The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1914-09-18

follow at his back, and even with his
boasted thousands Bernardo Bravo
could hardly Withstand their valor. So.
while the rebels parleyed, demanding
a ransom of millions and threatening
to destroy the town, the defenders
argued and reasoned with them,
hoping to kill the time until Alvarez
should arrive.
In the open space In front of the
house the refugees gathered in an anx-
ious group, waiting for messengers
from the front, and as Hooker walked
among them he was aware Of the ma
lignant glances of Aragon. There were
other glances as we'll, for he had won
great favor with the ladies by ditching
the powder train, but none from Ora
cia or her mother.
Bud would not have admitted that
he resented this lack of appreciation
on the part of Gracia. In fact he hard
ly knew that he did resent it, but he
watched anxiously for any sign Of ap-
prevail from this girl who was to be
his pardner's bride should he conduct
her safely to the border.
From the beginning the Sonora Ara
gon had treated him as a stranger, &C
cording to the code Of her class, and
Hooker had never attempted to in
trude. But IL Gracia still remembered
that she was an American girl at heart,
she forgot to show 1t to him. To all
she was now the proud Spanish lady,
thrown with the common people by
the stress of circumstances, but far
away from them in her thoughts.
The conference between the leaders
dragged on and messengers came and
went with the news-then, after hours
of debate, 1t broke up suddenly In
row and the emissaries came back on
the run. Even at that they narrowly
escaped, for the rebels opened fire
upon them from the ridges, and before
they could get back to cover the
dandy, Manuel del Rey, received bull
let hole through the crown of his hat.
A grim smile flickered across Buds
face SO he saw the damage it had
wroue-- t. for he knew that Amigo was
in the hills-and a bullet shot down
hill goes high! Some trace of what
was in his mind must have come to
Del Rey as he halted in the shelter Of
the house, for he regarded the Ameri-
can sternly as Aragon spoke rapidly
In his ear But If they planned ven-
geance between them the times were
not right, for a rattle Of arms came
from the lower town and the captain
was up and away to marshal his men
to the defense.
So far in the siege Del Rey had kept
under cover, patrolling the streets
and plaza and letting the volunteers
fight, but now the war had shifted to
his territory and his ruraies were run
ming like mad. For, matching treach-
cry against deceit, the rebel leaders
had sent men around to slip up near
the town and at the first fusillade from
the hillside they came charging up
the creek.
Then it was that the ever-watchful
rurales proved their worth. AS the
rebels appeared in the open they ran
to the outlying houses and, fighting
from the fiat roofs, checked the adj
vance until the miners could come to
their aid.
But in the confusion another party
of rebels had rushed down the gulch
from the west, and while the fight was
going on in the lower town they found
lodgment in a big adobe house. And
now for the first time there was fight
ing in earnest-the house-to-house
fighting that Is seen at its worst in
Mexico. While women screamed in
the casa grande and the Americans
paced to and fro on the hill, the boom
of dynamite bomb marked the begin
ming of hand-to-hand.
If there was to be casualty list in
this long-looked for battle of Fortuna,
the time was at hand when they could
begin counting the dead.
With fearlessness born Of long IA
miliarity with explosives the Sonoran
miners advanced valiantly with their
hand grenades-baking powder cans
filled with dynamite and studded with
Illuminating caps. Digging fiercely
through wall after wall they ap-
preached unperceived by the enemy
and the first bomb, flung from roof,
filled the adobe with wounded and
dead.
A dense pail of yellowish smoke
rose high above the town and, as bomb
after bomb was exploded and the yells
of the miners grew louder with each
success, the stunned invaders broke
from cover and rushed helter-skelter
up the gulch. Then there was a prodi-
gious shouting from the Sonorans and
more than one triumphant grenadier
swung his can Of giant powder by the
sling and let 1t smash against the hill
in a terrific defamation.
In the big house all was confusion.
Soon the cheers of the defenders her.
aided victory and. In spite Of all efforts
to restrain them, the wives of the