Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1914-08-08
CHAPTER ~.

] SWIM 40 lli'HuSuII ana seeking l -.
/ venture in pairs. "Pardncrs." they cai
| them in the west, and though the word
| has not crept into the dictionary Yet.
/ il is as different from partner" as a
/ friend Is from a business associate
They travel together. these parduers
/ of the West, and whether they be- COW
/ boys or Cousin Jacks" the boss who
| fires one OF them fires both of them.
and they 90 share and share in every
I thing.
Bud Hooker and Philip De Laucey
/ had met BY chance i'm FL PasO when
! the revolution was just beginning to
boil and the city was sWarmiug with
adventurcrs. The agents of the rebels
We're everywhere, urging Americans to
Join their cause. Military prcfermeut,
cash payments, and grants of land
were the bats they used. but Hooker
stood out from the first and took De
Lancey with hin A Mexican promise
did not pass current where he was
born and they went to the mines in
stead.
Then the war broke out and. while
fugitives streamed out OF stricken
Chihuahua, they finally struck out
against the tide, fighting their way to
certain mine far back in the Sierra
Madres, where they could dig the gold
on shares.
Behind them the battle waged.
Casas Grandes was taken and retaken:
Juarez. Aqua Negra and Chihuahua
fell, Don Porfrio, the Old Man Of Mex
leo. went out and Madero took his
place; and still they worked for their
stake.
Then new arms and ammunition
flowed In from across the border:
Orozco and his rebel chiefs went out.
and the breath of war famed higher
against the hills. At last the .-.r
broken band of rebels came strageuss
by. and. reading hate and envy
in their lawless eyes. the Americans
dug up their gold at shutdown and rode
all the night for their lives.
And now. welded together by all that
toll and danger. they were PARTNERS.
Cherishing no decisions as to each
others strength or wea. rcsses. but
joined together for better or worse.
II was the last thing that either of
them expected. but three days after
they fed out of Mexico. and with all
their money unspent, the hand of fate
seized upon them and sent them back
TO another adventure
II was early morning again, with
crowds along the street, and as they
ambled slowly along toward the line
the men on the corners stared at them
The bunch of cowboys gazed at Bud.
who spOrted a new pair of high-heeled
boots and knew him by the way he
rode; and the mining men looked
searchingly at De Lancey, as If to
guess the secret of his quest.
squad of mounted troopers, riding
out on border patrol. gazed after them
questioningly, but Bud and Phil rode
on soberly, leading their pack. and
headed for Aqua Negra across the line.
1t was grim place to look at. this
border town of Aqua Negra for the
war had swept it twice A broad waste
of level land lay between it and the
prosperous American city, and across
this swath, where the Mausers and
machine guns had twice moved. lay
the huddle of low houses which
marked the domain of Mexico.
Pussy little customs officials. Turk .
ing like spiders in their cooped-up .
guardhOuses. rushed out as they |
crossed the deep trench and demanded |
their permit to bear arms. The mo- /
ment they crossed the line the air /
seemed to be pervaded with Latin ex- /
and Indian jealousy. but De /
Lancey replied in fiorid Spanish and .
before his polite assurances and full .
some compliments it was dissipated in
a moment.
Good Pass on, amigos" cried the .
beadyeyed little jefe. FASTING a label .
on their pack. "Adios. senior" he /
added returning Pills salute with a
flourish, and with a scornful .
glance at Bud he observed that the
gentleman was muy caballero
Huh. remarked Bud. as they rode
on through the town. we're IN Mexico .
all right, all right Talk with both
hands and get busy with your eye
brows-and holy Joe. look at them
The pelones referred to were a
squad of Mexican federal soldiers, so
called from their heads being shaved
and they were marching doggedly to
and fro through the thorny mesquit
bushes In response to shouted orders
rom an officer. Being from Zacatecas.
where the breed is short. they stood
about as high as their guns. and their
,rumpled linen suits and tapping san
ials detracted sadly from the soldierly
effect.
Big and hulking, and swelling with
he pride Of his kind. Hooker looked
hem over slowly, and spoke his hid
len thought.
Il wonder" he said, turning to Phil.
how many of them l could lick with
me hand?"
Well, they're nothing but a lot OF
BETTY convicts, anyway" answered De
-ancey, but here's some boys ahead
hat I'll bet could hold you, man for
nan. husky as you are, old fellow"
They were riding past a store, now
serving as an improvised barracks.
md romping about in the streets were