Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1914-09-23
CHAPTER xix-contIn usd.

he looked the o nOuoe oveA
thoughtfully. listened long to the
news Of the border and Of the rurales'
raid onstheir camp, and retired to the
rocks for the night Even Bud never
tkneW5where he slept-somew up
on the h%illside---in. caves or clefts in
the rocks--and not even the most
pressing invitation could make him !
share the! house for a night. TO Amigo.
- to an animal, q house was q trap;
and he knew that the times were
:treacherous. 5s$$ a
So indeed they were, as Hooker was
t slearn to his sorrow. and but for the
Yaqui$ and his murderous knife he
might easily have learned it too late.
1t was evening, after q rainless day.
and, Bud was cooking by the open fire..
when suddenly Amigo vanished and
four men rode in from above. They
were armed with rides, as beatted the
times, but gave nc signs Of ruf1anly
bravado, and after q few words Bud in
jvited them to get down and eat,
"Muchas gracias; SENIOR" said the
leader, dismounting and laying his rifle
against q. LOO. we are not hungry"
Then have some coffee" invited
Hooker, who made it a point to feed
every one who stopped. regardless OF
their merit; and once more the Mexi.
can declined. At this Bud looked at
him sharply, for his refusal did not
augurl well, and It struck him the
mans face was familiar. He was tall
for a Mexican and heavily built; but
with a rather sinister caste OF counte-
nance. 4 HIS
Where have y seen you before?"
asked Bud, after trying IN vain to
place him. .'1n Fortuna !" $55
NO, senior. {, answered the Mexican.
politely. TIf have never been in that
city. Is It far?"
Ten miles by the TRAIL" responded
Hooker, By no means treasured. and
under pretext Of inviting them to eat.
he took q look at the other men. II
they had not stopped to eat, what
then was their errand while the sun
was sinking 10 low And why this
sullen refusal OF the coffee which every
Mexican drinks?
Bud stepped into the house, az IL on
some errand. and watched them I'm.
seen from the interior. Seeing them
exchange glances then, he leaned his
rifle Just inside the door and went
about his cooking.
It was one OF the chances he took.
living out I'M the brush. but he had
come to know, this: low--browed type OF.
semi-bandit all too well and..had small
respect for their courage. In cas OF
trouble Amigo was close by in the
rocks somewhere. probably with his
gun In his 2hand-butS with q little pa
tience and circumspection the unwel-
come visitors would doubtless move
on. 33
So he thought, but instead they lin
gered, and when supper was cooked he
decided to go to aishow-down-and II
they again refused to eat he would
send them on their way.
wen AMIGOS" he said. spreading
out the tin plates for them. Come and
seat!" ists&g $ d
The three .low-brows glared at their
leader, who had done what little talk
ing there was so far, and, seized with
a sudden animation, he Immediately
rose to his feet. =" f
Many thanks, .senor," he said with
q erin 3ing and specious fp%oliteness.
:sssWe have come far and the trail is
long, SO we will eat. The times are
hard for poor men now-this traitor,
$Madero, has made us all hungry. 1t is
by him that we poor working men are
driven to insurrection-but we know,
that the Americans are our friends.
Yes, senor, l will take some Of your
beans, and thank you" l..
He filled a plate as he spoke and
lifted a biscuit from the oven, IN
tinuing with his false patter while the
& others fell to in silence.
Perhaps you have heard, senor." he
went on, "the saying which is in the
land: Mucho trabajo, pace dinero;
no hay friioles, viva Madero! Much
work. little money; no beans. long
live Madero!1
THAT, in truth, is 10 Jest to the
Mexican people. This man has be-
trayed US all; he has ruined the coun-
try and Set brother against brother.
And now, while we starve because the
mines are shut down, he gathers his
family about him in the city and lives
fat on the money he has stolen"
He ran on in this style, after the
fashion of the r%evoltosos. and by the
very commonplace OF his fulminations
Bud was thrown completely off his
guard. That was the way they all
talked. these worthless bandit-beggars
that and telling how they loved the
Americanos-and then. If they got q