The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1914-10-22

ptioit nc Icpofts W thc PohSo.
With four dead Mexicans to the
Yaqui's account. and Del Rey In
charge OF the district. Hooker followed
his second thought-he said nothing.
and took his chances on being arrest.
ed for murder Until far into the night
Amigo busted himself along the hill.
side, and when the sun rose not a sign
remained to tell the story Of the fight.
Men, horses. saddles and guns-all
had disappeared. And. after packing
little food In a sack. Amigo disap-
peared also. with q grim smile In prom
ise Of return.
The sun rose round and hot. the
same as usual; the south wind came
up and blew into a bellying mass OF
clouds. which dashed back with the ac-
customed rain; and when all the earth
was washed clean and fresh the last
trace OF the struggle was gone. Only
by the burns on his hands was Hooker
aware OF the fight and OF the treachery
which had reared It's head against him
like a snake which has been warmed
and fed.
Nowhere but In Mexico. where the
low pelado classes have made such
deeds a subtlety, could the man be
found TO dissimulate like that false
assassin-in-chief. To pause suddenly
In protracted speech. swing over and
pick up a gun. and halt his victim for
the shooting by the preparatory click
Of the lock-that indeed called for a
brand OF cunning rarely found In the
United States.
There was one thing about the AFFAIR
that vaguely haunted Hooker-why
was II that q man so cunning as that
had failed to load his gun! Twice. and
with everything In his favor. he had
raised his rife to fire. and both times
II had snapped In his hands. Certainly
he must have been inept at arms-or
accustomed to single-shot guns.
The reputed magic Of the swift-nr-
ing rifles evidently had been his undo
ing. but where had he got his new
gunf And who was he. anyway With
those two banning questions Bud wres-
tied as he sat beside his door. and at
evening HIS answer came.
The sun was swinging low and he
was collecting wood down the suich
for Q IRE whom. with . sudden thud Of
hoofs. . horseman rounded the point
and came abruptly to . halt II vas
Arason. and he vas spyins on the
camp.
For . full minute he scanned the
house, tent and mine with . look 90
snaky and sinister that Bud could read
his heart like Q book. Here was the
man who had sent the assassins. and
he had come to view their work!
Very slowly Buds hand crept
toward his six-shooter but. slight -
Was the motion. Aragon caught II and
sat froxen In his place. Then. with an
inarticulate cry. he fell nat on his
horses neck and went squirting out
Of sight.
The answer to Buds questions was
very easy now. The Mexican who had
led the attempt on his life was one
Of Arason's bad men. one Of the four
gunner whom Hooker had looked
over 30 carefully when they came TO
drive him from the mine. and Arason
had fitted him out with new arms to
make the result more sure. But with
that question answered there came up
another and another until. In a sud
den clarity OF vision. Bud saw through
the hellish plot and beheld himself
the master.
As man to man. Aragon would not
dare to face him now. for he knew
that he merited death. BY his sly
approach. by the look In his eyes and
the dismay OF his frenzied retreat
he had acknowledged more surely
than by words his guilty knowledge
OF the raid. Coming TO Q camp where
he expected to find all dead and still.
he had found himself face To face
with the very man he had sought to
kill. How, then. had the American
escaped destruction. and what had
occurred TO his menf
Perhaps. In his Ignorance. Arason
was raging at his hirelinp because
they had shirked their task: perhaps.
not moving that thsy were dead. he
was waiting In . fever Of impatiencs
for them to accomplish the deed. How
ever Il was. Bud saw that he held the
high card, and he was not slow to oct
In the morning he saddled Coppsr
Bottom, who had been confined To the
corral for weeks. and went gslloptns
into town. There he fingered about
the hotel until he saw his man and
started boldly toward him. Surprise.
alarm and pitiful fear chased them
selves across AnSon's fAos - he
stood, but Bud walked proudly By.
"Gpod morning. senori" was Ill Bud
said, but the look In his eyss vas
eloquent OF . grim hsreaftsr.
And instead Of hurrying bssk 70
guard his precious mine Hookr loi-
tered carelsssly about town His
mine Vas safe now-and he vas safe.
Arsson dared mot raise hand % 10
eat himself down on the broad vsranAa
and listened with boyish interest 70
Don Iuan.s account Of the w
(To be continued