Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1901-11-30
CHAPTER vI.-(ContinuedJ

close chase several tunes. I'll LafeS only
gave an evil smile, but the other Next
can exclaimed savagely, You dog, do you
dare to answer and struck Rube across
the face with all his force with a heavy
whip.
''Rube turned quite white, and then,
with a tremendous effort, he broke the
cowhide thongs which fastened his hands
not new rope, mind you, but coWhlde-
just as if it had been so much grass and
went right at the fellow who had struck
him. The Mexicans gave a cry Of as
constituent and threw themselves upon
Rube, Ell Zeres shouting at the top of his
voice, Don't draw knife. don't draw
knife! III hang any man who Injuries
himv
''Rube had got the fellow by the throat
with both hands, and, though the crowd
of men who threw themselves upon him
pulled him to the ground, he never let go,
but brought the man down, too. knew
it was all over with him. 1 was quite
mad to join in and help; but though l
tugged and strained at my thongs till they
cut right into my wrists | could not sue
coed. For a while they lay III strug-
Cling mass on the ground, and then Rube
and got to his feet 4 dozen men were
upon him in a moment; but he was blind
with rage, and would not have minded if
It had been thousand. Those who came
front went down as if shot before the
blows of his fists; but others leaped on
him from behind, and then the struggle
began again. 1t was downright awful.
They could not hold his arms. Their
weight, over and over again, got him
upon the ground, and over and over again
he was up on his feet; but his arms,
somehow, they could not hold, and the
work he did with them was awful Any
thing he hit went down, and when he
could not hit he gripped. 1t was like
terrier with rats; he caught 'em by the
throat, and when he did it was all up
with them. How long this went on |
can't say, when Mexican Snatched the
1asso from the saddle of Eel Ieres' horse
and dropped the moose over RubeS neck.
In another moment he was lying half
strangled upon the ground, and a dozen
hands bound his hands behind him and
his feet together with coWhide thongs.
Seven MeXicans lay dead on the ground
and many more were lying, painting and
bleeding. around. Ell Zeres had never
moved; and except shouting to his men
not to use their knives he had taken no
part whatever in it-watching the strug-
gle with that cruel smile, as if it had
only been q terrier attacked by rats.
When it was over he mounted his horse
and said to one of his lieutenants who
was standing near: L must go now. L
leave these men in your charge, Pedro.
Fasten that ones hands behind him;
then take them inside. Put them in the
inner room. Clear my things out. Take
ten picked men, and don't let anyone in
or out till | return. l shall be back be-
fore daybrcak. I shall amuse myself to-
day with thinking how | shall try the
nerves of these Americanos. 1 can prom
Use you all a handsome amusement of
some sort, anyhow And he rode off.
II have often faced death, and amt
afraid Of it; but the unruftied face and
the cruel smile of that man made my flesh
creep on my bones as | thought Of what
Rube and l had got to so through the
next day.
Never in my life did l feel that the
game was up as | did then.
''In a short time we were both asleep,
for we had only been four hours in bed
for two nights. l was pretty we'll ac-
customed to sleep on the ground, and L
slept without waking for nearly seven
hours. We did not altogether give up
hope, as we agreed that we must try, in
the short intervals between the visits of
the Mexicans to unite the knots of each
others cords with our teeth. Suddenly
an idea struck me- I squeezed myself
back to the wall and leaned against it.
oil iUl,t IbI1hn aid cords
are as good as off 'HOW's that? said
Rube. This wall is made of rough stones,
Rubc, and there are plenty of sharp
edges sticking out through the mud.
They will cut through these wet thongs
like knives 'Uoorah! shouted Rube at
the top of his voice, with yell that
startled the Mexicans from their seats
again. and then he commenced thunder
ing out one of the songs the soldiers used
to sing on the march. Several MeXicans
came running up from the camp to ask
If anything was the matter, Rubes yell
ing having reached their ears. They
were told it was only those mad Ameri-
canoS amusing themselves, and with
many angry threats of the different sort
of yells we should give next day, they
sauntered off again. 1 longed for the
time when Rube and l should fall upon
them In half an hour | gave the signal.
l had picked out 4 sharp stone in u con-
venient position, and it was not 4 minute
before | felt the coil of cords loosen with
q sudden jerk. and knew that I was free.
As l had anticipated. the visits of our
guards were rather less frequent now
that they believed us to be asleep. In
half an hour l heard a snore. which |
answered. The moment the next visit
was over I crawled to the door, and then.
lying pretty nigh on my stomach, crept
round to where the rifles were piled The
fire was burning low, and the guard were
sitting so closely round it that the lower
part of the room was in black shadow:
so that though l was looking out for
Rube, l didn't see him till he was close