Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1903-08-07
CHAPTER vI.-tContinued1

enough, for we had only given him a
close chase several times. El Iares only
gave an evil smile, but the other Mexi-
can exclaimed savagely, You dog, do you
dare to answer? and struck Rube across
the face with all his force with heavy
whip.
"Rube turned quite white, and then,
with a tremendous effort. ahe broke the
cowhide thongs which fastened his hands
not new rope, mind you, but cOwhide-
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
tonishment and threw themselves upon
Rube, El Ieres shouting at the top of his
voice, Don't draw a knife! don't draw
knife! I'll hang any man who Injuries
him!
"Rnbe 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. l knew
it was all over with him. 7 was quite
mad to join in and help; but though
tugged and strained at my thongs till they
cut right into my wrists l could not sue
ceed. For a while they lay in strug
Cling mass on the ground, and then Rube
shook himself free of them for a moment
and got to his feet. A dozen men were
upon him in moment; but he was blind
with rage, and would not have minded il
it had been thousand. Those who came
front went down as if shot before the
blows of his fists; but others leaped on
i'm, md Nd he, hn CT ri,
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 a
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
lasso from the saddle of El Zeres horse
and dropped the moose over Rube's neck.
In another moment he was lying half
stranged upon the ground, and a dozen
hands bound his hands behind him and
his feet together with cewhide thongs.
Seven MeXicans lay dead on the ground
and many more were lying, painting and
bleeding, around. lei 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 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 l return. | shall be back be-
fore daybreak. | shall amuse myself to-
day with thinking how l shall try the
nerves of these Americanos. l can prom
ise you all handsome amusement OF
some sort, anyhow And he rode off.
81 have often faced death, and amt
afraid of it; but the unrutiied 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 go through the
next day.
Never in my life did feel that the
game was up as | did then.
"ln short time we were both asleep,
for we had only been four hours in bed
for two nights. 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. | squeezed myself
back to the wall and leaned against it.
IT'S all right, Rubc,' said L. our cords
are rs good as off, 'uow's thatT 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. 'Ioorah" shouted Rube at
the top of his voice. with n 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
II anything was the matter. Rube's yell
ing having reached their ears. They
were told II was only those mad Ameri-
canos amusing themselves. and with
many angry threats of the different sort
of yels we should give next day, they
sauntcred OF again. | longed for the
time when Rube and l should fall upon
them. In half an hour gave the signal.
had picked out sharp stone in a con
vcnient position, and II was not minute
before felt the coil Of cords loosen with
a sudden jerk, and knew that was free.
AS had anticipated. the visits OF our
guards were rather less frequent now
that they believed us to be asleep. In
half an hour | heard a snorc. which |
answered. The moment the next visit