The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1914-09-19

Iowa me fenced trail that led 70 the
lower country the mounted insurrectos
were squirting in a rout: across the
newly plowed field, of Aragon the men
on foot were making a short cut for the
hills; and all about them, like leaping
grasshoDpers, sprang up puffs of dust
Now they plunged into the willow
brush along the river, where it 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 hailstones in
front Of the oncoming irregulars,
man or two in the lead went down.
and they faltered- Then, as fTanticaIly
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 an
other hilltop he was just insime to see
the rurales come peIting in from the
west and take the revoltosos on the
flank There was a great deal Of long
distance firing then, while the rebels
slowly retreated, and finally, with
last defiant volley, the defenders
marched triumphantly to Old Fortuna
There, amid numerous vivas, Don
Cipriano rolled out cask 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 bandaged 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
enemy and with several wounded prfs-
oners in their midst, the vaIor-drunk
Mexicans formed a riotous procession
and went marching back to town
Every horse and mule was carrying
double, guns were being dropped,
broad hats knocked on, and ever, as
they marched, they shouted:
Viva Madero! Viva Mejico! Muerte
los revoltosos!'
1t was an edidying spectacle to an
American, and with the rest Bud
tagged along to the plaza, where they
had speeches and cheers galore and
more mescal at the company's cantina
But in the midst OF it, while he sat
laughing on his horse by the hotel,
Bud felt a gravel strike his broad
hat from above and, looking furtiyely
up, he beheld Gracia Aragon smiling
down at him from the balcony.
She beckoned him with a swift
movement and gazed out over the as
semblage again, and after a few mo-
ments of elaboration Hooker tied his
horse and wandered into the hotel.
A Jingle Of excitement went over
him as he tramped up to the ladies'
parlor, for he had never met Gracia
face to face. But he disguised his
/ qualms by assuming a masklike grim
ness Of countenance and, when the
! glorious Gracia glided out of her room
to meet him. he only blinked and stood
pat.
4 long experience as a 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
somberIy, without even so much as
raising his hat
Back in Texas, in his social world,
it 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
her without blink.
Perhaps it was not altogether as
friendly a scrutiny Of her charming
features as Gracia expected, for he
remembered what she had done to his
pardner; but If she sensed such rare
thing as disapproYal from a young
man, she was too excited to show it
Her lips trembled, and she looked back
furtively, meanwhile drawing him into
an alcoYe by the slightest witch OF
his sleeve.
Don't talk too loud" she whis-
pered. my mother is listening from
the room-but for the love of God, tell
me, where is PhiI?"
81 don't know" answered Bud, try
ing to lower his big voice to boudoir
softness; che joined the rurales and
was ordered north-that's all I know %
Yes, yes, to be sure; but haven't
you heard from him?'
She seemed to be all impatience to
snatch his news and fly with it, but
Bud was In no such hurry. And so
far was he from being a carpet knight
that he Immediately raised his voice
to its normal bass It was all right
for Phil and his kind to talk by signs
and whispers, but that was not his
style.
Not since he went away" he said.
He left me a little note, then. say
ing"