Jackson County journal. (Sylva, N.C.) 19??-19??, 1914-06-12

hair as soft as the far- - dormousa.
It is the old Castilian hair. and they
are proud OF It. The Sonora Arasou
married beneath her station-it Wa
In the City OF Mexico, and she did not
know that he was an Indian-but aha
Is a very nice lady for ali that aid
never omits to bow to me when 6ha
comes up to take the train. remen1-
Der one time
Does Cruz Mendea work for himf"
inter3ected De Lancey desperately.
No. indeed" answered Don Juan
patiently; "he packs in wood from the
hills-but as was saying" and
from that he went on to tell of the nm.
failing courtesy OF the Sonora Aragoii
to q gentleman whom, whatever his
present station might be, she reoog-
nized as member OF one Of the Oldest
families in CASTLE.
De Lancey did not press his In
Qu1ries any further, but the next morn
ing, instead Of riding back into the
hills, he ard Bud turned their faces
down the canyon to seek out the elusive
Mendez. They had. OF course, been
acting part for Don Juan, since Kru-
ger had described Old Fortuna and the
Senor Aragon with great minuteness.
And now, in the guise of innocent
strangers. they rode on down the river,
past the concentration with its multiple
tanks, its gliding tramway and noun
tains Of tailings, through the village Of
Indian houses stuck like dugouts
against the barren hill-then along q
river bed that oozed with Stockings un-
til they came in sight Of the town.
La Fortuna was an old town, yet not
as old as It's name, since two Fortunes
before 1t had been washed away by
cloudbursts and replaced by newer
dwellings. The settlemext itself was
some four hundred yeage old. dating
back to the days Of the Spanish con-
quistadores, when 1t yielded up many
muleloads Of gold.
The present town was built a little
up from the river in the lee of q great
ridge OF rocks thrust down from the
hill and we'll calculated to turn aside
a glut of waters. It was a comfortable
huddle of whitewashed adobe build
ings set on both sides Of q narrow and
irregular road-the great trail that led
down to the hot country and was worn
deep by the pack-trains of centuries.
On the lower side was the ample
store and cantina of Don Cipriano.
where the thirsty arrieros could get 4
drink and buy a panoche OF sugar
without getting down, from their
mounts. Behind the store were the
pole corrals and adobe warehouses
and the quarters of the poems, and
across the road was the mescal still,
where. in huge copper retort and
worm, the fiery liquor was distilled
from the sugar-laden heads Of Yuccas.
This was the town, but the most i'm
portant building-set back In the
shade Of mighty cottonwoods and
pleasantly aloof from the road-was
the residence of Senior Aragon. It was
this, In fact, which held the undivided
attention Of De Lancey as they rode
quietly through the village, for he
had become accustomed from q long
experience in the tropics to look for
something elusive, graceful and femi-
nine In houses set back in a garden.
Nothing stirred, however, and having
good reason to avoid Don Cipriano,
they logged steadily on their way.
Some housed" observed Phil, with
last hopeful look over his shoulder.
"Uh, assented Bud, as they came
to fork in the road. "Say," he con-
tinued, Tets turn of on this trail.
Lot of burro tracks going out-expect
it's our friend. Mr. Mendez."
All right" said De Lancey abb
sently; wonder where old Aragon
keeps that beautiful daughter of his
the one Don Joo-an was telling about.
Have to stop on the way back and
sample the old mans mescal."
Nothing doing!" countered Hooker
instantly. Nov you heard what
told you-there's two things you leave
alone for sixty days-booze and wom-
en-. After we cinch our title you can
get as gay as you please"
"Oo-ee!" piped Phil. hear the boy
talk!" But he said no more of wine
and women. for he knew how they do
complicate life.
They rode to the east now, follow
Ing the long. fat footprints of the bur-
ros, and by all the landmarks Bud
saw that they were heading straight
for the old Eagle Tail mine. At Old
Fortuna the river turns west and at
the same time four canyons came in
from the east and south. OF these