The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1906-07-31
In the Yaqui
Country
BY BAILEY WILLARD
fAuthor Of Down the FluTns with the sneath
Piano" Ete.1



ride from the railroad a most vexa-
tious adventure for the Nesbitts,
only seven days from Fifth avenue
and French cookery.
"Oh, don't worry, papa! I'm all
right" Muriel smiled resignedly
through her veil, and slipped of he1
mule with the help of a statuesque
mozo. Her big blue eyes shifted Gov
ertly now and again to the up-trail
prospect, which, if anything, seemed
more desolate than the country they
had trayersed. For it was here at
Aqua Caliente that Stratford Ban
ming was to meet them. Banning
was the man in charge of her fathers
mine at Los Nidos. Between him and
Muriel there had once been a per
feet understanding. That was in the
year he graduated as a mining en-
gineer and was hanging around the
Broadway offices waiting for chance
to let loose his pent-up energy.
Muriel, looking up the trail, was
thinking now of their last ride to-
gether under the Bronx beeches.
Many things have happened since
then. The chiefest of these things
was that the complete understand
ing was no longer any sort of under
STANDING few hasty, heart-freezing
words had done that. And now Abb
ner Card, a well-preserved, middle
aged man whose millions nearly
measured up with those of her ia
Their, was dangling along at her side
the luckiest man in New York,
they had called him, for had he not
bagged the proudest beauty of the
Newport season?
Card had become interested in the
Nesbitt mine, in the Rio Yaqui coun
try, to the extent of half million
and was going with his prospective
father-in-law TO look at the property
Muriel, who had been everywhere
with her father since the day of hel
mothers long funeral train, joined
him in this, his first visit to tbs
mine. She had dared the meeting
with Banning because she hal
thought that they would each b.
strong enough and have common sens
enough to show that they had live
down the CHASTITY fact of their two
year arrangement
Banning came hurrying out fror
the Office at the end of the great grim
mining-sheds.
'Hullo!" he called, running bare
headed down the trail, big piece G
white paper in his hand-the pa
sheet of the mine What in the nam
of all the-Didnt you get my tele
gram? Sent it to FL Paso, care {
Stevens Don't see how it could hay
missed you
Then he drew his face out of il
1 anxious, worried look and greete
them more Hospitality. The touch {
Muriel's gloved hand was like tn;
CT a phantom reaching out from Ii
dead years. Instantly he saw VIII;
\ we're her relations with Card, who
/ he had met before when he was b.
4 seeching Broadway for a mining 10
/ and who, oddly enough, as he though
remembered him. Somehow Peep
had a way of remembering that cles
square chin of Banning's and tho
unfiinching gray eyes.
After supper, when the men we
4 smoking big rough cigars in a corn
| of the cool patio where the moonlig
silvered the smooth silken edges
: the banana leaves, Nesbitt laid
: hand on Banning's shoulder.
! well, STRAIT he asked, whats Il
rumpus?"
INC rumpus," saio Banning, his e,
searching out the feather-duster t.
of a cocoa palm.
There's some kind of mix-up,
Il you wouldn't have tried to head US {
with that telegram"
"Oh, was a little leery of the 81
uation, that's all" said Bannin
Il glancing around to see if Muriel W
n within earshot.
II ''Was it that fever l heard about
mo fever up here in the Mazata
at this season." said Banning. II
the Yaquis. They don't like the W
II the government is parceiing out tbs
n reservation to American miners. NJ
Il l don't want TO alarm you gentlem
u tnb luCluu6u Cdiu Win
n his eye), but these chaps are spendi
their last cents tor Mausers."
"Oar men-are they all in it?'' ask
Card, nervously.
Nearly all" said Banning, cool
'I've had to sneak out all the riff
from our gun rack and cache tbs
away out of reach. They're in a
serted tunnel a quarter of a mile
j the canyon. l couldn't think OF
safer place"
Haven't you any other men
4 sides Yaquis?" asked Nesbitt, biting
i cigar with tense 9nxiety.
n "Oh, yes; some poor trash fri
v Hermosillo, but only a few. A hu
= bred of EN- wouldn't get out a ton
ore in 60 days"
\ by Jovel" said Card, turning
\ Nesbitt, Il don't like this. We may
\ be slaughtered right here in L
house"
4 NO" said Banning. You are pre-
\ safe here for the present"
\ Muriers light step on the fis
\ turned his speech to-"Nothing like
4 tropical moonlight, is thers?"
4 "oh, it's perfectly delicious nigh