Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1914-08-06
CHAPTER xI.


peaceful and sleepy, was alive with
hurrying men when Bud and Phil
reached town. Over at the station a
special engine was wheeling and blow
ing after its heavy run and, from the
train of Communicated ore cars be-
hind, a swarm OF soldiers we're leaping
to the ground. On the porch Of the
hotel Don Juan de Dios Brachamonte
was making violent signals with his
hands. and as they rode up he hurried
out to meet them.
my gracious, boys" he cried. 'it's
good thing you came into town! Ber-
nardo Bravo has come over the noun
tains and he's marching to take Moe
tezumai"
Why, that doesn't make any differ
ence to us!" answered Phil. "Mocte-
yuma is eighty miles from here-and
look at all the soldiers. How many
men has Bernardo got?"
We'll, that do not know" respond
ed Don Juan; some say more and
some less, but II you boys hadn't come
in would have sent a man to fetch
you. Just as soon rs a revolution be-
gins the back country becomes unsafe
for Americans. Some of these low
characters are likely to murder you II
they think you have any money"
We'll. we haven't" put In Bud; but
we've got a mine-and we're going to
keep 1t, toe"
Jaw, Bernardo Bravo hasn't got any
men!" scoffed Phil; 81 bet this Is a
false alarm. He got whipped out Of
his boots over in chihuahua last fall.
and he's been up In the Sierra Madres
ever since. Probably come down to
steal q little beef.
Why. Don Juan, Bud and l lived
right next to a trail all last year and
IL we'd listened to one-tenth of the
revoltoso stories we heard we wouldn't
have taken out an ounce OF gold. I'm
going to get my announcement papers
tomorrow, and I'll bet you we work
that mine all summer and never know
the difference. These rebels won't
hurt you any. anyhowl"
No! Only beg little grub!" added
Bud scornfully. Come on. Phil; let's
go over and look at the soldiers-it's
that bunch of Yaquis we saw up at
Aqua Negra."
They tied their horses to the rack
and, leaving the solicitous Don Juan To
sputter, hurried over to the yard. From
| the heavy metal ore cars, each a roll.
ing fortress In Itself, the last OF the
active Yaquis were helping out their
women and pet dogs, while the rest
talking and laughing in high spirits
were strung out along the track in a
perfunctory line.
II the few officers In command had
ever attempted to teach them military
discipline, the result was not appar
emit in the line they formed: but any
man who looked at their swarthy
faces, the hawklike profiles. and deep
set, steady eyes. would know that they
were fighters.
After all, a straight line on parade
has very little to do with actual war
fare and these men had proved theil
worth under fire.
To be sure, It was the FIRE Of Mexi
can guns, and perhaps that was why
the officers we're so quiet and unassert
i've; for every one Of these big. up
standing Indians had been captured II
the Yaaui wars and deported to thu
henequen fields of Yucatan to die II
the miasma and heat.
But they had come from a hard!
breed and the whirligig OF fortune wa
flying fast-Madero defeated Porfiri'
Diaz; fresh revolutions broke on
against the victor and. looking abou
In desperation for soldiers to Ill hi
ranks, Madero fell upon the Yaquis.
Trained warriors for generations, o
race so fierce that the ancient Al
tees had been turned aside by them II
their empire-founding migration, the,
were the very men to whip back tn
rebels, II he could but win them to hi
side.
So Madero had approached Chic
BuIe, whom Diaz had taken under
flag of truce, and soon the agreemen
was made In return for faithful ser'
ice, Mexico would give back to tn
Indians the one thing they had bee
fighting a hunrded and sixty years t
attain, their land along the Rio Yaqui
and there they should be permitted I
live In peace as their ancestors ha
done before them.
And so, with a thousand or more G
his men, the crafty old war chief ha
taken service In the federal arm,
= though his mind. poisoned perhaps
. the treachery he had suffered, was nc
entirely free from guile.
|, CTO BE CoNTINUED.)i