The Anderson daily intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson, S.C.) 1914-1915, 1914-07-12

thO bicaA VI tDcy UebTQ u QlbtauL
rattle OF arms. like the tearing Of
cloth, and Knew that the battle was
on.
The great whistle at Fortuna opened
with its full. bass roar. and Amigo
snatched up his gun and went loping
down the canyon. drawn irresistibly
by the sound OF conflict. Bud fingered,
climbing higher and higher to get
view OF the country. But his young
blood clamored for action too, and
soon he was mounted 6nd gone.
The fighting was not at the Ameri.
can town, but down the valley by Old
Fortuna, and as Hooker galloped on
toward the sound Of the firing he no
ticed that 1t was on the move. Al
ready the cowardly rebels were re-
treating-the volunteers from Fortuna
were hurrying to get closer to them,
the rurales were riding to flank them;
and when Bud jumped his horse up
the last hill and looked down into tho
broad. cultivated valley he saw the
dust of their flight.
Down the fenced trail that led to the
lower country the mounted insurrectos
were squirting in q rout; across the
newly plowed field. of Aragon the men
ON foot were making short cut for the
hills; and all about them, like leaping
grasshoppers. sprang up puffs of dust.
Now they plunged into the willow
brush along the river. where 1t swung
In against the ridge; and as their pur-
suers broke into the open they halted
and returned the fire. The bullets
struck up the dust like hailstonen in
front of the oncoming irregularB. q
man or two In the lead went down.
and they faltered. Then, as frantcally
as the rebels. they turned and ran for
cover.
While defenders and invaders shot
back and forth across the broad field,
Bud put spurs to his horse and rode
closer, and when he came out on On.
other hilltop he was just in time to see
the rurales como pelting in from the
west and take the revoltosos on the
flank. There was great deal Of long.
distance firing then, while the rebels
slowly retreated, and finally, with
last defiant volley, the defenders
turned back from their pursuit and
marched triumphantly to Old Fortuna.
There. amid numerous vivas, DON
Cipriano rolled out caek of mescal
and, after a fiery speech. invited the
victors to help themselves. So they
fell to drinking and carousing, and the
one defender who had been wounded
was bendaged and made much OF.
while great crowd from the upper
town looked on In awe and admiration.
At last Manuel del Rey and his
rurales returned from harassing the. .
en- my and with several wounded pris-
oners in their midst, the valor-drunk
Mexicans formed riotous procession
and went marching back to town.
Every horse and mule was carrying;
double, guns were being dropped,
broad hats knocked of. and ever, as
they marched, they shouted:
viva Madero! Viva Mejico! Muerta
q los revoltosos!"
II WEE an eGifiying spectacle tc an
American. and with the rest Bud
tagged along to the plaza. where they
mad speeches and cheers galore and
more mescal at the company's cantinai
But In the midst of 1t, while he sat
laughing on his horse by the hotel.
Bud felt gravel strike his broad
hat from above and, looking furtively
UP. he beheld Gracia Aragon smiling
down at him from the balcony. y
She beckoned him with a swift
movement and gazed out over the as
semblage again, and after few mo.
ments OF deliberation Hooker tied his
horse and wandered into the hotel.
A tingle OF excitement went over
him as he tramped up to the ladies'
perlor. for he had never met Gracia
face to face. But he disguised his
qualms by assuming masklike GRIM
ness OF countenance anG when theS
glorious Gracia glided out OF her room
to meet him. he only blinked and stood
pat III t4.R
A long experience as q poker player
was all that saved him from betrayal,
for there was something in her very
presence which made his heart leap
and bound. But he only gazed at her
somberly. without even 30 much as
raising his hat
Back In Texas, in his social world,
1t was considered almost unmanly to
thus salute, the ladies'. So he stood
there. his big sombrero pulled down
over his mop OF light hair, gazing at
I, her without blink.
/ PerhaLJ 1t was not altogether as
friendly a scrutiny OF her charming
features ias Gracia expected. for he
remembered whnt she had done to his'
r---ane-: but 81 she senaea s::ch G rarc
fh{nR aa dian pprcsva1 FROM a vn,u 4,
man, che was too excited to show It.
Her lips trembled; and she elooked back
furtively; r,eanwhiled Drawing him into.