The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1901-07-04


What is it, senor?" he gasped.
II tell you l will co. repeated old
| man Chamberlain. II don't care for
the law. l don't care if they do get
me. I'm going home again."
But, senor," protested Manuel, as
the old mans idea became apparent
to him, ''if you cross the river they
will get you. You have said so MANY
time. And you have said, too, that
it is better to live here than die in
the prison"
Il don't care, 1 tell you; I don't
care" mumbled the old man. "Tm go
ing back. 1t was playing Home, Sweet
Home and can't stand it any longer.
You don't know what home is down
here. None of your people do. How
can you, living as you do? But I know
| had a home once, and I'm going back
| to it,"
The strength which had come with
| his excitement left the old man and
he sank down on the bench. Manuel,
thinking to quiet him, brought him the
| mescal bottle. Chamberlain drank,
but clung to the idea fixed in his mind.
| To Manuel such thing was worse
than folly. 1t was sheer madness, for
the old man had told him many a time
of the trouble which had made him
flee the states and which had made
the Rio Grande the boundary of for
hidden land. The thought of what he
might lose financially did not enter his
head. With long years of association
he had come to like the old man, and
Drunken Gringo" though he was-he
wanted to save him from harm. This
idea was strong in him, and he hur-
ried for two or three men who, he
thought, might have influence with
Chamberlain. They came and they
argued their best, but the old man was
firm.
II tell you I'm going back" he in
sisted. 'I'm going back, even if they
do get me.''
Hell have changed his mind by to-
morrow" said the jefe politico. "They
say the prisons in his land are worse
than those we have, and"
A significant shake of the head
showed what the jefe thought.
But on the morrow old man Cham
berlain was as firm as ever. The music
box was picked up. and repaired, and
the mescal bottle was refilled. Manuel
and his friends argued. All in vain.
Finally they held a consultation. It
| was in one end of the cantina. In the
other old man Chamberlain was lis
| tening to the music box and fitting to
| its airs the words: I'm going back,
I'm going back, I'm going back again" :"
When the consultation was ended,
Manuel came to him.
I'm going back, l tell you," said the
old man, his voice keeping time to the
| music.
Isl, ST. You shall go back" answered
Manuel "But will go back with you.
Then, perhaps, they won't get you"
"I'm going back, I'm going back,
I'm going back again." persisted old
| man Chamberlain, as the music box
| continued to shakingly grind out it's
| tunes.
That night there was long talk,
| and the mescal bottle was emptied
| and reemptied. Manuel talked and
the jefe politico talked and old man
| Chamberlain croored his one refrain.
| But he listened to the arguments. He
had no money, and Manuel could not
pay the expenses to New York. That
did not matter to the old man. New
| York was a dream so far in the past
| that it had ceased to be real But the
| United States still existed for him, and
| if he could step foot in them once
more he would be content. So it was
arranged.
The next night as the Mexican Cen
trail train drew into Ciudad Juarez two
men got off. One was Manuel; the
other was the Drunken Gringo." It
was still light, and slowly, by back
| streets, they made their way to a sa-
LOOM There bottle of mescal was
secured. When it was empty Manuel
went to the door and looked out.
| "Come." he said. "It is time"
Old man Chamberlain totteringly
rose from his chair. He drew him
self as erect as he could, and walked
to the street In his hand he held the
empty mescal bottle, which he had
been grasping as it stood on the table.
Slowly Manuel led the way to the
stretch of dry sand which, for geo.
graphical purposes, is called river.
| "Are you sure? Is this the way?"
asked the old man, as they stumbled
along.
"Si, ST. I am sure. / know the
way" replied Manuel.
Gradually they went down sandy
incline. Then they crossed small
plain cnt up by minute arroyos. Then
there was sharp ascent.
Here, here" whispered Manuel, n
frightened voice that showed he was
trembling as though he was the one
who stood in fear of the law.
care you sure?" again protested the
old man. "Are you sure? Is this really
the United States?"
eyes, yes. Look" answered Manuel,
as he pointed to one side where could
be seen the lights of the river guard
on duty at the frontier customhouse.