Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-08-14

face, n then he strobe over TO where
Aragon was muttering and spoke in a
low tone.
MOI dissented Aragon, shaking his
head violently; "no-nol l want this
man arrested" he cried, turning vim
dictively upon Bud. He has stolen
my tools-my mine-my land! He has
no business here-no title! This land
is mine, and / tell him to go. Pronto!"
he shouted. menacing Hooker with his
riding-whip, but Bud only shifted his
feet and stopped listening to his ex-
cited Spanish.
mo, senior" he said, when 1t was all
over, 'this claim belongs to my pard-
ner, De Lancey. You have no"
"Hal De Lanceyl' jeered Aragon.
suddenly indulging himself in a sar-
whats the natter" cried Hooker,
as the rural Joined In with a derisive
smirk. Say, speak up. hombre!" he
threatened. stepping closer as his eyes
took on a dangerous CLEAN. And let
me tell you now" he added, that IL
any man touches a hair of his head
I'll kill him like a dogi"
The rural backed his horse away, as
If suddenly discovering that the Amer
lean was dangerous, and then, saluts
ing respectfully Is he took his leave,
he said:
THE Senior De Lancey is in Jail"
They whirled their horses at that
and galloped off down the canyon, and
as Bud gazed after them he burst into
a frenzy of curses. Then. with the
n thought of setting Phil free, he
ran out to the corral and hurled the
saddle on his horse.
1t was through some c~hicanery. he
knew-some low-down trick on the
part of Aragon-that his pardner had
been imprisoned. and he swore to have
him out or know the reason why. Eli
Their that or he would go after Aragon
and take 1t out of his hide.
1t was outside Buds simple code
even to question his pardner's inno-
cence, but, innocent or guilty, he would
have him out If he had to tear down
the jail.
So he slapped his saddle-gun into
the sling, reached for his quirt, and
went dashing down the canyon At
a turn in the road he came suddenly
upon Aragon and the rural, split a
way between them, and leaned for
ward as Copper Bottom buried up the
trail.
1t was long since the shiny sorrel
had been given his head, and he need
ed neither whip nor spurs-but a mile
or two down the arroyo Bud suddenly
refined him in and looked behind. Then
he turned abruptly up the hillside and
jumped him out on a point, looked
again, and rode slowly back up the
trail.
Aragon and the rural were not in
sight-the question was, we're they
following? For a short distance he
rode wariiy, not 20 be surprised In
his suspicion; then, as he found tracks
turning back, he gave head to his
horse and galloped swiftly to camp.
The horses of the men he sought
stood at the edge of the ~mine-dump,
and, throwing his bridle-rein down be,
side them, Bud leaped off and ran up
the cut Then he stopped short and
reached for his six-shooter. The two
men were up at the end, down on their
knees, and digging like dogs after a
rabbit.
So eager were they In their search
SO confident in their fancied security,
that they never looked up from their
work, and the tramp of Hooker's boots
was drowned by their ~grubbing until
he stood above them. There he
paused, his pistol in hand, and waited
grimly for developments.
"Hai" cried Aragon, grabbing at a
| piece of quartz that came up, "Aqui 10
tengo!" He drew a second piece from
his pocket and placed them together.
ut is the samei" he said.
Still half-buried In the excavation,
he turned suddenly as a shadow
crossed him. to get the light, and his
jaw dropped at the sight of Bud.
"I1l trouble you for that rock OBJ
served Bud, holding out his hand, and
as the rural jumped, Aragon handed
over the ore. There was a moments
silence as Bud stood over them-then
he stepped back and motioned them
out with his gun
Down the Jagged cut they hurried.
awed into a guilty silence by his an
ger, and when he let them mount
without a word the rural looked back,
surprised. Even then Bud said moth
ing, but the swing Of the Texans gun
spoke for him, and they rode quickly
out of sight.
you dad-burned greasers!" growled
Bud, returning his pistol with a jab
to it's holster. Then he looked at the
ore. There were two pieces, one fresh
dug and the other worn, and as he
gazed at them the worn piece seemed