Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-09-04

mace a SlHBle NluulcINe gesture anQ
set spurs to his champing horse.
It was mrely a fling of the hand, as
spontaneous al a sigh or a frown, but
in 1t Hooker read the last evaporation
of the Spaniard and his declaration oil
wal to the knife. He barred his strong
teeth in reply and Kissed out a blight
ing curse, and then Aragon was gone.
That evening, as the darkness came
on and the canyon became hushed and
still Bud built a big fire and stood be-
fore it, his rugged form silhouetted
against the flames. And soon, as quiet
as a fox, the Yaqui appeared from the
gloom.
Did he come for met" he asked.
advancing warily into the freight,
that capitan?"
Yes answered Bad, "and for me-,
too. But you must have known him
before, Amigo-he seems to be afraid
of YOU"
A smile of satisfaction passed over
the swarthy face of the Indian at this,
and then the lines became grim again.
His eyes glowed with the light of some
great purpose, and for the first time
since he had been with Bud he drew
aside the veil from his past.
Yes" he said, nodding significantly,
the rural is afraid. He knows l have
come to kill him."
He squatted by the fire and poured
out a cup of coffee, still ~brooding over
his thoughts-then, with a swift ges-
ture, he laid open his shirt and pointed
to a scar along the ribs.
HE shot me there" he said.
And SO you have come to kill him 2"
YES" answered Amigo; but not
now. Tomorrow I go to my people
! must take them my money first"
Have you got a wife ?" asked Hook
err, forgetting for once his accustomed
eserve.
No" grumbled Amiga, shaking his
head sadly, mo wife"
"Oh. you take your money to your
father and mother"
mo. No father-no mother-nadie!"
He threw up his open hands to sig
nifty hat all we're gone, and Hooker
said no more. For three months and
more he had worked alongside this
giant, silent Yaqui and only n had
he sensed his past. That was when
Amigo had torn his shirt in lifting,
and across the ripping muscles Of his
back there had been shown the long
white vale of aewhip.
1t was the mark of his former
slavery when, with the rest of his peo-
pie, he had been deported to the hene-
quen fields of Yucatan and iogged by
the overseer's ashland Amigo was
ashamed of it. But now that he was
about to go, Bud made bold-to ask him
n more question, to set his mind at
rest.
Perhaps this captain killed your
people?"
mo, senor," answered Amigo quiet
iy: ~they-died.
He spoke the words simply, but
there was something in his voice that
brought up images of the past-of
peaceful Yaquis, seized at every. ranch
in Sonora on a certain night; of long
marches overland, prodded on by
rurales and guards; of the crowded
~prison-ships from which the most an
guished hurled themselves into the
sea; and then the awful years of
slavery in the poisoned tropics, until
only the hardest were left.
Amigo had seen it all. as the
on his broad back proved-but he
withdrew now into silence and left his
thoughts unsaid. AS he sat there by
the fire, one long, black hand held out
to keep the CLEAN from his eyes, he
made a noble figure, but the Yaquqi
songs which he had crooned on other
nights were forgotten, and he held
himself tense and still. Then at last
he rose and gazed at Bud.
you pay me my money" he said.
Il go now"
Sure" answered Bud, and after he
had weighed out the equivalent in
gold on his scales he tipped in some
more for luck and gave him a sack to
hold it.
What you buy with all that?" he
inquired with a friendly grin; "grub?'
NO, senor,' answered Amigo, knot
ting the precious gold in a handker-
chief; "cartridges!"
what for?" queried Bud. and then
it was Amigo who smiled.
ITO kill Mexicans with" he replied,
and in those words Hooker read the
secret of his thrift.
While his wild brethren fought in
the hills or prepared for the battles to
come, it was his part to earn the
money that should keep them in am
munition. 1t was for that, in fact, that
Porfirio Diaz had seized all the peace
full Yaquis in a night and shipped them
to Yucatan-for he saw that while
they were working the wild Yaquis
would never lack.
All the time that Amigo had been