Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-10-10
A Couple efDons.


don at all. He was cattle stcalcr.
Don Clinaya his nclghbor, was real
don and Il cattle owner Don Artero
settled near Don chuayn, He wasn't
desirable ncighbor, and the govern
mcnt was asked to remove him. The
government fingered. Five hundred of
Don Chnaya's steers got mixed M
with the other dons herds. ami the
government WAS asked TO send troops.
Tho government Mis- very sorry. and
so forth, but 1t had none To spare
Don Chnaya at once proceeded To
hustle lie called In and armed his
retaincrs to the number of fifty and
made n dcsccn. on tlic o.hrr don with
the nvowcd object Of captnrh. 1000
of his biggest nnd fattcst steers The
other don heard OF the contemplated
raid, and there were m ambush and Il
fight ana the forces of Chuayn were
put TO flight. Twelve of them were
killed and the others licked ont OF
their boots. When true don has
buckcd up against The game and got
the worst of 1t he feels MS badly cut
up rs IL hundred Uncle l,ubcs rolled
INTO one. lie swclls with Indignation.
He giashcs his teeth In fury. He gets
out at the front door and wells "Cnran-
ba.' ut the top OF his voice. lie can't
let things 70 that way. He Is bound
to get back ut the other Teller ii 1t
takes his last red In cash and his last
drop of blue blood.
Don Chuaya raised hundred men
this time. lie figured that Il hundred
ought to lick twenty-five, but 1t so
happened that Don Artero was mean
enough to recruit his own force to
scvcnty-iivc. and each one of them was
worth three poems MS fighters. When
the forces came together the fight did
not last ten minutes. Don Chuayu's
men were defeated.
The next raid was made by Don
Artcro. ana lie Eohblcd UP II thousand
head of cattle. From thence on for
the next two years he bothered the life
out OF the other ana brought his proud
head low with shame and humiiatlon
He even made threats OF stormlng the
Chunya hacienda and putting all to
tie sword. and at last the old man
with the white hair ana proud title
found himself under ljlackmall. lie
had TO pay so much month to be let
alone.
These things were breaking Don
Chunya's heart when n red headed
civil engineer belonging To the survey
corps of the Mexican Central road
came along one day and heard the
story He felt sorry for the don. lie
had been driven of the lands or the
other with contumely. ana he sighed
for revenge. \ civil engineer need
not have seen war TO he able to see
n strategic situation. This engineer
saw one ut the hacienda. He saw Just
where Don Artcro would attack and
just where he would meet with disas-
ter. There weren't dozen poems on
the ranch who would fight, ana some
thing besides fighting must be rcsorted
TO. The first thing was to find out
what the don would do In case he CAP
turcd Don Artcro and his band
When told that all would he killed he
sat down and had Il talk with the old
man. -Four days later hundred big
bear traps arrived from Mexico City.
The bear trap market was firmcr than
for years before. The poems dug up
certain space OF ground and planted
the traps. and then Don Chunya sent
word to Don Artcro that he was n
rohber, thief, blowhard aud n COW.
ard. There was TO be no more black
mail. The big robber was insultcd.
sneered ut and dcflcd lie was told
that If he came within mile of the
hacienda he would lie chawed to rags.
You can wager that such message
made the others hair curl. He read
the missive and, then swore by the
beard of his father that he would tear
ont the adobe walls of The others cas-
tie and cat his fried heart for lunch
con. He meant what he said, aud the
horn YVES sounded ana the dogs of
war unlcashcd. His band now num-
bcrcd thirts-fve men, and on the very
next morning they appeared in front
of the hacienda, and immediate and
unconditional surrender was demand.
ed. Don Chlayn appeared and hurled
vile epithets Mt the robbers and dared
them TO come on. The thing worked
just as the red headed engineer said
1t would. After you have called a
Mexican cattle thief n coyote. a snake.
q skunk, Il gopher and coward he
wi,,i,, -,
ter from nearer standpoint. Don
Artero uttered yell and led the
charge Only three or four rifics
blazed ut his gang. There was just
room for the line to sweep across the
ground planted with bear traps. and
within n minute after the yell the traps
were doing business. Snap, snap. went
their heavy jaws. and yells and boots
of pain and terror followed.
General Grant couldn't have done
better in his palmiest days. out OF