The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-06-05
The Land of Broken Promises
49, NCOOHH AT
:Bv DANE COOLIDG
Copyright. 1914, By Frank A. Munse,

u MuIioSy.j
then ride on his way, but somehow his
heart stood still when he met her
eyes, and his days became filled with
q pensive, brooding melancholy.
What the matter. Bud?" rallied
Phil, after he had jollied him for
week; you're getting mighty quiet
lately. Got another hunch-like that
one you had up at Aqua Negra?"
Nope" grinned Bud; but I'll tell
you one thing-if old Aragon don't
spring something pretty soon I'm 60
ing to get uneasy. He's too dog-goned
good-natured about this"
Maybe he thinks we're stuck" sug.
gested De Lancey.
well, he's awful happy about some
thing" said Bud Il can see by the
way he droops that game eye Of his
and smiles that way-that he knows
we're working for him. If we don't
get a title to this mine, every tap of
work we do on it is all to the good
for him, that's cinch. So sit down
now and think it out-wheres the
joker?"
well" unused Phil, "the gold is
here somewhere. He knows we're not
fooled there. And he knows we're
right after it, the way we're driving
this cut in. Our permit is good-he
hasn't tried to buffalo Mendez-and
| it's a cinch he can't denounce the
claim himself"
Maybe he figures on letting US do
all the work and pay all the denounce-
ment fees and then spring something
big on old One-Eye," propounded Bud
Scare i'm up or buy i'm off, and have
him transfer the title to him. That's
the way he worked Kruger"
well, say urged Phil, Tets &C
ahead with our announcement before
he starts something. Besides. the
warm weather is coming on now, and
if we don't get move on we're likely
to get run out by the revoltosos."
Nope" said Bud; II don't put this
into Mendezs hands until know he's
our man-and II ever do 90 ahead II
keep him under my six.shooter unit
the last paper y signed. believe me.
know we're In bad somewhere, but
hurrying up won't help none.
Nov l tell you what we'll do-yor
90 to the mining agent and get copiet
Of all our papers and send them up t
that Gadsden lawyer. I'm going to &
down and board with Mende3 and SEX
IL | can read his heart"
So they separated, and while Phi
stayed In town to look over the rec
ords Bud ate his beans and tortillai
with the Mendez family.
They were happy little family
comfortably installed In the ston,
house that Mendez had built, and rap
idly getting fat on three full meals |
day. From his tent farther up tn
canyon Bud could look down an.
watch the children at play and see tn
comely Indian wife as she cooked b,
the open fire.
Certainly no one could be more in
nocent and contented than she was
and Ell Tuerto was all bows and pre-
testations Of gratitude. And yet, yo'
never can tell.
Bud had moved out Of the new hous
to furnish quarters for FL Tuerto an
had favored him in every way; bu
this same consideration might easif
be misinterpreted, for the Mexican
are slow to understand kindness.
So, while on the one hand he ha
treated them generously, he had a
ways kept his distance, lest they b
tempted to presume. But now, wit
Phil in town for a few days, he too
his meals with Maria, who was to
awed to say word, and made friend
with the dogs and the children.
The way to the dogs heart was easy
almost direct, and he finally won tn
attention of little Pancho and Josef
with wellworn Sunday supplement
This gaudy institution, with It's spic
stories and startling illustrations, ha
penetrated even to the wilds of Sonort
and every Sunday as regularly as tn
paper came Bud sat down and had hi
laugh over the funny page.
But to Pancho, who was six year
old and curious, this same highly CO
ored sheet was mystery Of mysteries
and when he saw the big America
laughing he crept up and looked at
wistfully.
Mira, said Bud, laying his fnge
upon the smirking visage of one of tn
: comic characters, look, and | will te
y you the story"
. And so, with laborious care,
= translated the colored fun, while tn
little Mendezes squirmed with excit,
! ment and lcaped with joy. Even tn
. simple souls OF FL Tuerto and Mari
d wer moved by the comicas, and Mel
$ DEE became SO interested that b
" learned the words by heart, the bette
} to explain them to others.
But as for Mexican treachery, Blu
: could find none of it, In fact, findin
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