The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1910-11-07

! cent with fifty men of the Mexican
army up into the mountains to get rid
of a band of robbers who were ter
ror to the gold miners. What was his
surprise to hear when he reached the
locality In question that the bandits
were led by girl twenty-one or TWEEN
ty-two years old.
Gonsalez cornered them and called
on them to surrender. The reply that
came from the little mountain pocket
In which they were ensconced was
burst of girlish laughter that was
sweet and musical.
! In the fight that ensued number
were killed on both sides, but the ban.
dts were practically annihilated.
few were made prisoners, including
| the girl leader, who was addressed by
! the single name of Concia.
"Senorita.r said her captor, Il dis
! like to shoot woman. Promise me
that you will abandon the life you are
leading and will spare your life"
~ prefer to die with these men
whom you have not yet killed"
The lieutenant WINGED. He would
rather die himself than kill woman,
especially this one.
Suppose" he said presently, you
all give me your pledge to go TO your
homes and lead honest lives"
'As for homes" the girl replied. I'VE
have none. but we are willing to break
up and join no other band. living as
honest lives as we can without starv-
ing"
There were but half dozen men
left. Gonsalez would have shot them
but to save the girl he made good his
proposition. Each one Of the band
gave the required promise and went
his way. Concia did not seem by any
means pleased with the arrangement
ON her own account. She acted as IL
she would rather have died and had
only assented to it to save the lives Of
the remnant of her band. She turned
away from the lieutenant without a
word of thanks and. taking trail
| leading up the mountain. was soon
lost to view
year passed. during which no rob
heties by a regularly organized band
We're committed Then the trouble
broke out afreSh. 1t was supposed
that the remnant Of the old band had
broken their pledge and become the
re
had the same leader as before was a
matter of conjecture. Gonsalez was
considered the man above all others to
60 to the mountains and destroy the
robbers.
Friends warned the bandits of the
approach of the soldiers. and they de-
termined TO retreat to a spot where
they could defend themselves against
n greatly superior force. GonsaIez fol-
lowed them, but when he came up
with them saw that they were not only
in an impregnabe position, but that
they outnumbered his own force New
/ ertheless he attacked them. Receiy-
ing a tnurderous fre, he lost a large
number of his men. while none of the
, robbers was killed Not only this:
sallying from behind their improvised
fort. they drove the soldiers before
them till they in turn were obliged to
take refuge in gorge where they had
a chance to defend themselves. Night
came on, and Gonsalez. who knew no
way out OF the trap he was in. looked
to the morrow for slaughter Of his
force,
| He had rolled himself in his blanket
and was sinking into troubled Stun
Der when he felt touch. By the light
| Of a smoldering fire he saw bending
over him a woman, and In that woman
he recognized Concia.
"What-you here" he exclaimed. 81
supposed YOU were in command Of the
| robbers"
NO, senior lieutenant, though | am
| the or.y one Of my band who is not
| there told them that II they broke
| their promise to you / would punish
1 them, and | am here to give them
| that punishment Let your fires 60
out and then get your men under
arms, will lead you to place where
you can come down on them, taking
| them unawares."
Gonsalez determined to trust her
and acted accordingly About mid
| night when the fires were all out and
| the robbers could not see then, move.
the soldiers. led by Concia, who seem
ed to have the eyes of eat, passed
/ through a dehle and Just before the
| break Of day emerged from thicket
of low trees, rushed down upon the
| sleeping robbers and after killing two