent and get a permit io dig. For sixty days wo will dig, and, If we And nothing we will pay yon fifty dollars, anyway. If we find the ledge wo will give you a hundred dol lars. All right? ' 1 "SI, senor, si, seac/lf' cried Mendea, "one hundred dollars! . .'When you give us the papers!" warned Phil. "But remember-ba careful! 'The Americans do not Ilka men who talk. .And como to the hotel v at Fortuna tomorrow-then we will let you know," "Anil you "will buy tho mine?" he'gg^n' 'Mendez.' backing off with his .hat (rf piskundi ' ' ?'Perhaps," imswered ' Do Lancey. I "We;|wH.i telli .you tomorrow." ""Buen'!" bowed Mendez; "and many thanksif"" "It is nothing," replied De Lancey politely, and then witb a crooked smile he gazed after tho old man1 as be went hurrying off down the can yon. "Well," he observed, "I guess we've got Mr. Mendez started just about right-what? .Now If we can keep . Ipi jffi^tWjjrtf?o?' a drink until wo get our papers wo stand a chanco i to gin/.' ? , ..-. . ... ' fst ? . "That's right," said Bud; "but I ! *Isn"he'ha'd two gTwfl'eyek.. Tknowed -a one? ey ed' ?lex* up In Arizona'erid ho k waa sure a thieving son of a goat." (To be continued;) Cn His Way. % "Wny drjan't that dachshund'como ?.hen 1 call him? The Idea of salk? . ng on inc." "He's coming-ss fast as be can," ?aid the man's wlfo. "He's gdt hts front lags ftirtod."-Washing* ton Herald.. "A Word To the Wise is . h k m By M O 83. IJB&I? "/fcrPORTUNI i ^BKt y?\ knook9 tl \-?fl^fiWonc? at, every VT&TSSTO T"n''? door.** 1 f?W-SSS <*fa ?'r tn ?' M Y l??7h* u ".t'kb many %\/fr?Jk OibeJ? st .tho do-, ( ffrjh' ot tb0 r??n(5cr oi >! j., - this paper who , conscientiously follows tho ad* ' ; verUsenienta contained thcrclu, rAnPenny saved, is. k ijpenny earned.' r|oliiin| : I vrflltlng to be oaved. Aren't yon ? j golkjg; to.fsvs them?, ! i m?^^mm best j&Uyr? Our advertisers bs^e their one-, i j was on this proverb, both tn sd* i vertlslng abd In othe . linos ot then* business nctivitia t pays. ! ? '^A.itRch lb time sive * ? You can save mar'/ stitches bf i \ I tfffxiif by keeblhg f*kf?'?\fto " fy pu V-trat bur advertbtera haifa'1 "t'o'siiy In thin paper, .'"