The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1914-10-03


them, with the Yaquis far in the lead
They did not shoot, those Yaquis;
but. dragging their guns behind them.
they erept up through the bushes and
dug pits quite close to the lines Then,
when the rebels discovered them and
manned their guns, the Yaquis shot
down the gdeners.
Growing bof5er, they crept farther
10 the front-the rebels became disOr-
ganized, their men became mutinoue-
and az last, when they saw they would
surely be taken, the leaders buried
two tons of dynamite IN the trenches
by the buIl-ring and set a time-fuse,
to explode when the Yaquis arrived
The word spread through the town
like wiIdf1re-an the people, all the
soldiers fed every which way to es-
cape-and then, when the worst was
expected to happen. the dynamite
failed to explode and the YaQuis
rushed the trenches at sundown-'
Did those YaQuis know about the
dynamite?" Injured Bud.
Know" repeated Don Juan. waving
the thought away; mot a world Their
commanders kept it from them. even
after they discovered the mine And
now the Indians are making boasts:
they are drunk with the thought OF
their valor and claim that the rebels
fed from them alone.
The roadmaster. came into town
this morning on a velocipede and said
that the Yaquis are insuTerable, think
ing that it was their renown as fight
ers and not the news OF the dynamite
that drove all the soldiers from town
However, Aqua Negra is once more
in the hands of the government; the
track is clear and most of the bridges
repaired; so why quarrel with the
Yaquis? While they are, Of course.
nothing but Indians, they serve their
purpose in battle"
We'll, guess yes!" responded Bud
warmly. Serve their purpose, Ell?
Where were these Mexican soldiers
and them Spanish officers when the
YaQuis were taking the town? And
that was just like dog-goned Mexi-
can-setting that time-fuse and then
not having it go on. More'n likely the
poor zap that fired It was so scairt he
couldn't hold match-probably
never lit it, Jest dropped the match
anu AO44 1ACg AS q DuLA OunCAs II
you want to know what I think I'd
rather have a Yaqui than a hundred
of 'emI"
"a hundred Of Whom?" inquired a
cool voice behind him. and looking up
Hooker saw the beautiful Gracia gaz-
ing out at him through the screen
door.
"a hundred MexicansI" he repeated.
and Gracia murmured "Oh!" and was
gone.
Miss Aragon is very loyal to her
country" observed Don Juan. but
Hooker only grunted.
Somehow, since those four Mexicans
had come to his camp, he had soured
on everything south of the line; and
even the charming Gracia could not
make him take back his words If she
had intended the remark as a chal-
lenge-a subtle invitation to follow
her and defend his faith-she failed
for once Of her purpose, for If there
was any particular man in Mexico that
Bud hated more than another it was
her false-hearted father.
Hooker had, in fact, thought more
seriously Of making her q half-orphan
than Of winning her goodwill, and he
fingered about the hotel, not to make
love to the daughter. but to strike ter
ror to Aragon.
The company being good. and a
train being expected soon, Bud stayed
over another day. In the morning.
when he came down for breakfast, he
found that Aragon had fed before him
With his wife. daughter and retinue,
he had moved suddenly back to his
home. Hooker grinned when Don Juan
told him the news.
We'll, why not?" he asked, chuck
ling maliciously. Here it's the mid
die OF the rainy season and the war
going on all summer and nary a rebel
in sight. Where's that big fight you
was telling about-the battle of For
tuna? You've made a regular fortune
out of these refugees, BrachamOnte.
but fail to see the enemy"
'Ah, you may laugh" shrugged the
hotel-keeper, but waitI The time will
come. The rebels are lost now-sOme
day, when you least expect It, they
will come upon US and then, believe
me, my guests will be glad they are
| here. What is a few weeks bill CON-
10 DS1lS uSlQ EduSOmE AOOk
at that rich Senior Luna, who was here
! for a time In the spring Against my
advice he hurried home and now he
is paying the price. Ten thousand
pesos it cost to save his wife and
| family, and for himself and son his
| friends advanced ten thousand more.
make no evil prophecies, but it
would be better for our friend If he
stayed on at my poor hotel"
Whose friend?" inquired Bud
blufly, but Don Juan struck him upon
| the back with elephantine playfulness
and hurried on to his duties.
AS for Hooker, he tarried in town
until he got his mail and a copy OF
the Sunday paper and then, well sat
isied that the times were quiet and
wars thing Of the past, he ambIed
back to the Eagle Tail and settled
down for a rest
Fiat on his back by the doorway
| he lay on his bed and smoked, reading
his way through the IuTid supplement
and watching the trail with one eye
Since the Aght with Aragon's Mext
cans all his approximations had LEFT