The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1891-11-28

I
His two companions merely nodded.
They had known, without being told,
what Jack was going to say, and what he
was thinking of.
When the Mexican had returned TO his
camp, the three men could see him seated
with his comrades in conversation.
There were five of them, and t''v APP
pcared to be talking long and ca cstly.
Occasionally they glanced toward the
camp where the gold was, as if trying to
see if they were watched. At last one
of them rises; going to roll of blankets
he picks up gun, and, returning to the
group, begins To clean it. His comrades
look at him and laugh, as if at joke,
and then all the rest of them arise and
get their arms.
They are going to try TO get the
gold, says Jack, land if we don't do
something, they will pick us off one by
one and be on the road to Sonora before
the boys gets back
Nv hat can we do:" asks one of his
comrades.
I'VE can go down there and tell them
that we know what they are after, and
that they have got TO CO." replied Jack.
BY slipping up'under cover of the bush
and powders, we can be right among
them before they know it, and, if we get
the drop Oh them they will have to do
what we say. Get your guns and come
on"
The three men arose, and taking their
arms, began the descent of the mountain.
Slipping from bowlder to bowldcr, and
taking advantage Of the stunted under
brush, it was not long before they were
close to the camp. As they paused Il
moment TO take breath, they could hear
the Mexicans laughing and joking as
they cleaned their guns, while the hunter,
Tomas, whom in the past they had all
liked SO well, was softly singing to him
self in Spanish.
As the three men arose the Mcxicans
looked up in establishment. 1t was the
first time the americans had come among
them since the discovery of the gold on
the mounlain-top.
For an instant each side looked ut the
other in silence, and then Tomas, arising
and stopping toward The Americans,
asked them in Spanish what they de-
sired.
I'VE want You TO get out of here, for
we know what You are cleaning up these
guns for, replied Jack.
TO 90 home WITH answered Tomas,
adding: We do not care to mine here
any longer"
You are doing it to murder us and
steal our gold, and you have GOT to leave
here at once, said Jack.
I'VE are going TO leave just rs we told
You. But when you say we are murder
ers, You lic!" angrily answered Tomas.
partly turning 10 face his comrades to
have them verifyhis statement.
Almost before the words had left his
lips Jack reached ont his left arm and.
throwing it around Tomas's neck. drew
him backward till the Mcxican's head
lay on his shoulder. As lie felt the
strang'ing grasp of the arm, Tomas
dropped his gun, and raising his hands,
tried TO pull the arm from his throat.
His hand had hardly touched the arm
when long-bladed knife rose above his
face, graspcd so tightly that the hand
that held it, with its taut muscles ard
tense knucklcs, looked almost as white us
marble. For an instant the knife hung
in the air that the fierce eyes looking
down over the upturned face of the
Mexican might pick the surcst place to
drive it into the throat, drawn so tightly
backward that one could see the arteries
throbbing beneath the skin. But only
Tor an instant, and then, so fast that it
seemed like flash Of light, it fell. and
entered tie neck in the muscle Just below
the left ear. For moment it stopped.
and then, as the Mcxican's arm reached
out as if 10 push away the arm that held
it, the knife was pulled from left to
right. As it swept through the throat,
the arm that had held the head backward,
that the knife might have clean sweep,
was raised, and the man whose throat
had been cut stood alone. For an in
slant to those who had seen it, it seemed
like dream, and then, as i'm moment,
the dark, brown face grew ashcn gray,
us if painter had drawn a brush across
it. Tomas caught with both hands his
throat, and from the cash across it,
through his tightly-closed fingers, spurt-
cd jets of blood. AT first slowly, as if
the hands were striving to hold within
the body the escaping life, and from the
lips came indistinguishable sounds, as if
pleading for help, while the eyes swept
the face of friend and foe imploringly.
Only for an instant, though. Then the
jets of blood grew stronger as the
strength in the hands relaxed. The eyes
grew dim and CLASSY, and the body for
an instant tottercd, as if no longer able
to stand erect. One or two steps, as if
blindly striving not to fall even in death,
and then, as the hands stretch out, grasp
ing at the air, the blood that thew have