Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1903-07-31
CHAPTER vi.

CHAPTER vi.
"At 3 o'clock l reused myself and soon
after the old woman came into the room
with some lemonade. / observed that Pc
pita changed color, but she said nothing,
and moment after, making some excuse,
she left the room. l was about to speak
to Rube on the subject, when the win
dow was darkened with men. Five or six
shots were fred at us, and with yell a
crowd of Mexicans rushed into the room.
LAS they appeared Rube sprang mn
with the exclamation: Trapped, by thun-
der! and then fell fiat on his back, shot,
l believed, through the head.
II rushed to my rifle, seized it, but
before could get 1t to my shoulder it
was knocked, from my hand. Half doz-
en- fellows threw themselves upon me,
and l was a prisoner. There was such
hubbub and a shouting at first that l
couldn't hear word, but at last picked
up that they were party of the band
Of El Zeres, who was in the neighbor-
hood, and had been fetched by boy that
traitress Pepita had dispatched for them
directly we arrived. had my eyes fixed
upon poor Rube, whom no one thought
Of noticing, when all of sudden | gave
quite start, for l saw move. | couldn't
see his face, but l saw a hand stealing
gradually out toward the leg of a 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 l saw at once that Rube had
been playing 'possum all along"
Doing what, Seth?" Ethel asked.
Just pretending to be dead. held my
breath, for saw he had come to the con-
clusien that he could not be overlooked
much longer, and was going to make a
move.
In another minute there was q crash
and 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 rush for
the window; one man he leveled with a
blow Of his fist; another he caught I'D as
II he had been baby, and hurling 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. l could have laugh
ed out loud at the yell of rage and amaze
ment with which, they set off in pursuit:
but two or three Of them remained to
guard me, and l might have got knife
in my ribs, so kept quiet. l heard a
shot or two, then there was a silence for
time, then a shout of triumph. knew
1t was all over, and that Rube was taken
| again.
He told me afterward that he had
made dash round to the stable, where
he had found seven or eight Mexicans
| looking after the horses; that he had
knocked down one or two who were in
MS 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 I'D his
arms in token of surrender. Rube's hands
were bound tightly behind him, and he
was led back into the room.
| The horses were then saddled, and we
were soon off. Rube and l 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 III Zeres with his band was
about twenty-five miles distant.
1T was about nine o'clock when we
rode into camp; and as we approa ched
1t we acknowledged that better place
against q 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 central part was thirty feet
or 80 above the general level. Round
this the band Of El 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; man was holding his horse
in readiness. One of the other leaders
was standing talking to him. lei Zares
was slight, wiry man, with a small.
wicked-looking eye. He was tho sayagest
and most bloodthirsty Of all the Mexican
partisans. The man with him was n tall.
swarthy, ferocious looking villain.
"El Zares looked at us for some tina
without word. Then he sadi. I've got
you at last: I've been on the lookout for
you for a long time past
ITO be continued.)