Evening star., 1914-11-08


outside of their defense. He awoke at dusk
and peered out Then suddenly he fell to
the stones, and for time Jose thought he
was dead; but long wound across his
cheek, through his ear and edge OF his
scalp, showed that he had been no more than
grazed, and after time, with his handker-
chief bound round his head, he was again
courting death by glancing out at intervals.
Their hunger increased, and Jose suffered
another flesh wound when crossing to the
stairway for fresh supply of cartridges
with which to reload the row of rifles that
Uttered the space around them.
"Another night settled down over them.
The fires were not lighted, which they ac-
cepted as an ominous sign. They talked OF
trying to escape, and the seflor begged his
follower to make the attempt; but Jose
would not, obstinately refusing.
wild Bob busted himself with can of
oil and some old rags he found, and Jose,
despite his efforts to keep awake, went to
sleep, to be awakened by flare in his face,
and then the sounds of heavy explosion.
The white man had lighted some of his
flares and thrown them wide to discover
that under cover of darkness the Mexi-
cans were preparing to pile huge heaps of
wood and timber round the foot of the tower
for the purpose of smothering them out, or
attacking through e screen of smoke. Again
the hand grenades had been thrown, and in
the dim light both the Indian and the white
man fired at anything that could be seen
moving. After that, alarmed by the per-
sistent adroitness of the new rebel chief,
they dared not sleep until dawn. And so
began the second day.
FIFTY hours without food, up there on
L that gridiron, and drinking stale water,
began to tell on even their iron endurance.
The white man became careless, and was
shot through the left shoulder. He went
into a fit of rage, and for hours fired at any
one who came within scant range, and many
cartridges were wasted on impossible dis
tances. He began to talk at intervals, and
sometimes he hummed tunes, and sang in
an aimless way, very terrifying to the stolld,
patient old man, who watched and listened.
@'Jose, Old Hoss,' he said once, If Patton
or Shepherd got through, our boys won't
there. They won't let even pair of poor
worthless devils like us be shot down or
tortured like dogs without doing their best.
1t isn't in the breed. They'll come for the
flag, if nothing else. They won't let it be
defi1ed l tell you they WON'T
1And then after an interval he began to
hum again, snatches of old songs, pausing
now and then painfully to count the hours
that must elapse before relief could reach
them His faith that up there to the north
ward were Americans who would not let
their flag or a countryman suffer was SUBJ
lime. Once the Indian voiced doubt, but
was sternly silenced.
1None of that!' shouted the white man,
scowling at him. You ought to know bet
ter! They'll come! They've got to! It's
for the fag-for the honor of the flag, | tell
you and Jose dared say no more as the
hours dragged through afternoon and eve
ming, and his own hope dwindled, and he
stoically counted the beads of his rosary
end prepared his soul for its departure.
"All through the third night, weak, half
delirious, yet watchful, they strained their
ears for hopeful sounds; but none came.
That they had been unmolested made them
apprehensive Even the iron faith of the ad-
venturer was wavering when the dawn came.
Buzzards, birds of i'll omen, scared above
them in the hot morning air.
ALMOST leisurely the days operations
"A opened as laughing MeMcans again
surrounded them and began the incessant
firing. At nine o'clock in the morning it
stopped, and one came with flag of truce.
@'Pay no heed, Senior Roberto! 1t is a
trick implored Jose, who was now SO weak
4 L Z