The Ordway new era., 1914-12-18
rhs ArtIiisry Drove Them Back.

mine was safe now-and he was safe
AraGon dared not raise = hand. 30 he
eat himself down on the broad veranda
and listened with boyish interest TO
Don Juan's account Of the war.
What, have you not heard OF the
battlef" cried portly Don Juan. delight
Cd to have . fresh listener. Aqua
Negra has been taken and retaken.
and the railroad will soon be repaired.
Ny graciousi have you been out In
the hills that long? Why. It was two
weeks ago that the rebels captured
the town BY . coup, and eight days.
later the federals took Il back.
.'Ah. there has been real war. Mr.
Budl You who have laughed at the
courage OF the Mexicans. what do you
think Of Bernardo Bravo and his menf
They captured the last up train from
orc carr and empty coaches; and.
while the federah were still in their
barracks, the train ran clear into tho
station and took the town BY storm.
And eight days later, At sundown.
the federals took 1t back. All, there
was awful slaughter averted. senorl
But for the fact that the fuse went
out two hundred Yaqui Indians who
led the charge would have been blown
Into eternity. ~
Yes. SO great was the charge Of
dynamite that the rebels had laid in
their mine that not . house In Aqua
Negra would have been left standing
II the fuse had done its work. Two
tons Of dynamite! Think OF that. my
friend!
But these rebels were as ignorant
Of its power as they were of laying
. train. The Yaquis walked into the
town at sundown and found 1t de-
serted-every man, woman and child
had fied to Gadsden and the rebels had
ned to the west,
But listen. here was the way It
happened-actually, and not as com.
mon report has 1t. for the country IL
all in an uproar and the real facts
were never known. When Bernardo
Bravo captured the town Of Aqua Ne
gra the people acclaimed his hero.
He sent word to the junta at El
Paso and set up = new, form OF gov
ernment. All was enthusiasm, and
several Americans Joined his ranks
to operate the machine guns and can
non. As for the federals, they occu-
pied the country to the east and at
tempted = few sallies. but as they
had nothing but their rifies. the artil-
lery drove them back.
Then. as the battle ceased, the
rebels began to celebrate their vic
tory. They broke into the closed cam
tinas. disobeying their officers and be-
ginning the loot of the town, and
while half Of their number were drunk
the federals. being informed Of their
condition, suddenly advanced upon
them. with the Yaquis far in the lead.
They did not shoot. those Yaquis:
but. dragging their guns behind them.
they crept up through the bushes and
dug pits quite close to the lines. Then,
when the rebels discovered them and
manned their guns. the Yaquis shot
down the gunners. as
Growing bolder. they crept farther
to the front--the rebels became disor-
ganlzed, their men became mutinous-
and at last, when they saw they would
surely be taken, the leaders buried
two tons Of dynamite In the trenches
by the bull-ring and set q time-fuse,
to explode when the Yaquis arrived.
"The word spread through the town
like wildfre-all the people. all the
soldiers Ned every which way to e.
cape-and then. when the worst was
expected to happen. the dynamite
failed to explode and the Yaquis
rushed the trenches at sundown."
did those Yaquis know about the
dynamite?" Injured Bud.
"know?" repeated DON Juan, waving
the thought away; mot . wordl Their
commandeu kepk II ffom them. Nysa