Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-10-09

aided victory and, In spite of all Efforts
to restrain them, the wives of the
miners rushed into the open to gaze
upon the triumph of their menfolk.
On the hilltops the ineffective rebel
rifemen rose up from behind their
stone wall to stare, until suddenly
they, too, were seized with a panic and
ran to and fro like ants. Then, around
the curve below the concentration, a
tall man came dashing up on a pure
white horse, and behind him, charging
as he charged, anne the swarthy va
uuis of Alvarez, their new rifles gleam-
ing in the sun.
Up along the hillside and after the
fugitives they ran with vengeful eager
ness, racing each other for the higher
ground and the first shot at the reb-
els. First Alvarez on his white horse
would be ahead, and then, as they n
countered rocks, the Yaquis would
surge to the front. 1t was a ace and
at the same time 1t was a rout, for,
at the first glimpse of that oncoming
body of warriors. the cowardly follow
ers Of Bernardo Bravo took to their
heels and fed.
But over the rocks no Chihuahuan,
no matter how scared. can hope to out
distance a Yaqui, and the pop, pop of
rifles told the fate of the first luckless
stragglers. For the Yaquis, after a
hundred and sixty years of guerrilla
warfare, never waste q shot; and as
savage yells and the crash of a sud
den yolley drifted down from the rocky
heights the men WHO had been be-
sieged In Fortuna knew that death was
abroad in the hills.
Fainter and fainter came the shots
as the pursuit led on to the north and,
as Hooker strained his eyes to follow
a huge form that intuition told him
was Amigo, he was wakened suddenly
from his preoccupation by the touch
Of some unseen hand. He vas In the
open with people all about him
Spanish refugees, Americans, trium-
plant miners and their wives-but
that touch made him forget the, battle
above him and instantly think of
Gracia.
He turned and hurried back to the
corral where Copper Bottom was kept,
and there he found her waiting, with
her roam all saddled, and she chal-
lenged him with her eyes. The sun
cleaned from a pistol that she held
In her hand, and again from her golden
hair, but he saw only her eyes, so
brave and daring, and the challenge
to mount and ride.
Only for a moment did he stand be-
fore her gaze, and then he caught up
his saddle and spoke s%oothingly to his
horse. They rode out of the corral
together, closing the gates behind
them and passing down a gulch to the
rear. All the town lay silent below
them as they turned toward the west
ern pass.
The time had come. Well he knew
the dangers that lay between them
and the American line. Dangers not
for him but for her. In the hills and
passes and ON the cac~tus-covered
plain were thousands of men with
whom she would not be safe for an
instant, and against whom he must
guard her that she might be delivered
safely to Phil. And he loved her then
as he had not believed 1t possible to
love q woman. He loved this woman
that he was attempting to save for
another man, a "pardner' who had
at the best been reckless of every
trust, who had been unfaithful to ev-
cry promise. And across the border
this man was waiting for the woman
Bud Hooker loved. That he take her
to him was a more severe test of his
manhood than any to which he had
before been subjected. That he be
untrue to the trust she reposed in
him never entered his mind for a mo-
ment. With a strong mans love for
her he thought only Of how he was to
conduct her safely out Of the dangers
which surrounded her.
Soldiers, miners, and refugees, men,
women, and children, every soul In
Fortuna was on the hill to see the last
of the battle. 1t had been a crude
affair, but bravely ended, and some
thing In the dramatic suddenness of
this victory had held all eyes to the
close. Bud and Gracia passed out of
town unnoticed, and as soon al they
had rounded the point they spurred on
till they gained the pass.
II knew you would comet" said
Gracia, smiling radiantly as they
paused at the fork.
"Sure!" answered Hooker with his
good-humored smile. Count me in on
anything-which way does this trail
go; do you known"
'It goes west twelve miles toward
Arispe," replied Gracia confidently,
"and then it ome into the main road
that leads north to Nogales and Gads-
den"
That sounds about right for u.s."