Williams news., 1914-12-24
With his papers inside his shirt and

was nothing left in Mexico for him. Once on his horse and headed for the line and he could laugh at them all. In Gadsden he could show title to Kruger, he could give answer for his trust and look the world in the eye.
 It had been long and strenuous fight; a fight made against seemingly insurmountable odds; fight that had cost him much, but he had won. He had proved the trust Kruger had placed in him, and it had been fight worth winning
 Yes, he was man now-but his work was not quite done. Up at the big house, with the screeching women around her, was Gracia Aragon, and he owed her something for his rough words. To pay her for that he would stay. Whatever she asked now he would grant it; and If worst came to worst he would take her with him and make good his promise to Phil. He had given his word and that was enough. Now he had only to wait.
 It would not be long, for the barley would soon be over, and if the coward. ly rurales surrendered the town to the bandits he would make break for the line and civilization with the girl. It would be hard ride, and alone he would have no fear of the results, but he would chance it even with the girl rather than leave her.
 The boy lieutenant, the brothers Mendoza, the superintendent.a and Man. uel del Key, all were out on the hill side talking terms with Bernardo Bravo and his chiefs. With the rebels 1t was largely bluff, since field glasses had shown them to be short of cartridges; but they had over thou sand men massed along the ridges and, with courage, could easily take the town.
 Bud knew that courage was the one thing lacking. It was the one thing that was always lacking in these Mex ican fights. The Mexican bandit takes but little chance when he goes to war.
 As for the Mendozas and their So- moran miners, they were properly chagrfned at their waste of ammuni- tion and swore by Santa Guadalupe to fight it out with hand grenades. Even as their leaders wrangled the Mexican powder men were busily manufactur- ing bombs, and all the while the su- perintendent was glancing to the south, for swift couriers had been sent to Alvarez, the doughty Spanish ha- cfendado of the hot country, to beg him to come to their relief.
 Twice before Alvarez had met the rebels. The first time he spoke them we'll and they ran of all his horses. The second time he armed his Yaquis and Yaqui Mayo rancheros against them and drove them from his domain, infiicting sanguinary punishment
 Since then he had been itching to engage them in pitched battle. and when the word reached him he would come. Two hundred and forty Yaquis, all armed with repeating rifles, would follow at his back, and even with his boasted thousands Bernardo Bravo could hardly withstand their valor. So, while the rebels parleyed, demanding a ransom of millions and threatening to destroy the town, the defenders argued and reasoned with them, hoping to kill the time until Alvarez should arrive.
 house the refugees gathered in an anx- ious group, waiting for messengers from the front, and as Hooker walked among them he was aware of the ma hgnant glances of Aragon. There were other glances as well, for he had won great favor with the ladies by ditching the powder train, but none from Gra- cia or her mother
 Bud would not have admitted that he resented this lack of appreciation on the part of Gracia. In fact he hard ly knew that he did resent it, but he watched anxiously for any sign of ap- proval from this girl who was to be his partners bride should he conduct her safely to the border.
 From the beginning the Senora Ara gon had treated him as a stranger, ac- cording to the code of her class, and Hooker had never attempted to in- trude. But if Gracia still remembered that she was an American girl at heart, she forgot to show 1t to him. To all she was now the proud Spanish lady, thrown with the common people by the stress of circumstances, but far away from them in her thoughts.
 The conference between the leaders dragged on and messengers came and went with the news-then, after hours of debate. 1t broke up suddenly in . row and tho emissaries came back on the run. Even at that they narrowly for the rebels opened fire upon them from the ridges. and before they could get back to cover the dandy. Manuel del Key. received bul- let hole through the crown of his hat
 A grim smile nickered across Buds lace as he saw the damage 1t had for he knew that Amigo was ln the hills-And . bullet shot down hill goes high! Some trace of what was in his mind must have come to . . IA . l. -A-Hk <~2