Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1914-09-10
CHAPTER xln-contInued.

CHAPTER xIIl-continued,
It was slow work; slower than they
had thought, and the gang Of Next
cans that they had hired for muckers
were marvels of ineptitude. Left to
themselves, they accomplished moth
ting, since each problem they encoun-
tered seemed to present to them some
element of ~insuperable difficulty, to
solve which they either went into eau
Gus or waited for the boss.
To the Mexicans of Sonora Bernardo
Bravo was the personiication of all
the malevolent qualities-he being a
Bandit chief who had turned first gen
tsFal and then rebel under Madero-
and the fact that he had at last been
driven out of Chihuahua and therefore
over into Sonora, made his malevo-
Hence all the more imminent.
Undoubtedly, somewhere owe to the
east. where the Sierras lowered like a
Glue wall, Bernardo and his outlaw
followers were gathering for a raid,
and the raid would bring death to So
mora.
He was a bad man, this Bernardo
Bravo, and If half of the current sto-
Eies were true, he killed men when
ever they failed to give him money,
and was never too hurried to take a
fair daughter of the country up behind
nim, provided she took his fancy.
Yes, surely he was a bad man-but
that did not clear away the rock.
For the first week Phil took charge
OF the gang, urging, directing and ca
ioling them, and the work went mer-
riYy on, though rather slowly. The
,Msxicans liked to work for Don Felipe,
Ihe was so polite and spoke such good
Spanish; but at the end of the week
It developed that Bud could get more
results out of them. #
Every time Phil started to explain
Anything to one Mexican all the 9th.
ers stopped to listen to him, and that
took time. But Buds faYorite way Of
directing a man was by grunts and
signs and bending his own back to
the task. Also, he refused to under
stand Spanish, and cut off all long
winded explanations and suggestions
by an impatient motion to go to work,
which the trabaiadores obeyed with
.shrugs and grins.
So Don Felipe turned powder-man
and blacksmith, sharpening up the
drills at the little forge they had fash.
toned and loading the holes with dy-
Mantle when it became necessary to
break a rock, while Bud bossed the
unwilling Mexicans.
In an old tunnel behind their tent
they set a heavy gate, and behind it
obey stored their precious powder.
Then came the portable forge and the
blacksmith shop, just inside the mouth
of the cave, and the tent backed I'D
against 1t for protection. For if there
lis any one thing, next to horses, that
stks rebels are wont to steal, it is
Siant powder to blow up culverts with,
or t. lay on the counters of timorous
country merchants and brighten them
.snto making contributions.
AS for their horses, Bud kept them
tbelled and hobbled, close to the house
and no n ever saw him without his
gun. In the morning, when he got up
ne took 1T from under his pillow an6
chung it on his belt, and there II
sRtayed until bedtime.
He also kept a sharp watch on the
trail, above and below, and what few
men did pass through were conscious
dOf his eye. Therefore it was all tht
more surprising when, one day, look
ting up suddenly from heaving at /
great rock, he saw the big Yaqui sol
der, Amigo, gazing down at him from
the cut bank.
Yes, it was the same man, but Will
"a differeuce-his rife and cartridge
belts we're absent and his clothes werl
torn by the brush. But the sam
good-natured. competent smile wa
there, and after a few words with Blu,
ne leaped nimbly down the bank am
Raid hold upon the rock. They pulle'
together, and the boulder that ha
6alked Buds gang Of Mexicans move
easily for the two of them.
Then Amigo seized a crowbar an
Slipped it into a Granny and shove
Mhem a few things about moving rocks
For half an hour or more he worke
along, seemingly bent on displayin
mis- skill, then he sat down on tn
hank and watched the Mexicans wit
tolerant, half-amused eyes.
If he was hungry he showed 1t onl
by the cigarettes he smoked, an
sHooker, studying up the chances b
would take by hiring q deserter, i
him wait until he came to a decision.
tOyez, Amigo" he hailed at las
and, rubbing his hand around on hI
sxomach. he smiled questioningl
whereat the Yaqui nodded his hea
4kxidly.
rStawanols said Hooker, wen" AZ
9e lett his Mexicsns To dawdle as tht
kndGId while he led the Indian to cani
gheFe he showed him the coffee-pl
AedH The kettle OF beans by the fire. n
w& i alb Of Duthb-oven bread and
Sssok jerksd bed. some stewsd fru
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