The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1914-09-18

!. town has been put under MARTA, Ia
! and the captain is in full charge The
: quarreled over the favor of lady an
|: now your friend is in jail"
81 didn't see him when l come nv
!: observed Hooker.
!: "Ah, no-not in the carcel--in th
Quartet, the guardhouse of til
: rurales"
Much obliged" nodded Bud an
rode on through the town. The stree
of the Mexican quarter was file
with strange people hurrying to an
fro; long packtrains loaded wit
trunks and curious bundles cam
swinging up from below; and pair O
rurales, looking fierce under thei
huge sombreros stood guard BY sth,
Quartet door.
Where is the captain?" demande,
Hooked. After requesting him to han,
his pistol-belt on his saddle-horn, +,
sergeant showed him in to the chief.
I Manuel del Rey was very busy will
papers and orders, but as the Ameri
can appeared in the doorway he rose
and greeted him with a bow.
"Ah, good morning, senor," he said
with one swift glance to read his mood
| You are in search Of your friend
no"
Isl, senor," answered Hooker, but
with none of the animosity which the
captain had expected. Where is he?"
Il regret very much" began the Of:
ficer, speaking with military formality,
but it is my duty to inform you that
the Senior De Lancey has left Fortuna.
Last night he did me the honor to en-.
list in my company of rurales-he is
now on his way to the north to assist
IN guarding the railroad"
What" shouted Bud, hardly able
to believe his ears. But when the cap.
tain repeated it he no longer doubted
his Spanish.
But why?" he cried; why did he
join the rurales?"
An, senor," shrugged Del Rey, was
he not a Mexican citizen? Very we'll,
then; he could be summoned for mill
tary service. But the circumstances
were these. Your friend came yester.
day to this town, where l am at pres
ent military commander, and made an
unprovoked assault upon my person.
For this, according to law, he should
have been shot at sunrise. But, not
Wishing to occasion unpleasantness
with the Americans now residing here,
l offered him the alternative of mill
tary service. He is now enlisted as a
rural for term of five years."
Five years." exclaimed Hooker:
and then, instead of starting the ex. |
pected rough-house-upon which the
rural guards were prepared to Jump on |
Ills back-he simply threw down his
nat and cursed. Not anyone in par
[lcular, but everything in general;
and at the end of it he turned once
more upon the watchfud captain.
"Dispenseme, senor," he said, this
s the truth, is it?"
Isl, senor." returned Captain del
aey.' "But before leaving with his de-
.achment your friend wrote this letter,
which he requested me to deliver to
you."
He offered with flourish sssealSd
envelope, from which Bud extracted a
short note.
Dear Bud:
When you get this I shall be far away,
must have been mad, but 1t is too late
low. Rather than be executed / have
as a rural. But shall try to be
,rave for her sake. Take care Of her,
me! pHII,
Bud read it through again and medi.
ated ponderously. Then he folded It
Up and thrust it in his pocket.
"Muchas gracias, senior captain" he
aid. saluting and turning upon his
leel; and while all the Mexicans mar.
'eled at the inscrutable ways Of Amer.
canos, he mounted and rode away