Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1901-11-23
with some lemonade. I observed that Pc

with some lemonade. l observed that Pc
pita changed color, but she said nothing,
ana moment after, making some excuse.
she LETT the room. | was about to speak
to Rube on the subject, when the win
dow was darkened with men. Five or six
shots were fired at US, and with a yell
crowd of Mexicans rushed into the room.
AS they appeared Rube sprang up
with the exclamation: Trapped by thun-
der. and then fell fat on his back. shot,
believed, through the head
Il rushed to my rife, seized il. hut
before L could get it to my shoulder it
was knocked from my hand. Half d0z-
en- fellows threw themselves upon me,
and | was a prisoner There was such
hubbub and shouting at first that l
couldn't hear word, but at last | picked
up that they were party Of the band
OF FL Zeres, who was in the neighbor-
mood, and had been fetched by a bow that
traitress Pepita had dispatched for them
directly we arrived. had my eyes fixed
upon poor RUDE, whom no one thought
OF noticing, when all of a sudden | gave
quite start, for saw move. | couldn't
see his face, but l saw a hand stealing
gradually out toward the leg of man
who stood near. Then there was a pause,
and then the other hand began to move.
1t wasn't at all like the aimless way
that the arms of badly hit man would
move, and saw at once that Rube had
been playing 'possum' all along
Doing what, Seth?" Ethel asked.
Just pretending to be dead. l held my
breath, for l saw he had come to the CON
clusion that he could not be overlooked
much longer, and was going to make a
move.
In another minute there was a crash
and a shout as the two men fell to the
ground with their legs knocked clean
from under them, catching hold of other
men and dragging them down with them.
From the midst of the confusion Rube
leaped to his feet and made a rush for
the window; one man he leveled with a
blow of his fist; another he caught up as
If he had been baby, and hurting him
against two others, brought them on the
ground together, and then leaping over
their bodies, dashed through the window
before the Mexicans had recovered from
their astonishment. I could have laugh
ed out loud at the yell of rage and amaze
ment with which they set off in pursuit;
HAI wv VI (LIACC VI lIlSH1 ISLld1Acu W
guard me, and I might have got knife
in my ribs, so l kept quiet. l heard a
shot or two, then there was a silence for
a time, then a shout of triumph. l knew
it was all over, and that Rube was taken
again.
''He told me afterward that no had
made a dash round to the stable, where
he had found seven or eight Mexcans
looking after the horses; that he had
knocked down one or two who were in
his way, had leaped upon the nearest ami
NAL, and had made off at the top of his
speed, but that dozen others were after
him in an instant; and seeing that he
would be lassoed and thrown from his
horse, he had stopped and thrown up his
arms in token of surrender. Rube's hands
were bound tightly behind him, and he
was led back into the room.
1.-THE horses We're then saddled, and we
were soon off, Rube and | riding in the
midst of the party with our hands tied
before us, so that we could just hold the
bride. We had found out from the con-
versation that Ell Zeres with his band was
about twenty-five miles distant.
1T was about nine o'clock when we
rode into camp; and as we approached
it we acknowledged that better place
against a sudden surprise could hardly
have been chosen. The ground was fat
for miles round; but the site Of the camp
rose in a slight mound, of nearly circular
form and perhaps one hundred yards
across; the centra: part was thirty feet
or so above the general level. Round
this the band of Ell Zeres was encamped.
We were led up toward the central hut,
which was evidently the abode of the
chief He was standing at the door, tap
ping his riding boot impatiently with a
heavy whip; a man was holding his horse
in readiness. One of the other leaders
was standing talking to him. El Zares
was a slight, wiry man, with a small,
wicked-looking eye. He was the savagest
and most bloodthirsty of all the Mexican
partisans. The man with him was tall,
swarthy, ferocious looking villain.
Gel Zares locked at us for some time
without a word. Then he sadi, I've got
you at last; I've been on the lookout for
you for a long time past
(To be continued.)