The Huttig news., 1914-07-04

thought, until Cruz Mendez would hunt them up and try to sell them the Eagle Tail; and it was their intention re- luctantly to close the bargain with him, fer a specified sum, and then stake him to the Announcement fees and gain possession of The mine.
 As this was a commonplace in the district-no Mexican having capital enough to work claim and no Ameri- can having the right to locate one-it was very natural and inconspieuous way of jumping Senor Afagon fires Palacios' abandoned claim. If they discovered the lead immediately after ward it would pass for a case of fools ll.e k, or at least so they hoped, and, riding out little esch day and sitting on the hotel porch with Don Juan the rest of the time, they waited until pa- tience seemed no longer virtue.
 Don Juan," said De Lancey. taking up the probe at last, T had a Mexican working for me when We were over in the Sierras-one of your real, old time workers that had never been spoiled by an education-and he was always talking about La Fortuna 1 guess this was the place he meant, but it doesn't look like it-aecording to him it was a Mexican town Maybe he's around here now-hs name was Mendez"
 Jose Maria Mendez?" inquired Don Juan, who was living directory of the place. Ricardo? Rancho? Cruz?'
 "Cruz!" cried De Lancey; that was it!'
 "Iie lives down the river couple If miles, said Don Juan; down at Old Fortuna
 "Old Fortuna," repeated Phil .1 didn't know there was such a place.
 Why my gracious!" exclaimed Don Juan de Dios, scandaiized by such ignorance. Do you mean 10 say you have been here three days and never heard about Fortuna Vieia? Why, this isn't Fortuna, This is an Ameri- can mining camp-the old town is down below.
 That's where th.s man Aragnn. the big Mexican Of the country. has his ranch and store. Spanish? Him? No, indeed-mitad! He is half Spanish and half Yaqui Indian, but his wife is pure Spaniard-ene of the few in the country. Her father was from Madrid and she is Villanueva "a very beau l tiful woman in her day. with gclden hair and the presence of a queen!
 No. not -Irish My goodness. you Americans think that everybody with rcd hair is Irish Why, the most beau tiful women in Madrid have chestnut hair as soft as the fur of a dormouse. 1t is the old Castilian hair and they are proud of it. The Sonora Aragon married beneath her station---it was in the City of Mexico, and she did not know that he was an Indah--but she is a very nice lady for all that and never omits to bow to me when she comes up to take the train. 1 remem- Der one time"
 Does Cruz Mendez work for him ?" interjected De Lancey desperately
 No, indeed!' answered Don Juan patiently; The packs in wood from the hills-but as l was saying" and from that he went on to tell of the un- failing courtesy of the Senora Aragon to a gentleman whom, whatever his present station might be, she recog- nized as member of one of the oldest families in Castile.
 De Lancey did not press his in quiries any further, but the next morn ing, instead of riding back into the, hills, he and Bud turned their faces down the canyon to seek out the elusive Mendez. They had, of course, been acting a 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 concentrator with it's multiple, tanks. it's gliding tramway and noun tains of taiings. through the village Of Indian houses stuck like dugouts against the barren hill--then along a river bed that oozed with slickings un- til they came in sight of the town.
 Ia Fortuna was an old town, yet not as old as it's name since two Foriunas before it had been washed away by tiOutpui ciS dbt itpic'tu bH HSWtf dwellings, The settlement itself was some four hundred years old, dating back to the days of the Spanish con Guistadores, when it yielded up many muleioads of gold
 The present town was built little up from the river in the lee of great ridge of rocks thrust down rem the hill and well calculated to turn aside a glut of waters. It was comfortable huddie of whitewashed adobe build- ings set on both sides of narrow and irregular read--tbe great trail that led down to the hot country aud was worn deep by the pack.trans of centuries
 On the lawpr side was the awnle store and eantina of Don Cipriano, where the thirsty arrleros could get drink and buy a panoche of sugar without getting down from their mounts Behind the store were the pole corfals and adobe warehouses and the quarters of the peons. and across the road was tho meseal still