The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1914-10-22
A Stirring Story of the
Mexican Revolution

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move would mean to him--to Kruger
and the Eagle Tail-and he woke sud
denly from his calm.
Here now" he said. scowling - he
Long before he had lost his pardner
Bud had decided that Don Juan was a
trimmer, a man who tried to be all
things TO all people-as a good hotel
keeper SHOULDN'T now he altered his
opinion q little, for the letters we're
from Phil. He read them over In the
crowded plaza, into which the first
refugees were Just beginning to pour,
and frowned as he skinned through
the last
OF Gracia and vain protestations OF
devotion there was enough and to
spare, but nothing about the mine.
Only in the first one, written on the
very day he had deserted. did he so
much as attempt an excuse for so pre-
cipitately abandoning their claim and
his Mexican citizenship. Phil wrote:
My mail was being sent through head
quarters and looked over by Del Rey. so
i knew would never receive the papers,
even II they came hope you don't feel
hard about it. pardner. Kruger says to
come out right away. l would have
stayed with 1t. but II wasn't any use
And now Bud, I want to ask you some
thing. When you come out. bring Gracia
with you. Don't leave her at the mercy
of Del Rey. / would come myself IL It
wasn't sure death. Be quick about It.,
Bud; count on you.
The other letters we're all like that,
but nothing about the mine. And yet
It was the mine that Bud was fighting
for-that they had fought for from the
first. The railroad was torn up now,
and flight with Gracia was hopeless,
but It was just as well, for he never
would abandon the Eagle Tail.
In two months, or three, when the
rebels were whipped of. his papers
might come. Then he could pay his
taxes and transfer his title and con-
slider the stealing of Gracia- But since
he had seen her and touched her hand
something held him back-a grudgins
reluctance-and he was glad that his
duty lay elsewhere. II she was HE
girl now he would come down and get
her anyway.
But she was not his girl and, gazing
back grimly at the seething plaza and
the hotel that hid her from sight, he
rode somberly down the road. After
all. there was nothing to get excited
sbout-every revoltoso In the country
was lined up around Aqua Negra and.
with four hundred soldiers to oppose
them and artillery to shell their ad.
vance, II would be many long day b.
fore they took that town.
Twice already Aqua Negra had
fallen before such attacks, but now II
was protected by rine-pits and ma
chine guns set high on mud roofs. And
then there were the Yaquis. still faith
full to Msdero. They alone could hold
the town. II they made up their minds
to fight. So reasoned Hooker, mullins
over the news that he had heard. But
he watched the ridges warily, for the
weather was good for raiders.
A day passed. and then another, and
the big whistle blew only for the
shifts; the loneliness of the hills Cd
pressed him as he gazed out at the
Quivering heat And then. like q toad
after . shower. Amigo came padding
Into camp on the heels of q thunder.
storm. his sandals hung ON his hip and
his big feet squelchins through the
mud.
Across his shoulders he wore q gay
serape. woven by some patient woman
Of his tribe; and In the belt beside
Huds pistol he carried q heavy knife.
blasksmithed from Q ten-inch file BY
some Yaau hillman. Al In al, he
was q fine barbarian, but he looked
good TO the lonely Bud.
lola, Amigo!" he hailed, stepping
out from the adobe house where he
had moved to avoid the rains; and
Amigo answered with his honest smile
which carried no hint Of savagery or
deceit.
Try as he would, Bud could not
bring himself to think of his Yaqui as
and even when he bal
anced the Indians murderous bowie
knife In his hands he regarded II with
q grin. II was heavy weapon. broad
across the back. keen on one edge.
and drawn to a point that was both
sharp and strong. The haft was
wrapped with rawhide to hold the
clutch OF the hand.
what do you do with this?" Queried
Hooker. Chop wood! Skin deerf
Eyes. chop wood" answered Amigo.
but he replaced 1t carefully In his belt.
He looked the adobe house over
thoughtfully, listened long to the
news OF the border and Of the rurales'
raid on their camp. and retired to the
rocks for the night. Even Bud never
knew where he slept-somewhere up
on the hillside-in caves OF clefts In
the rocks-and not even the most
pressing invitation could make him
share the house for night. To Amigo,
a. to an animal. q house was trap;
and he knew that the times were
treacherous.
So indeed they were. ~ Hooker WAS
TO learn to his sorrow. and but for the
Ysqui and his murderous knife he
might easily have learned u too late.
II was evening. after rainlsss day.
and Bud was cooking by the open are.