The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1914-11-19
By DANE COOLIDGE

would have no fear OF the results, but
he would chance II even with the girl
rather than leave her.
The boy lieutenant, the brothers
Mendoza, the superintendent. and Man.
uel del Rey, all we're out on the hill.
side talking terms with Bernardo
Bravo and his chiefs With the rebels
1t was largely a bluff, since field.
glasses had shown them to be short OF
cartridges; but they had over a thou
sand men massed along the ridges
and, with courage. could easily take
the town.
Bud knew that courage was the one
thing lacking. II was the one thing
that was always lacking in these Mex.
lean fights. The Mexican bandit takes
but little chance when he goes to war.
As for the Mendozas and their So
Moran miners, they were properly
chagrined at their waste of ammuni-
ton and swore by Santa Guadalupe to
fight II out with hand grenades. Even
as their leaders wrangled the Mexican
powder men were busily manufactur.
ing bombs, and all the while the su.
perintendent was glancing to the
south, for swift couriers had been sent
to Alvarez. the doughty Spanish ha.
ciendado of the hot country, to beg
him to come to their relie..
Twice before Alvarez h. ! met the
rebels. The first time he spoke them
we'll and they ran of all his horses.
The second time he armed his Yaquis
and Yaqui Mayo rancheros against
them and drove them from his domain,
infiicting a sanguinary punishment
Since then he had been itching to
engage them in q pitched battle. and
when the word reached him he would
come. Two hundred and forty Yaquis,
all armed with repeating rifles, would
follow at his back, and even with his
boosted thousands Bernardo Bravo
could hardly withstand their valor. So.
while the rebels parleyed, demanding
a ransom of millions and threatening
to destroy the town. the defenders
argued and reasoned with them.
hoping to kill the time until Alvarez
should arrive.
In the open space In front OF the
house the refugees gathered In an anx-
ious group, waiting for messengers
from the front. and as Hooker walked
among them he was aware of the ma
lignant glances of Aragon. There were
other glances as well, for he had won
great favor with the ladies by ditching
the powder train, but none from Ora
cha or her mother.
Bud would not have admitted that
he resented this lack of appreciation
on the part Of Gracia. In fact he hard
ly knew that he did resent 1t, but he
watched anxiously for any sign OF APP
prevail from this girl who was to be
his pardner's bride should he conduct
her safely to the border.
From the beginning the Sonora Ara
gon had treated him as a stranger, ac-
cording to the code of her class. and
Hooker had never attempted to in
trude. But IL Gracia still remembered
that she was an American girl at heart.
she forgot to show II to him. To all
she was now the proud Spanish lady.
thrown with the common people by
the stress OF circumstances. but far
away from them In her thoughts.
The conference between the leaders
dragged on and messengers came and
went with the news-then. after hours
of debate, 1t broke up suddenly In a
row and the emissaries came back on
the run. Even at that they narrowly
escaped, for the rebels opened fire
upon them from the ridges, and before
they could get back to cover the
dandy. Manuel del Rey. received bull
let hole through the crown of his hat.
A grim smile fiekered across Buds
face as he saw the damage 1t had
wrought, for he knew that Amigo was
In the hills-and bullet shot down
hill goes high! Some trace Of what
was In his mind must have come to
Del Rey as he halted in the shelter of
the house, for he regarded the Ameri-
can sternly as Aragon spoke rapidly
In his ear. But II they planned VEN
geance between them the times were
not right. for a rattle of arms came
from the lower town and the captain
was up and away to marshal his men
to the defense.
So far in the siege Del Rey had kept
under cover. patrolling the streets
and plaza and letting the volunteers
fight, but now the war had shifted to
his territory and his ruraies were run
ming like mad. For. matching treach-
cry against deceit, the rebel leaders
had sent men around to slip up near
the town and at the first fusillade from
the hillside they came charging up
the creek.
Then II was that the ever-watchful
rurales proved their worth. As the
rebels appeared In the open they ran
to the outlying houses and. fighting
from the fiat roofs. checked the ad-
vance until the miners could come to
their aid.
But in the confusion another party
OF rebels had rushed down the gulch
from the west, and while the Tight was
going on In the lower town they found
Judgment In a big adobe house. And
now for the first time there was night
ing in earnest---the house-to-house