The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-03-17
-:- OUR DAILY SHORT STORY ;.

 There's some kind of a mix-up. or you wouldn't have tried to head us off with that telegram"
 "Oh, was a little 1eery of the situa- tion, that's all," said Banning. g1anc- ing around to see if Muriel was within earshot.
 Was it that fever heard aboutT'
 No fever up here in the Mazatans at this season." said Banning. 'It's the Yaquis. They don't like the way the Government is parcelling out their res- ervation to American miners. Now I don't want to alarm you gentlemen Che included Card with glance of his eye), but these chaps are spending their last cents for Mausers."
 Our nen--are they all in it?" asked Card, nervous1y.
 Nearly alI," said Banning. coolly. I've had to sneak out all the rifles from our gun rack and cache them away out of reach. They're in a de- serted tunnel quarter of a mile up the canyon. I couldn't think of a safer place"
 Haven't you any other, men besides Yaquis?'' asked Nesbitt, biting his cigar with tense anxiety.
 "Oh, yes; some poor trash from Her mosillo, but only a few. A hundred of 'em wouldn't get out ton of ore in sixty days"
 By Joveg" said Card, turning to Nesbitt, q don't like this. We may all be slaughtered right here in this house."
 No" said Banning. You are pretty safe here for the present"
 Muriers light step on the flags turned his speech to-"Nothing like a tropical moonlight, is there?"
 "Oh, it's a perfectly delicious night" she said, looking about the patio. and it's a dear place in here. But the servants-Ive been ringing and ring ing, but nobody comes.'
 ''Oh, they get that way sometimes" '" said Banning, 'and it's no good blow ing 'em up. I'll go and see what's the matter" Q
 In the kitchen Banning learned something-all the Yaqui mozos had left the house. There was no remain ing servitor save an old woman and khe guard he had stationed at the door. These were not of the revolting tribe, nor had they any sympathy with them.
 He slipped around to the door and ran up the canyon, splashing through the mud, reckless of his white duck suit, across the little stream and on up the trail to the old tunnel. Into the dark opening he groped, hastily lighting matches as he went. At the second stop ne paused, leaning breath less against the wall and staring at an open packing case.
 They've found the cache and ssor the rifies-every last one of them! And all the cartridges No, they've left some," he added bitterly. as he stopped and picked up two glittering brass capsules in the light of his fiickering match. Who told them where tho cache was? Oh. I might have known Well, this is helfv'
 And then he thought of his deserted guests and bolted back down tha trail But nearing the concentrating works he stepped to the open window of one of the sheds and called out:
 "MacPherson, are you boys all right in there?'
 Silence
 Mac! Mac" he cried A eicadA grated shrilly in a corner. With q sense of something terrible impending, | Banning rushed into the shed. struck match, lit a candle, and by the light saw the seven Americans who had been the mainstays at the mines, lying | stiffly in their bungs The machets had done their work quietly.
 He ran from the shed back to the house and appeared before Nesbitt and Card something quite the reverse Of l the cool. trim figure in white that had left them ten minutes before.