The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1912-11-01


200 fights. and yet he was unsatis-
fed.
"Confound It ALL" he growled to his
young aides, there was a Roman
once-I forget his name, but | read
about him at the Point-who took
part in one thousand battles. and per
sonally killed one thousand barbara
ans. That fellow had some enjoyment
out of his life. In his time, there was
fighting to be done, real fighting, COM
ing to you all the time, and you didn't
have to sit around doing nothing or
watching = yellow old river for fear
somebody might declare himself in on
some graft that the other fellow had
barely overlooked. Those were the
happy days. young men. those were
the happy daysl"
The colonel, having Just returned from
San Antonio to the cavalry camp be-
low FL Paso, was in a grumpy mood,
somewhat augmented by memories of
the times when he had fought three
battles with the Lipan Indians not
fifty miles from his present location.
There's one thing" he grumbled,
that deeply regret about those fights
with the Lipans. ! killed too many
of em, and scared the rest away. II
had gone a little slow about It, and
not played hog. they might have last
ed till the present time, and l might
go right out this morning and chase
them over the river. Well, Conroy,
what do you want?"
The old trooper saluted. Couple
of young fellows to see you, colonel.
They've been here two days waiting
for you, sir. blamed good ball play
ers. too, both of EN-"
What the blazes do | care about
their ball playing? Tell 'em 70 come
in, and show their excuse for living!"
Brockett and Solano, two handsome,
athletic youngsters, somewhat frayed
as to dress, saluted the old warhorse
with becoming gravity. Brockett drew
from his clothing a fat package. and
handed 1t to the colonel, who received
it with a quizzical smile.
Never mind any explanations"
said the old soldier 81 have been
given little advance explanations
concerning you. You are the secret
service messengers who were to
bring me certain orders and instruc-
lions in a cipher that no foreign spy
could translate without the aid of
chisel If you got through and
brought me the papers safely, was
to learn the confounded cipher, and
adopt 1t for future correspondence. II
you didn't get through | was to re-
port the fact with deep regrets. Cor
rect, isn't it?"
Yes, colonel"
Have much trouble getting here?"
"A trifie, colonel"
The old fellow chuckled. "A trifie.
Ell? I'll bet 1t was more than a trifie
Good game boys, both Of you. This
package contains orders that may mean
a lot to|our general foreign policy, and
at least two governments that | could
mention would give a good deal to get
the key. Tell me about your trip, and
what they tried to do to YOU"
The boys, thus encouraged, told the
veteran the full details of their jour
neys, while the old man alternately
laughed and stormed. When the re-
cital was finished, Colonel Lewis shook
hands with them heartily, and the
youngsters knew that the grim old
hero was their friend for life.
"I'll have to devote my attention to
this cipher code of yours for the next
two hours" said the colonel. you
boys will mess with me today, | hopper"
I'VE must be on our way as quickly
as possible" Brockett negatived
There is still some margin in our
time-limit, but we would like to round
up everything as rapidly as possible
After delivering these papers to you,
our orders take us TO Rancho Nogal,
on the other side of the Rio Grande. Z"
Rancho Nogal, eh?" And the col
onels eyebrows were raised in sur
prise and Interrogation. Message to
Gomez Esteral. l suppose?"
Yves. colonel"
you know who Gomez Esteral may
be, of course?"
mo, sir. We didn't find out any
thing about him. All we know is that
we are to deliver him a message, and
that was all we cared to know"
The colonel beamed with -apprecia-
ton.
You boys will make good soldiers
yet. The first essential of good SOL
der is to obey orders without asking
questions, and that, see. you have
already learned to do, Under the cir
cumstances think will give you a
little information concerning Gomez
Esteral-it may help you to realize
the Importance of your final mission"
The boys sat down and hitched