The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1914-09-04

by the burns on his hands was Hooker
aware of the fight and of the treachery
which had reared its head against him
like snake which has been warmed
and fed.
Nowhere but in Mexico, where the
low pelado classes have made such
deeds a subtlety, could the man be
found to dissimulate like that false
assassin-in-chief. TO pause suddenly
in protracted speech, swing over and
pick up a gun, and halt his victim for
the shooting by the preparatory click
of the lock-that indeed called for a
brand of cunning rarely found in the
United States.
There was one thing about the affair
that vaguely haunted Hooker-why
was it that man so cunning as that
had failed to load his gun? Twice, and
with everything in his favor, he had
raised his rife to fire; and both times
1t had snapped in his hands. Certainly
he must have been inept at arms-or
accustomed to single-shot guns.
The reputed magic of the swift-fir-
ing rifles evidently had been his undo
ing, but where had he got his new
gun? And who was he, anyway? With
those two battling questions Bud wres-
tied as he sat beside his door, and at
evening his answer came.
The sun was swinging low and he
was collecting wood down the gulch
for fire when, with sudden thud of
hoofs, a horseman rounded the point
and came abruptly to halt. 1t was
Aragon, and he was spying on the
camp.
For a full minute he scanned the
house, tent and mine with look so
snaky and sinister that Bud could read
his heart like a book. Here was the
man who had sent the assassins, and
he had come to view their work!
Very slowly Buds hand crept
toward his six-shooter but, slight as
was the motion, Aragon caught it and
sat frozen in his place. Then, with an
inarticulate cry, he fell fiat on his
horses neck and went squirting out
of sight.
The answer to Buds questions was
very easy now. The Mexican who had
led the attempt on his life was one
of Aragon's bad men, one of the four
gunner whom. Hooker had looked
over so carefully when they came to
drive him from the mine, and Aragon
had fitted him out with new arms to
make the result more sure. But with
that question answered there came up
another and another until, in a sud-
den clarity of vision, Bud saw through
the hellish plot and beheld himself
the master.
As man to man, Aragon would no;
dare to face him now, for he knew
that he merited death. BY his SLY
approach, by the look in his eyes and
the dismay of his frenzied retreat,
he had acknowledged more surely
than by words his guilty knowledge
of the raid. Coming to camp where
he expected to find all dead and still,
he had found himself face to face
with the very man he had sought to
kill How, then, had the American
escaped destruction, and what had
occurred to his men?
Perhaps, in his ignorance, Aragon
was raging at his hirelings because
they had shirked their task; perhaps,
not knowing that they were dead, he
was waiting in fever of Impotence
for them to accomplish the deed. How
ever it was Bud saw that he held the
high card. and he was not slow to act.
In the morning ne saddled Copper
Bottom, who had been confined to the
corral for weeks, and went galloping
into town. There he fingered about
the hotel until he saw his man and
started boldly toward him. Surprise,
alarm and pitiful fear chased them
selves across Aragon's face as he
stood, but Bud walked proudly by.
"Good morning, senor!" was all Bud
said, but the look in his eyes was
eloquent of grim hereafter.
And instead of hurrying back to
guard his precious mine Hooker loi-
tered carelessly about town. His
mine was safe now-and he was safe.
Aragon dared not raise hand. So he
sat himself down on the broad veranda
and listened with boyish interest to
Don Juan's account of the war.
What, have you not heard of the
battle? 2" cried portly Don Juan, delight
ed to have a fresh listener Aqua
Negra has been taken and retaken,
and the railroad will soon be repaired.
My gracious! have you been out in
the hills that long? Why, it was two
weeks ago that the rebels captured
the town by a coup, and eight days
later the federals took it back.
"Ah, there has been real war, Mr..
Bud! You who have laughed at the
courage of the Mexicans, what do you