The Ordway new era., 1914-10-23
CHATTER WI.

1
There srs doubtless many philan.
thropists In the Back Bay regions OF
Boston who would consider the whip
saving Of Crus Mendes . very repre-
hensible act And one hundred dol
lars Mex was certainly . very small
reward for the service that he was to
perform
But Bud and Phi were not travelling
for any particular upliA society. and
one hundred pesos was = lot Of money
to Cruz Aendex More than that. II
they had offered him thousand dol
lars for the same service he would
have got avaricious and demanded ten
thousand.
He came to the hotel very early the
next morning and fingered around an
hour or 20. waiting for the American
gentleman to arise and tell him his
fate. A hundred dollars would buy
everything that he could think Of. in
cludins quantity of mescal. Hh
throat dried at the thought Of It.
Then the gentlemen appeared and
asked him many observation-disclosures
he was married according TO law.
whether his wife would sign the pa
pers with him, and II he believed In
hereafter for those who played false
with Americans. Having answered all
these In the Affirmative. he was taken
to the agente mineral. and. after sign
ing his name-his one feat In penman-
ship-to several imposing documents.
he Was given the precious permit
Then there was another trip to the
grounds with . surveyor. to make re-
port that the claim was actually Va
cant. and Aendex went back to his
normal duties ~ packer.
In return for this service a. dunn
my locator. and to keep him under
their eye. the Americans engaged Fl
Tuerto. the one-eyed. to pack out .
few tools and supplies for them; and
then. to keep him busy. they employed
him further to build . stone house.
An these activities were, OF course.
not lost On Don Cfpriano Araxon =
Tres Palacios. since, by . crafty Ar
impossible for anyone to reach the
lower country without passing through
the crooked street Of Old Fortuna.
During the first and the second trip
OF the strange Americans he kept
within his dignity. hoping perhaps
that they would stop At his store,
where they could be engaged In con-
vsrBation; but upon their return from
. third trip. after Cruz Mendez had
gone through with their supplies, he
cast his proud Spanish reserve to the
winds and waylaid them on the street.
"Buenas tardes. senores," he salut-
ed. as they rode past his store, and
then. seeing that they did not break
their gait, he held up his hand for
| them to stop.
| Excuse me. gentlemen" he said,
speaking genially but with an affected
Spanish lisp, Il have seen you ride
past several times-are you working
for the big company up at New For
tuna"
mo. senor." answered De Lancey
courteously. I'VE are working for our
| selves.
-Good!" responded Aragon with ia
therly approval; ''it - better 90. And
are you looking at mines?"
| YES" said De Lancey non-commit-
tally; I'VE are looking at mines."
That il good. too observed Ara
gon; -and wish you well. but since
you are strangers to this country and
perhaps do not know the people a.
well ~ some. desire to warn you
against that one-eyei man. Cruz Men.
dex, with whom have seen you rid
ing. He Is worthless fellows very
pela'o Mexican. one who has nothing
1 L. ~
pose upon strangers BY selling them
old mines which have no value.
II have no desire to speak I'll Of my
neighbors. but since he has moved
into the brush house up the river l
have lost several fine little pigs; and
his eye. as know, was torn from his
head a. he was chasing another mans
COW. / have not suffered him on my
ranch for years. for ha is such a thief,
!, and yet he has the effrontery to repre-
sent himself to strangers as a poor but
honest man. l hope that he has not
imposed upon you in any wayf"
mo: not at all. thank yot." respond.
Cd De Lancey. as Bud raised his
bride reins to go. I'VE hired him
TO pack out our tools and supplies and
he has done II very reasonably. But
many thanks, str. for your warning.
Adiosls
He touched his hat and waved his
hand IN parting. and Bud grinned q
he settled down 70 q trot
You can't help palavering EN-, can
you. Phnf- he said mo matter what
you think about 'em. you got to be
poaita. haven't your Well, that's the
way you get drawn in-next time you
90 By now the old man viii pump you
dry-you ses. No. sir, the only way
to get along with these Mexicans II
not 70 have thing to do with 'sm.
No sayvy-that's my motto!"
well 'DnchAs grac4as' = nina." !" A.