Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-10-30

see Uue mlue superintendent. lie WIS
in the magazine where the explosives
used in blasting were kept. 1t was
stone house, or dugout, built in the
side of hill, and was reached from
the foot of the slope by steep path.
/ started there to find him, and had
climbed the hill to the very step of the
house, when, in taking my handker-
chief from my pocket I pulled the sill
yer bullet out and it fell and rolled
down the slope. I turned and ran
back after it, keeping my eye on it as
+ rolled, for L knew if L once lost
sight of the bullet my chances of find
ing it were small.
81 followed it to the foot of the hill
and saw it roll into ditch that once
had been used in draining a mine
working. The ditch was about four
feet deep, and just as jumped into it
and stopped to pick up the bullet there
came q roar like the bursting of hun
dred cannon and shock that sent me
flat on my face, stunned, in the bottom
of the ditch. When + came to my
senses I found myself half buried in
dirt. got clear Of that and upon my
feet, so that I could look around to
see what happened. Where the maga
zine had been there was great hole
in the hillside, with smoke floating
about it, and not so much as one stone
of the building to be seen.
"The wreck was caused by the ex-
plosion of half ton of giant powder
that had been stored there What had
set it off could not be known, FOR not
trace of the superintendent, the fore
man, and two Mexicans that had been
with them, was ever found. The
shock and flying rock wrecked half the
buildings at the mine camp, and sew
eral persons there were hurt. You
can Judge for yourself what my chance
would have been of ever telling this
story to you if I had gone on into the
magazine-if the bullet, falling from
my pocket, had not been the cause of
my turning back down the hill and
going into the shelter of the ditch just
rs the explosion came.
"This silver bullet is the bullet that
killed the bandit Tomas Viejada, who,
for several years following the fall and
Punishment of President Lerdo, ter
rorized Sinaloa and several of the adj
joining States of the Mexican repub-
lie. He had been one of Lerdo's par
tisans and was very bitter toward who
ever was prominent as supporter OF the
Diaz Government. The best that one
who was so unfortunate as to fall into
his power could hope was to be held
for ransom. L was on my way to my
ranch, a journey of two full days on
horseback, carrying money with which
to pay my men. Being delayed by
the difficulty in crossing flooded
stream, was not able to get to the
estancia-the home ranch, Americans
would say-by daylight on the second
day, but stopped in the early evening
at the hut of one of my shepherds for
supper and to rest my horse. The
man, Antonio Bajada, an old and faith
full employe, had something important
to tell me.
"'Tomas viejada has planned to
waylay you in the Puerte del Leon,
the shepherd said, TO rob and kill
you, or hold you captive for ransom.
I learned of it only tonight. How L
found out? Well, senior, my dauSh-
ter. at San Elizario has sweetheart
in viejada's band, and my little son
overheard Kim telling her yesterday
what the chief meant to do. and came
tonight to tell me. He started back
for home only few minutes before
you came
.The Puerte del Leon was gap in
the foothills four miles beyond, through
which the road to the estancia lay. I
said to the shepherd, give me to eat
what you can get most quickly, and
then l will go on to the estancia by the
path round the Venada peak. The
bandits will have no idea of my CON-
inc Inv that route. You shall guide
me-
"While the shepherd set out his
earthen platter of frijoles and couple
of tortillas, the remains OF his supper,
nv eve fell upon his gun hanging up
on two pegs against the side of the
Int II was an old-fashioned, smooth
hora offa;r but L knew that Antonio
conld do some wonderful shooting with
it.
sYou'll want to take your gun
along Antonio, said to him. We
NAV run in with the bandits on the
way we're going.
4 Alas, senior, bat it cannot serve MS
tonight. said the shepherd, shaking
his head. Il have no bullets. Pow
der and caps have, but my last bull
Iet fred at a coyote yesterday.
IT thought Of my silver bullet. The