Mexico Missouri message., 1914-10-08

nit OF nearby ridge, and overlooking
the black tank. the rebels had thrown
UP wall in the night, and from the Sc
curity of this shelter they were indus
triously shooting up the town.
The smash OF the first wild car had
been their signal for attack, and as
the explosion threw the defenders into
confusion they made a rush to take
the tank. Here, as on the day before,
was stationed the federal garrison. a
scant twenty or thirty men In charge
OF boy lieutenant.
Being practically out OF ammunition
he did not stand on the order OF his
going. but as his pelones pelted past
the superintendent's house the reor-
ganized miners, their belts stuffed with
cartridges from their own private
stock. came charging up from the town
and rallied them In the rear.
Trained by American leaders they
were the only real fighting force to be
depended upon unless the Americans
themselves should take a hand In the
game, and that they could not do
without the possibility OF serious in.
ternational consequences, a chance
they could not take except as a last
resort to save the women and children
and themselves.
In solid, shouting mass they swept
up the hill together, dropped down be-
hind the defenses, and checked the as
founded rebels with a volley. Then
there was another long-range battle,
with every sign Of war but the dead,
until at last, as the firing slackened
from the lack Of cartridges, a white
flag showed on the ridge above, and
the leaders went out for a parley-
one of those parleys so character
istic of Mexican revolutions, and
which in reality mean SO little, for
both sides know that the words ut
tered are meaningless, and should one
of them ever result in a surrender the
terms of that surrender would not be
regarded. once the victims were In the
hands of the victors.
Properly speaking, Del Rey was in
command of the town, but neither the
federals nor the miners would recog-
nize his authority and the leadership
went by default. While they waited to
hear the rebel demands the Americans
took advantage of the truce to bring
up hot food from the hotel, where Don
Juan de Dios stood heroically at his
post. Let bullets come and go, Don
Juan kept his cooks about him. and
to those who had doubted his valor his
coffee was answer enough.
wy, my gracious, Mr.. Hooker" he
rallied, as Bud refreshed himself be-
tween trips. amt you going to take
any up to those women? Don't drink
so much coffee now, but give 1t to the
men who fight!"
"Ump-um," grunted Bud with a grin /;
they got skinful of mescal already!
What they need is another carload of
ammunition to help EN- shoot their
first rebel"
Il thought you said they wouldn't
fight" twitted Don Juan. This is the
battle OF Fortuna that l was telling
you about last week"
"Sure!" answered Bud, "and over
there is the dead!"
He pointed to a riot of mescal bot
ties that marked the scene OF the
nights potations, and Don Juan gave
him up as hopeless.
"A pile of bottles usually represent
the casualty list In a Mexican fight
added Bud as Don Juan moved away
But, jest as he would, Bud saw thai
the situation was serious. for the fool
hardy Sonorans had already emptieC
| their cartridge-belts, and their guns
were no better than clubs. Unless the
rebels had been equally reckless with
their ammunition they had the town al
their mercy, and the first thing thai
they would demand would be the refu
gees in the big house.
Before that could be permitted tn,
Americans would probably take ,
hand in the fight. for, while the grea
majority of the women in the hous,
were Mexican. there were a few
Americas. and they would be pro
tected regardless of international com
plications. But Gracia Aragon wa,
1NN ssA N'AANA lNoiB anu BIG COul0 no
claim the protection of these country
men OF his.
The possession OF the town: tn,
arms of the defenders; food, clothin,
and horses TO ride-none OF thes,
would satisfy them. They would de
mand the rich Spanish landowners I,
be held for ransom, the women frs
OF all. And Of all those women bud
died up in the casa grande not ON,
would bring bigger ransom than Ora
ella Aragon.
Bud pondered upon the outcome a.
the emissaries wrangled on the hill
side, and then he went back to tn,
corral 10 make sure that his horse wa
safe. Copper Bottom, too, might b.
4 held for ransom. But. knowing tn
rebels as he did, Hooker foresaw
different fate, and rather than see hin
become the mount OF some rebel chief
tain he had determined. II the tow
surrendered, to make dash.