The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-06-08

I cnHfactefs are likely 10 murder
they think you have any money"
We'll, we haven't" put in Bud; but
we've got mine-and we're going to
keep 1t, too"
Jaw, Bernardo Bravo hasn't got any
men!" scoffed Phil; 81 bet this is a
false alarm. He got whipped out of
his boots over in chihuahua last fall,
and he's been up in the Sierra Madres
ever since. Probably come down to
steal little beef
why, Don Juan, Bud and | lived
right next to trail all last year and
if we'd listened to onetenth of the
revoltoso stories we heard we wouldn't
have taken out an ounce Of gold. I'm
going to get my announcement papers
tomorrow, and I'll bet you we work
that mine all summer and never know
the difference. These rebels won't
hurt you any. anyhow"
No! Only beg little grub" added
Bud scornfully. Come on, Phil; let's
go over and look at the soldiers--it's
that bunch of Yaquis we saw up at
Aqua Negra."
They tied their horses to the rack
and, leaving the solicitous Don Juan to
sputter, hurried over to the yard. From
the heavy metal ore cars, each a roll
ing fortress in itself, the last of the
active Yaquis were helping out their
women and pet dogs, while the rest,
talking and laughing in high spirits,
were strung out along the track in
perfunctory line.
II the few officers in command had
ever attempted to teach them military
discipline, the result was not appar-
ent In the line they formed; but any
man who looked at their swarthy
faces, the hawklike profiles, and deep.
set, steady eyes, would know that they
we're fighters.
After all, straight line on parade
has very little to do with actual war.
fare and these men had proved their
worth under fire.
To be sure, it was the fire of Mexi.
can guns, and perhaps that was why
the officers were so quiet and unassert-
i've; for every one of these big, up
standing Indians had been captured in
the Yaqui wars and deported to the |
henequen fields of Yucatan to die in |
the miasma and heat.
But they had come from a hardy
breed and the whirligig of fortune was
flying fast-Madero defeated Porfirio
Diaz; fresh revolutions broke out
against the victor and, looking about
in desperation for soldiers to fill his
ranks, Madero fell upon the Yaquis.
Trained warriors for generations, of
a race so fierce that the ancient Az
tees had been turned aside by them in
their empire-founding mig alton, they
were the very men to whip back the
rebels, if he could but win them to his
side
SO Madero had approached Chief
Bule, whom Diaz had taken under
flag of truce, and soon the agreement
was made. In return for faithful serv-
ice, Mexico would give back to the
indians the one thing they had been
ghting hunrded and sixty years to
TAIN their land along the Rio Yaqui;
and there they should be permitted to
i've in peace as their ancestors had
lone before them.
And SO, with thousand or more Of
nis men, the crafty old war chief had
aiken service in the federal army,
hough his mind, poisoned perhaps by
he treachery he had suffered, was not
entirely free from guile.
1T is the desire of the Yaouis," he
lad said, when rebuked for serving
lnder the hated flag of Mexico, Ito kill
dexicans. And, he added grimly, the
ederals at this time seem best able
o give us guns for that purpose.
But it had been year now since
3ule had passed his word and, though
hey had battled valiantly, their land
lad not been given back to them. The
Wild Yaquis, the irreconcilables who
lever came down from the hills, had
one on the warpath again, but Bule
nd his men still served.
Only in two things did they disobey
heir otficers-they would not stack
heir arms, and they would not retreat
Ihile there were still more Mexicans
o be killed. Otherwise they were
cry good soldiers.
But now, after the long campaign in
'hihuahua and winter of idleness at
lgua Negra, they we're marching
outh toward their native land and, in
pite of the stern glances of their lead
rs, they burst forth in weird Yaoui
ongs which, if their words had been
nown, might easily have caused their
iexican officers some slight uneasl
eSS.
IL was, in fact, only a question of
avs, months, or years until the entire L
aqul contingent would desert, taking
heir arms and ammunition with them.
NrgN