Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1902-01-17
CHAPTER v1.-tcontinuedy

enough, for we had only given him a
close chase several times. Ell Zarcs only
gave an evil smile, but the other Next
can exclaimed savagely, You dog, do you
dare to answery' and struck Rube across
the face with all his force with a heavy
whip.
"Hube turned quite white, and then,
with q tremendous effort, he broke the
cowhide thongs which fastened his hands
not new rope, mind YOU. hut cowhidc-
just as if it had been SO much grass. and
went right Mt the fellow who had struck
him.. The MeXicans gave Il. cry of as
constituent and threw themselves upon
Rube, FL Zeres shouting at the top Of his
voice, Don't draw a knife! don't draw
a knife! I'll hang any man who Injuries
him.
"Rute had got the fellow 10y the throat
with 10th 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. l knew
it was all over with him. l was quite
mad to join in and help; but though L
tugged and strained at my thongs till they
cut right into my wrists l could not sue
coed. For u while they lay in a strug-
ing AdSo VII AC SIouiu, uiu Atc AsupG
shook himself free of them for Il moment
and got to his feet. \ dozen men We're
upon him in n moment; but he was blind
with rage, aud would not have minded il
1t had been a thousand. Those who came
front went down as il shot before the
blows of his fists; but others leaped on
him from behind, and then the struggle
began again. 1t was downright awful.
H1.Nx, .a,,1 ~ 1,all la. ru,, TNl,DSv
weight. over and over again, got him
upon the ground, and over and over again
he was up Oh his feet: hut 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 lie gripped. 1t was like Al
terrier with rats; he caught EN- by the
throat, and when lie did it was all up
with them. How long this went OIL l
can't say, when a Mexican snatchcd The
lasso from the saddle of Ell Zeres' horse
and dropped the moose over Rube'sE 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 a terrier attacked by rats.
When it was over he mounted his horse
and said to one of his lieutenants who
was standing near: i must &C now. l
leave these mel in our 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 I return. shall be back be-
fore daybreak. l shall amuse myself to-
day with thinking how 1 shall try the
nerves of these Americanos. l can prom
Use you all a handsome amusement of
some sort, anyhow And he rode off.
Il have often faced death, and amt
afraid of it; but the unruffied face and
the cruel smile of that man made my flesh
creep on my bones, as l 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 l did then.
I'm q short time we were both asleep,
for we had only been four hours in bed
for two nights. l was pretty well ac-
customed to sleep on the ground, and
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. l squeezed myself
back to the wall and leaned against it.
It's all right, Rube,' said L; our cords
are as good as Off 'How's that:' said
Rube. This wall is made of rough stones,
Rube, and there are plenty of sharp
edges sticking out through the mud.
They will cut through these wet thongs
like knives 'Hoorah!' shouted Kubc Mt
the top Of his voice, with a yell that
startled the MeNicans 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
II anything was the matter, Rube's yell
ing having reached their ears. They
were told it was only those mad Ameri-
cnnos amusing themselves, and with
many angry threats of the different sort
Of yells we should give next day, they
sauntered off again. / longed for the
time when Rube and l should fall upon
them. In half an hour l gave the signal.
l had picked out IL sharp stone in a con-
venient position, and it was not n minute
before l felt the coil of cords loosen with
n sudden jerk, and knew that l 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 n snore, which |
answered. The ONE the next visit
was over l crawled to the door, and then,
lying pretty nigh OF my stomach, crept
round to where the rifles We're 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. I didn't see him till he was close
enough to touch me-. 1t was a delicate
job opening all the pans, but We did it
without making as much noise as would
scare n deer, and then, each taking a rifle
by the barrel, we were ready. Pedro
was just telling a story of how he had
forced an old man to say where his
money vas hid, by torturing his daugh-
tiers before his eyes, and how, when he
had told his secret, and the money was
obtained, he had fastened them up, and
set the house alight-a story which was
received with shouts Of approving laugh
ter. As he finished down came the butt