The daily banner., 1914-08-05

effect pulque achieved. On nearing a
hamlet the pursuers asked a man on
the road the whereabouts of the BAN
dts and were told that they were
drinking the national beverage in q
saloon not half mile beyond, one OF
seven houses that made up the town.
PenaleZ, who WAS naturally cooler than
Rodriguez, asked how many bandits
there were and was told that there
were six. Rodriguez gave this in
formation to his friend. to whom he
looked for leadership
Up to this moment Rodriguez had
been 50 filed with fury that he had
considered nothing but an attack on
the deStroyerS of his house without
taking into account their numbers or
surroundings. A complete change now
came over him. Turning a bend in the
road, he saw ahead the pulque house
which he had been told contained his
enemies. A desire seized him to make
the house a fire for roasting them alive
To do this he must corral them, and to
corral them needed GOODNESS to meet
their efforts to escape. He relned IN
his horse and gave his orders.
The point of attack was about an
eighth of a mile from any of the other
houses in the hamlet. Rodriguez di-
rected Penalez to take half the men,
break to the right through covering
trees and, approaching the saloon, de-
poy and surround 1t on the west
while Rodriguez with the remaining
force executed the same maneuver on
the east. The house was on the road
at the lowest point between two gently
sloping declivities with scattered trees
200 or 300 yards from its front and
rear
When the two wings Of Rodriguez 8
little army got into their respective po-
sitions, each forming q semicircle about
the pulque house, the bandits were still
drinking within. The first knowledge
they had Of their danger was the col
lapse Of one of their .umber, who was
standing near a window raising a cup
Of pulque to his mouth. His fall was
accompanied almost simultaneously by
the crack of rifle. Every man started
to his feet.
The shot had been fired by Rodriguez,
and during the ensuing fight whenever
a bandit exposed himself to one Of the
attacking party the latter would call
Rodriguez's attention to the fact and
Rodriguez would pick him off. But
Palemo, telling his men to keep from
exposing themselves, through crack
reconnoitered the field and, though he
could see no one. surmised that he was
surrounded. But Of the strength OF
those attacking him he was ignorant,
for Rodriguez and his men We're con-
cealed behind trees or in bushes.
Rodriguez sent man to one OF the
houses Of the hamlet for kerosene and
as much cotton bedclothing and other
similar fabrics as he could collect.
While his enemies were waiting for
this mans return Palemo ordered his
men to shoot IN different directions,
hoping to draw a fire which would en-
able him to locate the positions Of his
enemies and to form some estimate of
their numbers. But Rodriguez gave
orders that not a shot was to be re-
turned. Then Palemo sent four men
out by several different egresses, but
they had scarcely exposed themselves
when one fell dead and two were
wounded The fourth man succeeded
in regaining cover
The messenger who had been sent for
inflammables returning, Rodriguez di-
vided the stock between his own and
Penalez's division of his force. Gath
ering oranges. which abounded, the
men tied a bundle of cotton fabric sat
urated with kerosene to the fruit, In
serted the end Of a stick into the Or
ange and, lighting the kerosene, swung
the stick In circle till the orange few
off and carried the burning mass
against the thatched roof Of the pulque
house. 1t was not long before sufd-
cient contact had been effected between
the flames and the roof to set it aflre.
The besieged now saw that they
must either be burned alive or sally
forth to meet an unknown force. There
within to put out the fire, and to at
tempt to do so from without would
expose them to death from bullets.
Palemo told his men that they would
better die from lead than flames. But
they were not Of the kind to meet
death heroically and preferred to wait
for the flames rather than face the
bullets. The bandit leader stepped
forth alone and walked slowly for
ward. Rodriguez saw him and, direct
ing the others not to fire, sent bullet
crashing into his shoulder. Palemo
staggered. but kept on. Rodriguez sent
another bullet into the other shoulder.
Still the bandit advanced Then Rodri-
guez pierced his enemy's brain, and
he fell dead.
From that moment the hacendado
seemed to lose desire for further re-
venge. Consenting that PenaleZ should
spare the others if he chose. he mount
ed his horse and rode to the ruins OF
his hacienda.
Drawing rein among those who stood
about the smoking ruins Of his home,
one of his friends approached him and
said:
"Ah, Rodriguez, I am sorry for your
loss! But you came near having a
much greater one, Your wife and
children are at m.l house. They fed
on the approach
"My wife and children! Alive"
eyes. Come and satisfy them that
you are safe You have been gone so
long that they fear you have fallen at
the hands Of the rebels"
With muttered thanks to heaven,
Rodriguez dashed away, and In few
minutes he and his family were lock-
kd In one embrace