Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-08-07

In Fortuna to work the Eagle Tail
and not to win the hearts of Spanish
Mexican senoritas, no matter how at
tractive they might be.
Bud was a practical man who, il he
ever made love, would doubtless do
It in a perfectly businesslike way.
without hiring any string bands. But
at the anne time he was willing to
make some concessions.
well. go ahead and get your sleep.
then" he growled, after trying three
times in the morning to get his. pard-
ner up; I'm going out to the minel"
Then. with a saddle-gun under his
knee and his six-shooter hung at his
hip, he rode rapidly down the road,
turning out from time to time to let
long cavalcades of mules string by.
The dead-eyed arrieros, each with his
combined mule blind and whiplash
swinging free, seemed to have very
little on their minds but their pack
lashings, and yet they must be three
days out from Moctezuma.
Their mules, too, were we'll loaded
with the products of the hot country
-fanegas of corn In red leather sacks,
oranges and fruits In handmade
crates, panoches of sugar in balanced
frames, long joints of sugar-cane for
the dulce pedlers, and nothing to indi-
cate either haste or fight.
Three times he let long pack-trains
go by without a word, and then at last.
overcome by curiosity, he inquired
about the revoltosos.
What revoltosos?" queried the old
man to whom he spoke.
why. the men of Bernardo Bravo"
answered Bud; the men who are
marching to take Moctezuma."
When / left Moctezuma," returned
the old man politely, "all was quiet
there were no revoltosos. Since then,
l cannot say"
But the soldiersi" cried Bud.
Surely you saw themi They were
marching to fight the rebels"
Perhaps So" shrugged the arriero,
laying the lash of his topojo across
the rump of a mule; "but l know moth
Ing about It,"
NO." muttered Bud, as he continued
on his way; land I'll bet nobody else
does"
Inquiry showed that in this, too, he
was correct. From those who travelled
fast and from those who travelled slow
he received the same wondering an
swer-the country might be filled with
r~evoltosos; but, as for them, they
knew nothing about it.
Not until he got back to Fortuna
and the busy federal telegraph wire
did he hear any more news of rapine
and bioodshed, and the light which
dawned upon him then was gradually
dawning upon the whole town.
1t vas a false alarm, given out for
purposes of state and the higher poll
tics" with which Mexico Is cursed, and
the most that was ever seen OF Ber-
nardo Bravo and his lawless men was
twenty miserable creatures, half
starved, but with guns In their hands,
who had come down out of the noun
tains east of Moctezuma and killed a
few COWS for beef.
Thoroughly Disguised, and yet
vaguely alarmed at this bit of opera
bouffe warfare, Bud set himself reso-
lutely to work to hunt up men for
their mine, and, as many poor people
were out of employment because OF
the general stagnation of business, he
soon had ten Mexicans at his call.
Then, as Phil had dropped out of
sight, he ordered supplies at the store
and engaged Cruz Mendez-who had
spent his fortune in three days--to
pack the goods out on his mules.
They were ready to start the next
morning if De Lancey could be found
to order the powder and tools, and as
the afternoon wore on and no Phil
appeared, Bud went on a long hunt
which finally discovered him in the
balcony of their window, making signs
in the language of the bear" as a
man who firts with a woman in Mex.
leo Is called.
Say, Phil" he hailed, disregarding
his p~ardner's obvious preoccupation;
break away for a minute and tell me
what kind of powder to get to break
that schist-the store closes at five
o'clock. and"
He thrust his head out the door as
he spoke and paused, abashed.
Through the half-closed portal of the
next balcony but one he beheld the
golden hair of Gracia Aragon, and she
fixed her brown eyes upon him with
a dazzling, mischievous smile.
"O-ho!" murmured Bud, laying a com.
polling hand on De Lancey and back.
ing swiftly out of range; so this is
what you're up to-talking signsl But
say, Phil" he continued, reckoning
him peremptorily with a jerk of his
head, Il got ten men hired and a lot
of grub bought, and If you don't pick
out that mining stuff we're going to
lose a day. So get the lady tO excuse