The Elbert County tribune., 1914-10-02
With quick .rip ths Y.aui wa. gone

some purpose-he even had a sneak
ing idea that It was to take pot-shots
at Captain del Rey-but six months in
Mexico had made him careless, and he
half hoped the Yaqui would win.
The captain had It coming to him
for his brutality, but with Aragon IT.
was different-Aragon had a wife and
daughter-and. with the memory Of
Gracia in his mind. Bud sent his horse
plunging down the ridge to warn them
before It was too late.
There were some brush fences to be
jumped. but Copper Bottom took them
flying, and as they cut into the river
trail he made the mud-puddles splash
Across the fields to the south Bud
could see the poems running for cover
the insurrectos must be in sight be-
yond the hills
He was going south. they were NOV
ing west. but 1t was five miles north
was needed and Copper Bottom gave
his best They dashed into Fortuna
like whirlwind, and Hooker raised
his voice in high yell.
'Insurrectosl" he shouted. "Ladro-
nesl Pr-onto Fortuna!"
There was a rush. a moments si-
lence, and then heads appeared from
every window and women ran scream
ing with the news. Aragon came rush
ing from the store and confronted him
angriiy; then, reading conviction in
his tones, he called for horses and ran
frantically into the house.
uhrflI uoraarh no mo from ho hill.
side, where serving-woman had
scampered to view the valley. and. as
she pointed her finger and screamed
mothers laid hold of their little ones
and started up the valley on foot.
Still the men ran about in the horse
pen and Aragon adjured his women
folk in the house. Burning with i'm
patience, Bud spurred his way to the
corral where they were fumbling with
reata and rigging and dropped a rope
on the first horse he saw. Then he
snatched a side-saddle from a trem-
bling peon and slapped it on the
brhte's back. Grabbing up the bride,
he led the horse back to the house and
bridled 1t while he shouted for haste.
Still the women tarried, and the
sound of galloping came from the
south. Then. as all seemed lost. the
Mexicans came humping out from the
stable with the family coach, Aragon
and his wife leaped in, and Gracia,
neatly attired in a riding-skirt, came
tripping down the steps.
Even in such times as these she
seemed to realize her first duty to
herself, and Hooker had to gaze for a
moment before he helped her up. She
offered her foot and vaulted lightly
into the saddle; the coach went pound
ing on ahead; and as the servants
scattered before her she galloped off
at the side of Bud.
Behind them the rumble of distant
hoofs rose up like the roaring of wa
tiers, and the shrieks of fleeing women
echoed from the roadside. but once
safely in the canyon their lead was
never lessened and. with coach-horses
galloping and positions lashing from
both sides, the whole cavalcade swept
into the plaza while the town of For
tuna went mad.
Already the great whistle was blow
ing hoarsely, its deep reverberations
making the air tremble as IL with fear.
Americans were running back and
forth, distributing arms and rushing
their women to cover; Don Juan. his
chin quivering with excitement. was
imploring all comers to be calm; and
the Aragons, coming flying up to the
door, added the last touch to the panic.
They with their eyes had seen the
rebels; they were riding in from the
southl Other men. equally excited.
swore they were coming from the
north. and a disorderly body of So
nora miners. armed as If by magic
with guns which had long lain hidden.
banked themselves about the store and
office and clamored for more and more
cartridges. Then a rip of gun-fire
echoed from across the canyon, and
the miners made a rush to the attack.
The whistle, which had obscured all
sound as a cloud obscures the light,
stopped suddenly in its roar. and the
crowd at the hotel became calm The
superintendent, wiry, gray-haired
little man. with decision in every
| fort-like house on the hill and ordered
all the women to take shelter there
and take their children with them.
So, while the rifles ratified and stray
| bullets began to knock mud from the
walls, they went struggling up the hill,
| rich and poor patrician and peon.
while the air was rent by the walls
of the half-lndian Mexican women,
who held themselves as good as cap
| tured by the revoltosos. concerning
whose scruples they entertained no
Illusions.
The women of the aristccracy bore
themselves with more reserve, as be-
fitting their birth and station. and the
Americans who gathered about them
] Eith their prctecting rifles nratandad