Polk County news-gazette. (Benton, Tenn.) 190?-191?, 1914-09-03
CHAPTER XXI.

The superintendent house stood on
a low bench above the town. looking
out over all the valley. but protected
by high hill behind, upon the summit
of which was placed a mammoth black
water tank
In its architecture the casa grande
was an exact replica Of a hot-country
hacienda, a fat-roofed. one-storied
square of adobe bricks, whitewashed
to keep off the sun and presenting on
three sides nothing but dense trees
| planted near for shade. Along the
front was a long arcade, the corredor,
graced by a series of massive arches
which let in the light and air. Inside
were low chambers and long passages;
and. behind the patio and garden of
orange and fig trees.
Built for a sumptuous dwelling, 1t
| became in a moment a fort and, with
men on the high hill by the tank, 1t
was practically impregnable to direct
assault
AS Hooker stepped out on to the COW
cred porch with his saddle-gun in his
hand he became simply one more of
band of excited Americans, all armed
and ready to defend the house to the
last. Some were pacing back and forth
in the corredor, others were hurrying
up from the Mexican quarters with
last belated handful of women, but the
major portion were out on the open
bench, either gazing north and south
at the scenes of the distant firing or
engaging in a curio-mad scramble for
any spent bullet that struck.
The fighting, such as there was, was
mostly up the canyon, where a large
party of Sonoran miners had rushed In
pursuit of the rebels. The firing down
the canyon in the direction of Old For
tuna had died away to nothing, and for
the moment it seemed as if the futile |
charge and retreat was the beginning |
and the end of the battle.
party of rebels had penetrated |
clear into the town, but 1t was appar- |
emily more by accident than intention.
and they had been quick to heat re- |
treat. AS for the main command OF
the insurrectos, they were reported at
Chular, six miles up the railroad,
where they had surrounded and taken
small mining camp and captured a
train at the summit.
The column to the south-the 0ne
witch s4ooker had encountered-7kad
alss2 il thes Ugh hills west of HE
towI. and, along the skyline OF ttssl
buttelike SUBMITS they could now be
seen in scattered bands making their
way to the north.
The defenders of Fortuna consisted
of a rag-tag garrison of twenty fed
erals and the hot-headed, charging
miners. But apparently that was a
hard to beat, for. while
the federals entrenched themselves be-
hind the black tank on the hill and
to protect the town, the So
norans in shouting masses dl>ove every
thing before them and marched on to
attack Chular.
But In this they made mistake, for
the rebel scouts, seeing the great body
Of defenders pressing on up the mar
row canyon, rode back and informed
the tricky Bernardo Bravo. He would
be a poor general indeed who could
not see the opening that was offered
and, while the valiant Sonorans pur-
sued the rebel cavalry up the pass,
Bernardo Bravo sent the half of his
rom behind.
Along the broad top of the noun
ain above they came scampering by
ems and twentes, closing in with a
lastly superior force upon the now
lefeneeless town In the depths of the
canyon below the miners were still
chasing the elusive cavalry, their fir
ng becoming faint as they clambered :
IN toward the summit and the rebel
Headquarters at Chular.
They had, in fact, been handled like :.
hildren, and the Americans joined in
curses of their mistaken
rayery as they beheld in what straits
t had left them.
Forbidden by the superintendent to :
Anticipate in the combat, yet having
n their care the women of the camp,
hey were compelled to stand passive q
Y aside while rebels by the hundred L
anne charging down the ridges. Only Il
4 the last resort, and when all diplo- n
lacy and federal defense had failed,
,ould they be allowed to so much as Il
ock rifle. And yet-well, twenty |
etermned Americans might easily b
i'm back this charge. a
Taking advantage of his Mexican n
tizenship, Hooker was already on the s
IN for the trenches when the super n
ltendent stopped him with look
CTO BE CONTINUED o