The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-06-15
Copyright. 1914. by Frank A. Munseyl

| Copyright. 1914, by Frank A. MunseyJ
of Del Rey. 7 would come myself IT I
wasn't sure death. Be quick about 1t
Bud; count on you
The other letters were all like that
but nothing about the mine. And We
1t was the mine that Bud was fightin&
for-that they had fought for from thu
! first The railroad was torn up now
and fight with Gracia was hopeless
but 1t was just as we'll, for he never
would abandon the Eagle Tail.
! In two months, or three, when the
rebels we're whipped off, his papers
might come. Then he could pay his
taxes and transfer his title and con
slider the stealing of Gracia. But since
he had seen her and touched her hand
something held him back-a grudgine
reluctance-and he was glad that his
duty lay elsewhere. If she was his
girl now he would come down and get
her anyway.
But she was not his girl and, gazing
back grimly at the seething plaza and
the hotel that hid her from sight, he
rode somberly down the road. After
all, there was nothing to get excited
about-every revoltoso in the country
was lined up around Aqua Negra and,
with four hundred soldiers to oppose
them and artillery to shell their ad-
vance, 1t would be many a long day be-
fore they took that town.
Twice already Aqua Negra had
fallen before such attacks, but now it
was protected by rifle-pits and ma
chine guns set high on mud roofs. And
then there were the YaQuis, still faith
full to Madero. They alone could hold
the town, II they made up their minds
to fight. So reasoned Hooker, mulling
over the news that he had heard. But
he watched the ridges warily, for the
weather was good for raiders
A day passed, and then another, and
the big whistle blew only for the
shifts; the loneliness Of the hills CD
pressed him as he gazed out at the
quivering heat. And then, like a toad
after shower, Amigo came padding
into camp on the heels of a thunder
storm his sandals hung on his hip and
his big feet squelching through the
mud
Across his shoulders he wore a CAV
serape, woven b. some patient woman
of his tribe; and in the belt beside
Buds pistol he carried heavy knife.
blacksmithed from ten-inch file by
some Yaqui hillmau. All In all. he
was q fine barbarian, but he looked
good to the lonely Bud
"Ola, Amigo!" he hailed, stepping
out from the adobe house where he
had moved to avoid the rains; and
Amigo answered with his honest smile
which carried no hint of savagery or
deceit.
Try as he would, Bud could not
bring himself to think of his YaQui as
dangerous and even when he bal
anced the Indians murderuus bowie
knife In his hands he regarded it with
grin. 1t was heavy weapon, broad
across the back, keen on one edge,
and drawn to a point that was both
sharp and strong The haft was
wrapped with rawhide to hold the
clutch Of the hand.
What do you do with this? 2" queried
Hooker. Chop wood? Skin deer?"
Yes, chop wood" answered Amigo,
but he replaced it carefully in his belt.
He looked the adobe house over
thoughtfully, listened long to the
news of the border and of the rurales
raid on their camp, and retired to the
rocks for the night Even Bud never
knew where he slept-somewhere up
on the hillside-in caves or clefts In
the rocks-and not even the most
pressing invitation could make him
share the house for night. To Amigo,
as to an animal, house was a trap;
and he knew that the times were
treacherous.
So indeed they were, as Hooker was
to learn to his sorrow, and but for the
laqui and his murderous knife he
might easily have learned 1t too late.
1t was evening, after rainless day,
and Bud was cooking by the open fire,
when suddenly Amigo vanished and
four men rode in from above. They
were armed With rifles, as betitted the
times, but gave no signs of rufianly
bravado, and after few words Bud In
yited them to get down and eat.
"Muchas gracias, senor," said the
leader, diSmounting and laying his rifle
against log, we are not hungry"
Then have some coffee" invited
Hooker, who made 1t a point to feed
every one who stopped, regardless of
their merit; and once more the Mexi.
can declined, At this Bud looked at
him sharply, for his refusal did not
augur well, and it struck him the
mans face was familiar. He was tall
for Mexican and heavily built, but
with rather sinister cast of counte-
nance.
Where have I seen you before
asked Bud, after trying in vain to
place him. "In Fortuna?"
No senior answered the Mexican