The Lakeland evening telegram., 1914-06-01
Copyright. 1914, by Frank A. Munsey.l
Continued from Page y

my powder stored away in the drift,
and the minute | found out | was
euchred laid fuse to it and brought
the whole mountain down. That was
ten years ago, and old Aragon and
the agente mineral have had the land
located ever since.
Il bet they've spent five thousand
pesos trying to find that lead, but be-
Ing nothing but bunch Of ignorant
Mexicans, of course they never found
| nothing. Then Francisco Madero
comes in and fires the agente mineral
off his job and old Aragon lets the land
revert for taxes. I've got Mexican
that keeps me posted, and ever since
he sent me word that the title had
lapsed I've been crazy to relocate that
claim.
We'll, now, that don't look so bad,
does it," he asked, beaming paternally
at Bud. There amt a man in town
that wouldn't have jumped at the
chance, If | was where | could talk
about 1t, but that's just what couldn't
do. had to find some stranger that
wouldn't sense what mine | was talk
ing about and then git him to 60 in on
1t blind.
Nov here's the way I'm fixed,
boys" he exclaimed, brushing his un-
kempt beard and smiling craftily.
when | dynamited the Eagle Tail it
was mine by rights, but Ciprano Ara
gon-he's the big Mexican down at old
Fortuna-and Morales, the mineral
agent, had buncoed me out of the title.
so, according to law, blowed up
their mine, and IL | ever showed up
down there | reckon they'd throw me
into jail And If at any time they find
out that you're working for me, why,
we're ditched-thats all! They'll put
you out of business. So, after we've
made our agreement and I've told you
what to do | don't want to hear
word out of you'll don't want you to
come near me, nor even write me
letter-just go ahead the best you can
until you win out or go broke.
1T amt hard proposition" he
continued, IF you keep your mouth
shut, but If they tumble, it'll be fight
to finish. I'm not saying this for
you, Hooker, because | know you're
safe; I'm saying 1t for your pardner
here. You talk too much, Mr.. De Ian
cey," he chided, eying him with sud-
den severity. I'm afraid of YET"
All right, broke in Hooker good
naturedly, Il reckon we understand.
Now go ahead and tell US where this
mine is and who there is down there
to look out for"
THE man to look out for" an
swered Kruger with venom, is Cipri-
ano Aragon. He's the man that bilked
me out of the mine once, and he'll do
1t again if he can. When | went down
there-it was ten years and more ago
i wasn't on to those Spanish ways of
his, and he was SO dog-goned polite
and friendly thought | could trust
him anywhere.
He owns a big ranch and mescal
still, runs cattle, works few placers.
sends out pack-trains, and has every
Mexican and Indian in the country in
debt to him through his store, so If he
happens to want any rough work dones
there's always somebody to do it.
We'll, just to show you how he did
me, | got to nosing round those old
Spanish workings east of Fortuna and
finally | run across the ledge that I'm
telling you about, not far from an
abandoned shaft. But the Mexican
mining laws are different from ours,
and an American has lots of trouble
anyway, so | made a trade with old
Aragon that he should locate the claim
for me under power of attorney.
Didn't know him then like | do now.
The papers had to be sent to Mocte-
yuma and Hermosillo, and to the City
of Mexico and back, and while | was
waiting around l dug in on this lead
and opened up the prettiest vein of
quartz you ever saw in your life.
Here's sample of It, and it's sure
rich"
He handed De Lancey the familiar
piece of quartz and proceeded with his
story.
THAT ore looked so good to me that
couldn't wait-I shipped it before l
got my title. And right there | made
my mistake, When Aragon saw the
gold in that rock he just quietly re-
corded the concession in his own name
and told me to go to blazes. That's
the greaser of it! So I blew the whole
mine up and hit for the border. That's
the Dutch of it, reckon" he added
grimly. Anyway, my old man was
Dutch"