The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1914-09-25

trimmer, a man who tried to be all
things to all people-as a good hotet
keeper SHOULDN'T now he altered his
opinion a little, for the letters were
from Phil. He read them over in the
crowded plaza, into which the first
refugees were just beginning to pour.
and frowned as he skinned through
the last,
OF Gracia and vain protestations OF
devotion there was enough and TO
spare, but nothing about the mine.
Only in the first one, written on the
very day he had deserted, did he so
much as attempt an excuse for 80 pre-
cipitately abandoning their claim and
his Mexican citizenship. Phil wrote:
My mail was being sent through head
| uuerters and looked over by Del Rey 80
knew l would never receive the papers.
even II they came. hope you don't feel
| hard about it, pardner. Kruger says to
! come out right away. l would have
|
And now, Bud, want to ask you some
| thing. When you come out, bring Gracla
with you. Don't leave her at the mercy
of Del Rey. | would come myself II II
wasn't sure DEATH Be quick about 1t,
Bud: I count on you.
The other letters were all like that,
but nothing about the mine. And yet
1t was the mine that Bud was fighting
for-that they had fought for from the
first. The railroad was torn up now,
and flight with Gracia was hopeless.
but it was just as well, for he never
would abandon the Eagle Tail.
In two months, or three, when the
rebels were whipped off. his papers
might come. Then he could pay his
taxes and transfer his title and con.
slider the stealing of Gracia. But since
he had seen her and touched her hand
something held him back-a grudging
northumberland he was glad that his
duty lay elsewhere. If she was his
girl now he would come down and get
her anyway.
But she was not his girl and. gazing
back grimly at the seething plaza and
the hotel that hid her from sight, he
rode somberly down the road. After
all, there was nothing to get excited
about-every revoltoso in the country
was lined up around Aqua Negra and.
with four hundred soldiers to oppose
them and artillery to she'll their ad-
vance, it would be many long day be.
fore they took that town.
Twice already Aqua Negra had
fallen before such attacks, but now it
was protected by rifle-pits and ma
chine guns set high on mud roofs. And
then there were the Yaquis, still faith
full to Madero. They alone could hold
the town, If they made up their minds
to fight. So reasoned Hooker, mulling
over the news that he had heard. But
he watched the ridges warily, for the
weather was good for raiders.
A day passed, and then another. and
the big whistle blew only for the
shifts: the loneliness of the hills op-
pressed him as he gazed out at the
quivering heat And then, like toad
after a shower, Amigo came padding
into camp on the heels Of thunder
storm, his sandals hung on his hip and
his big feet squelching through the
mud.
Across his shoulders he wore a gay
serape. woven by some patient woman
of his tribe; and in the belt beside
Buds pistol he carried heavy knife,
blacksmithed from ten-inch file by
some Yaqui hillman. All in all, he
was fine barbarian, but he looked
good to the lonely Bud.
lola, Amigo" he hailed, stepping
out from the adobe house where he
had moved to avoid the rains: and
Amigo answered with his honest smile
which carried no hint Of savagery or
deceit.
Try as he would, Bud could not
bring himself to think Of his Yaqui a.
dangerous; and even when he bal.
anced the Indians murderous bowie
knife in his hands he regarded 1t with
a grin. 1t was heavy weapon, broad
across the back, keen on one edge.
and drawn to a point that was both
sharp and strong. The haft was
vranned with raWhide to hold the
clutch OF the hand
What do you do with this?" queried
Hooker. "Chop wood? Skin deer?"
Eyes, chop wood" answered Amigo,
but he replaced 1t carefully In his belt
(TO BE CONTINUED.)