The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-07-01

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 Wonderland
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 go
ahead with our announcement before
he starts something. Besides, the
warm weather Is coming on now. and
! if we don't get a move on we're likely
to get run out by the revoltosos."
Nope" said Bud; 81 don't put this
into Mendez's hands until know he's
our man-and If l ever do go ahead I'll
keep him under my six-shooter until
the last paper is signed, believe me. l
hQOW We lS LII Od0 wv
hurrying up won't help none.
Now l tell you what we'll do-you
go to the mining agent and get copies
Of all our papers and send them up to
that Gadsden lawyer. I'm going to go
down and board with Mendez and see
if I can read his heart"
So they separated, and while Phil
stayed in town to look over the rec
ords Bud ate his beans and tortillas
with the Mendez family.
They were a happy little family,
comfortably installed in the stone
house that Mendez had built, and rap
idly getting fat on three full meals a
day. From his tent farther up the
canyon Bud could look down and
watch the children at play and see the
comely Indian wife as she cooked by
the open fire. ,
Certainly no 2ne could be more In
nocent and contented than she was,
and Ell Tuerto was all bows and pro-
testations of gratitude. And yet, you
never can tell. ...r .
Bud had moved out of the new house
to furnish quarters for Ell Tuerto and
had favored him in every way; but
this same consideration might easily
be misinterpreted, for the Mexicans
are slow to understand kindness.
So, while on the one hand he had
treated them generously, he had al
ways kept his distance, lest they be
tempted to presume. But now, with
Phil In town for a few days, he took
his meals with Maria, who was too
awed to say a word, and made friends
with the dogs and the children.
The way to the dogs heart was easy,
| almost direct, and he finally won the
attention Of little Pancho and Josefa
with a well-worn Sunday supplement.
This gaudy institution, with its spicy
stories and startling illustrations, had
penetrated even to the wilds of Sonora,
and every Sunday IS regularly as the
paper came Bud sat down and had his
laugh over the funny page.
But to Pancho, who was six years
old and curious, this same highly col
ored sheet was a mystery Of mysteries.
and when he saw the big American
laughing he crept up and looked at 1t
wistfully.
Mira said Bud, laying his finger
upon the smirking visage Of one Of the
comic characters, Took, and 1 will tell
you the story"
And so, with laborious care. he
translated the colored fun, while the
little Mendezes squirmed with excite
ment and leaped with Joy. Even the.
simple souls Of Ell Tuerto and Maria
wer moved by the comicas. and Men
dez became so interested that he
learned the words by heart. the better
to explain them to Others.
But as for Mexican treachery, Bud
could find none of it. In fact, finding
them so Supplemented and %good.na-
tured. he became half ashamed Of his
early suspicious and waited for the
return of Phil to explain Don Cipri-
amos complacency.
But the next Sunday, as Bud lay
reading in his tent, the mystery solved
itself. Cruz Mendez came up from the
house. hat in hand and an apologize
smile on his face, and after the Gus.
tomary roundabout remarks he asked
the boss as a favor If he would lend
him the page of comic pictures.
"Seguro!" assented Bud, rolling over
and fumbling for the funny sheet;
then, falling to find it instantly, he in
ouired: What do you want it for?"
"Ah, to show to my boy!" explained
Ell Tuerto, his one eye lighting up with
pride.
"Who-Pancho"
"Ah, no, senor," answered Mendez
simply, my boy in La Fortuna. the
one you have not seen."
Bud stopped fumbling for the paper
and sat up suddenly. Here was a new
light on their faithful servitor, and one
that might easily take away from his
value as a dummy locator.
"Oh!"' he said, and then: How
many children have you, CRUZ"
Cruz smiled ~deprecatingly, as par
ents will, and turned away.
"By which woman?" he inquired, and
Bud became suddenly very calm, fear
ing the worst. For If Cruz was not
legally married to Maria, he could not
transfer the mining claim.
"By all Of Them" he said quietly.
Five in ALL" returned Cruz-"three