The Lakeland evening telegram., 1914-06-02
Copyright. 1914, by Frank A. Munsey.)


grumbled Bud, gazing grimly to the
south. But wait till the hot weather
comes and the revoltosos come out Of
their holes; wait till them Chihuahua
greasers thaw out up in the Sierras
and come down to get some fresh
mounts. Well, I'll tell 'em one thing"
he ended, reaching down to pat his
horse, they'll never get old Copper
Bottom here-not unless they steal
him at night. It's all right to be cheer
full about this, Phil, and you keep right
on being glad, but got low-down
hunch that we're going to get In bad. "
well, I've got just as good hunch, !"
came back De Lancey, that we're 60
ing to make killing"
Eyes, and speaking about killings" !"
said Bud, you don't want to overlook
that"
He pointed at group OF disman-
tied adobe buildings standing out on
the edge of the town and flanked by a
segment Of whitewashed wall all spat-
tered and preached with bullet-holes.
There's where these prize Mexicans
of yourn pulled off the biggest killing
in Sonora. | was over here yesterday
with that old prospector and he told
me that that wall is the bull-ring
After the first big fight they gathered
up three hundred and fifty men, more
or less, and throwed em in trench
along by the wall-then they blowed it
over on em with few sticks Of dyna-
mite and let 'em pass for buried. No
crosses or nothing. Excuse me, If they
ever break loose like that-we might
get planted with the rest!"
"By Jove, old top" exclaimed De
Lancey, laughing teasingly, you've
certainly got the blues today. Here,
take something out of this bottle and
see IL it won't help"
He brought out quart bottle from
his saddle-bags and Bud drank, and
shuddered at the bite of it.
"All right" he said, as he passed it
back, "and while we're talking, what's
the matter with cutting 1t out on booze
for this trip?"
What are you going to drink.
them" cried De Lancey in feigned
alarm, "water?"
well, something like that" admit
ted Bud. Come on-what do you
say? We might get lit up and tell
something"
Now lookee here, Bud" clamored
Phil, who had had a few drinks al
ready, you don't mean to insinuate,
do you? Next thing know you'll be
asking me to cut 1t out on the hay
might talk in my sleep, you know, and
give the whole snap away!"
mo, you're good boy when you're
asleep, Phil" responded Bud, but
when you get about half shot It's diff
ferent. Come on, now-Ill quit II you
will. That's fair, amt IT."
What? No little toots around
town? No serenading the senoritas and
giving the rurales the hotfoot? Well,
what's the use of living, Bud, if you
can't have little fun? Drinking don't
make any difference, as long as we
stick together. What's the use of
swearing off going on record in ad-
vance? We may find some fellow that
we can't work any other way-we may
have to 80 on a drunk with him in or.
Ger to get his scat! But will you
stick? That's the point"
Bud glanced at him and grunted. and
for a long time he rode on in silence.
Before them lay rolling plain, dip
ping by broad gulches and dwindling
ridges to the lower levels of Old Mex
leo, and on the skyline, thin and blue,
stood the knitelike edges of the For
tunas miles away.
With desert-trained eyes he noted
the landmarks, San Juan mountain to
the right, Old Niggerhead to the left.
and the feather-edge of mountains far
below; and as he looked he stored it
away in his mind in case he should
come back on the run some night.
1t was not forebodng, but the
training of his kind, to note the lay of
the ground, and he planned just where
he would ride to keep under cover if
he ever made dash for the line. But
all the time his pardner was talking of
friendship ard 0' the necessity of their
sticking too
III tel! d. he said at last,
MS Volc" g with sentiment,
whetht lose, | won't have
a sing! | know we've
peen r. You may
kno !, Bud, but /
Kno N of manana