The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-07
Our Daily Sbort Story

vain to escape Trooper William T. Jones laughed and relinquishinG his hold on tile donkeys bride, lifted her easily out of the saddle and carried her. struggling and Kicking. to the roadside and there set her down. AL
 most at the slime instant he received stinging blow on the cheek from the Hat of a machet and turning with an oath. saw before him an undersized muiatto in the dirty white drill uni- from of an fnsurgent Heutenant, who was dancing up and down, shouting de- hance and brandishing his weapon. Dolores instantly availed herself of the diversion. With bound she was !, on the little donkey's back and Pep
 ita of my Soul" so adjured, forgot for
 once the peryerse obstinaey of her na-
 ture and trotted briskly down the trail. As for Trooper Jones he likewise
 wasted no time. The oath he uttered | In his surprise changed to an inarticu-
 late howl and the next moment the little mulatto lieutenant was caught up in his arms and hurled like a stone from catapult into the thorny aloes | that brfstled at the side of the trail.
 It was only their stiff residence that 1 saved Teniente loses neck.
 Then Trooper Jones, who was em- phatically a man of one idea, looked was | rapidly attaining the vanishing point. gave chase. He was a good runner and Pepita, would have had little chance against him even with her start, had it not been for the root of a cedrfila that, stretching across the trail, engaged his foot and sent him sprawling with a force that knocked
 the breath out of his body.
 He was struggling to his feet when sharp, violent pain shot through his thigh and stream of pitched, ex+ cited Spanish assailed his ear. It was the little tnsurgent lieutenant again. and this time he had scored. as the blood trickling down the troopers brown gatters testified. Trooper Jones made another rush, but this time the iittie mulatto was wary; he sprang aside and as his bulky antagonist pass ed, his machete flashed in the sunlight and bit into the troopers shoulder, who whirled about and then stood still. Trooper Jones felt suddenly sobered and alert. He looked at his man. The mulatto's eyes were blazing with fury and his lips were writhed above his
 teeth in devilish grin, but he too was alert, for all his rage
 No more rushes." thought Trooner Jones, God! If I only had a guni' He glanced rapidly around for a stick or stone. There was none in sight. Then he advanced cautiously upon his grinning foe, who retreated three paces and then suddenly lunged
 Trooper Jones leaped back, but not
 so quickly as to avoid a sharp prick in the side, and at that he stopped again with sudden realization of his help- lessness.
 Here" he said. I've got enough of this. Amigo--sabe? I'll call 1t quits.
 You vamos-vamos--sabe? You're all right. John-oh, damn you, then get me if you can"
 For the mu1atto made no reply hut with the point of his machete adyanc- ed, began to circle around the Ameri- can, his body crouched and his whole expression one of absolute relentless ness. Then. for the first time in his life, fear orept into the heart of Troop CT William J. Jones and he lifted up his voice for help in a long, shriil ululation.
 The little man whhled his machete again. but Jones avoided the blow and rushed. Again his foe retreated and began his wary circling.
 Something in his crouching attitude recalled to Trooper Jones a knife duel
 between two Mexicans that he had witnessed in Juarez four years before It gave him an inspiration. He sud- denly stripped himself of his blouse and wrapped it about his left forearm. just In time to prove it's efficacy by parry ing savage cut at his head.
 Gaining confidence he rushed again, but the mulatto was too quick for him and slashed him twice down the face Then with shout the little man cut at the unprotected wrist. But that blow was his last, for the trooper caught him in the pit of the stomach and as he staggered back sick with pain Jones got him.
 They found him lying in the trail. the insurgent lieutenant almost dead. Trooper Jones, bleeding from half score of ugly wounds, was as near dead as a man may be and yet be brought back to life. They patched him up somehow, but he is not good to look at, and he will utter ferocious boasts in the dance halls of Fl Paso never more.