The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1914-07-25
CHAPTER ~.

world has been full of young men
sworn to friendship and seeking ad-
venture in pairs. "PardnePs," they call
them in the west, and though the word
has not crept into the dictionary yet.
it is as different from partner" as
friend is from business associate.
They travel together, these .pardners
of the West, and whether they be COW
boys or Cousin Jacks" the boss who
fires one Of them fires both of them,
and they go share and share in every
thing.
Bud Hooker and Philip De Eancey
had met by chance in FL Paso when
the revolution was just beginning to
boil and the city was swarming with
adventures. The agents of the rebels
were everywhere, urging Americans to
join their cause. Military preferment,
cash payments, and grants of land
were the bats they used, but Hooker
stood out from the first and took De
Lancey with him. A Mexican promise
did not pass current where he was
born and they went to the mines in
stead.
Then the war broke out and, while
fugitives streamed out Of stricken
Chihuahua, they finally struck out
against the tide, fighting their way to
a certain mine far back in the Sierra
Madres, where they could dig the gold
on shares.
Behind them the battle waged;
Casas Grandes was taken and retaken;
Juarez, Aqua Negra and Chihuahua
fell; Don Porfirio, the Old Man of Mex
leo, went out and Madero took his
place; and sti1l they worked for their
stake.
Then new arms and ammunition
flowed in from across the border;
Orozco and his rebel chiefs went out,
and the breath of war famed higher
against the hills. At last the first
broken band of rebels came struggling
by, and, reading hate and envy
in their 1awless eyes. the Americans
dug up their gold at shutdown and rode
all the night for their lives.
And now, welded together by all that
toll and danger, they were pardners,
cherishing no decisions as to each
others strength or weaknesses, but
Joined together for better or worse.
It was the last thing that either Of
them expected, but three days after
they fed out of Mexico, and with all
their money unspent, the hand Of fate
seized upon them and sent them back
to another adventure.
1t was early morning again, with
crowds along the street, and as they
ambled slowly along toward the line
the men on the corners stared at them.
The bunch of cowboys gazed at Bud,
who sported a new pair of high-heeled
boots. and knew him by the way he
rode; and the mining men looked
searchingly at De Lancey, as if to
guess the secret of his quest.
A squad of mounted troopers, riding
out on border patrol, gazed after them
QuestIoningly, but Bud and Phil rode
on, soberly, leading their pack. and
headed for Aqua Negra across the line.
1t was a grim place to look at, this
border town Of Aqua Negra, for the
| war had swept it twice. A broad waste
of level land lay between it and the
prosperous American city, and across
this swath, where the Mausers and
machine guns had twice moved, lay
the huddIe of low houses which
marked the domain of Mexico.
Pussy little customs officials, Turk
| ing like spiders in their cooped-up
guardhouses, rushed out as they
crossed the deep trench and demanded
their permit to bear arms The mo-
ment they crossed the line the air
seemed to be pervaded with Latin ex-
/ citability and Indian jealousy, but De
Lancey replied in forid Spanish and
! before his polite assurances and full
| some compliments it was dissipated in
| a moment.
Good! Pass on, amigos" cried the
beady-eyed little jefe, FASTING a Label
on their pack. "Adios, senor," be
added, returning Phii's salute with q
military flourish, and with a scornful
glance at Bud he observed that the
! gentleman was muy caballero.
HUH" remarked Bud, as they rode
on through the town, we're in Mexico
all right, all right Talk with both
hands and get busy with your eye
brows-and holy Joe, look at them
peIonesi"
The pelones referred to we're 6
squad of Mexican federal soldiers, so
called from their heads being shaved
and they were marching doggedly tt
I
bushes In response to shouted orders
from an officer. Being from zacatecas
where the breed is short, they stood
about as high as their guns; and theil
crumpled linen suits and Tapping san
dals detracted sadly from the soldierlS
effect
Big and huIking, and swelling witt
the pride OF his kind. Hooker looked
them over slowly, and spoke his hid
den thought.
81 wonder" he said, turning to Phil
how many OF them 1 could lick Will
one hand?"
Wen. they're nothing but lot o
petty convicts, anyway answered D
Lancey, but here's some boys aheai
that I'll bet could hold you, man 70
man, husky as you are. old fellow"
They we're riding past q store. nor
serving as an improTised barracks
| and romping about in the streets yer