Williams news., 1914-12-10

out the whole bunch with my six 1 shooter before you could bat your | eye''
 ] But the superintendent was not so sure.
 Never mind, boys," he said We're worth lot of ransom money to those rebels and they won't give up so quick. And look at this now-my miners com ing back! Those are the boys that will fight! Wait till Chico and Ramon Mendoza get after them!"
 { He pointed as he spoke to strag- gling band of Sonorans,. led by the { much-vaunted Mendoza brothers, as i they hurried to save the town, and ! cheer went up from the trenches as the federals beheld endorsements. But change had come over the fire 1. rebels in their wake. | AS they trudged wearily into town and sought shelter among the houses a great body of men appeared on the 1 opposite ridge, firing down at them as | they retreated. The battle rapidly 1 turned into long-distance. shooting i contest. with the rebels on the ridges and the defenders in the valley, and
 finally, as the day wore on and a thun- derstorm came up. it died out alto gether and the rebels turned back to their camp.
 Except for one lone { 7 ral who had shot himself by acci6ert ere WAS not 2 single defender l'rt and if the enemy had suffered lrsscs it was only hy some such chaneo. ut wtaen the Sonoran patriots, ! ling Up their empty belts, came clamorirS for am- ,2lunition, the men by the big house took in the real catastrophe of the battle. Seventeen thousand rounds of the precious thirty-thirties had been de- { livered to the excited miners and now, except for what few the Americans had saved, there was not a cartridge in camp. Very soberly the superintendent 1 assured the leaders that he had no 1 more; they pointed at the full belts of i the American guard and demanded them as their right; and when the 1 Americans refused to yield they flew i into rage and threatened.
 [ All in all, it was pitiful exhibition i of hot-headedness, and imbecility, and | only the firmness of the superintend- ent prevented real spilling of blood. 1 The Mexicans retired in a huff and | broke into the cantina, and as the 1 night came on the vnllcy- re-echoed to ! their drunken shou -inG7 | Such was war as the Sonorans con- ceived it. When Hooker, standing his 1 guard in the corredor, encountered Gracia Aragon on her evening walk. he could scarcely conceal a grin.
 What are you laughing at, Senor Hooker?" she demanded with asperity.
 "Is it-so-pleasant, with a houseful of frightened women and screaming chil-
 dren, that you should make fun of our | plight?"
 ''No, indeed" apologized Bud; moth | ing like that Sure must be bad in i there-I stay outside myself. But
 reckon it'll soon be over with. The
 Mexicans here in town have shot of i all their ammunition and I reckon the
 rebels have done the same. Like as
 not they'll all be gone tomorrow, and { IHSh SOu Cdu 6O DdCh
 "Oh, thank you for thinking about
 mel" she returned with a scornful curl l of the lip. But if all men were as
 open as you, MT. Hooker, we women
 would never need to ask question. i This morning you told me l did not
 know what I was talking about-now i presume you are thinking what cow ards the MeXicanS arei
 i "Oh, know! You need not deny it.! l You are nothing but great big-Te- i jano! Yes, I>was going to say brute,
 but you are friend of dear Phil's, and ! so will hold my tongue. If it wasn t
 for that, I'd" She paused, leaving
 him to guess.
 ''Oh, I do wish he were here," she
 breathed, leaning wearily against the
 white pillar of an arch and gazing
 down through the long arcade.
 "It was so close in there," she con. l tinued, T could not stand it a minute 1 longer. These Indian women, you know-they weep and moan all the ] time And the children-I am so sorry { for them. l cannot go now, because 1 they need me; but tomorrSw-if Phil
 were here-I would leave and ride for i the line.
 I Have you seen Del Key today? No? 1 Then all the better-ee must be polio
 ing the town. It is only of him am
 afraid. These rebels are nothing-I
 agree with you! No! I am not angry ! with you at all now! But tomorrow,
 just at dusk, when all is still as it is
 at this time, then, if Phil were here
 I would mount my brave horse and
 ride out by the western pass"