Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1914-09-04

uIuI women III MhQIlu HaFO SACA
hair as soft as the fur Of q dormouse.
Il is the old Castilian hair, and they
are proud of it. The Sonora Aragon
married beneath her statiOn-it was
in the City of Mexico. and she did not
know that he was an Indian-but she
is a very nice lady for all that an0
never omits to bow to nj when she
comes up to take the train. | remem-
Der one time
Does Cruz Mendez work for him."
interjected De Lancey desperately.
mo, indeed" answered Don Juan
patiently; "he packs in wood from the
hills-but as / was saying" and
from that he went on to tell of the un-
failing courtesy OF the Sonora Aragon
to a gentleman whom, whatever his
present station might be, she recog-
nized as a member q one OF the oldest
families in CASTLE.
De Lancey did not press his In
quiries any further, but the next norm
ing, instead of riding back into the
hills, he and Bud turned their races
down the canyon to seek out the elusive
Mendez. They had, Of course, been
acting q part for Don Juan, since kru-
ger had described Old Fortuna and the
Senior Aragon with great mi%nuteness.
And now, in the guise of innocent
strangers, they rode on down the river,
past the concentration with its multiple
tanks, its gliding tramway and noun
tains of tailings, through the village OF
Indian houses stuck like dugouts
against the barren hill-then along a
river bed that oozed with Stockings I'M
til they came in sight Of the town.
La Fortuna was an old town, yet not
as old as its name. since two Fortunas
before 1t had been washed away by
cloudbursts and replaced by newer
dwellings. The settlement itself was
some four hundred years old, dating
back to the days Of the Spanish con-
| %ouistadores, when it yielded up many
muleloads Of gold.
The present town was built a little
up from the river in the. lee OF a great
| ridge of rocks thrust down from the
hill and we'll calculated to turn aside
a glut of waters. 1t was a comfortable
huddle Of whitewashed adobe build
ings set on both sides Of a narrow and
irregular road-the great trail that led
down to the hot country and was worn
deep by the pack-trains of centuries.
On the lower side was the ample
store and cantina of Don Cipriano,
where the thirsty arrieros could get .
drink and buy a panoche of sugar
without getting down from their
mounts. Behind the store were the
pole corrals and adobe warehouses
and the quarters Of the poems. and
across the road was the mescal still,
where, in huge copper retort and
worm, the fiery liquor was distilled
from the sugar-laden heads Of Yuocas
This was the town, but the most Inn
portant building-set back in the
shade Of mighty cottonwoods ant
pleasantly aloof from the road-was
tie residence of Senior Aragon. 1t was
this, in fact, which held the undivided
attention Of De Lancey as they rode
quietly through the village, for hi
had become accustomed from a Ions
experience in the tropics to look fol
something elusive, graceful and femi
nine in houses set back in a garden
Nothing stirred, however, and having
good reason to avoid Don Cipriano
they logged steadily on their way.
Some house," observed Phil, wit
a last hopeful look over his shoulder
"Uh," assented Bud. as they cam
to a fork in the road. Say" he cor
tinued, "let's turn off on this trai
Lot of burro tracks going ~out-expec
It's our friend. Mr.. Mendez-"
All right" said De Lancey al
sently: wonder where old Arago
keeps that beautiful daughter of his
the one Don Joo-an was telling abou
) Have to stop on the way back an
sample the old mans mescal."
3 Nothing doing!" countered Hooke
! instantly. "Now you heard what
: told you-there's two things you leaV
t alone for sixty days-booze and won
8 en After we cinch our tiee you ca
get as gay as you please"
:"Oo-ee!" piped Phil. hear the be
TALK" But he said no more Of wiz
8 and women, for he knew how they
!, complicate life.
6 They rode to the east now, follo'
g ing the long. fat footprints of the bu
ros, and by ali the landmarks BIZ
saw that they were heading straigl
6 for the old Eagle Tail mine. At o
n Fortuna the river turns west and
n the same time four canyons came
from the east and south. OF the
n thew had taken the first to the nor
IS and 1t was leading them past all Il
l old workings that Kruger had SPOKE
1t about. In fact, they were almost
the mine when Hooker swung dow
70 suddenly from his horse and notion
Is Phil to follow.
There's some burros coming"
IN said, glancing back significantly; a
Of when the pack-train came By, ca
?" animal piled high with broken voc
10 the two Americans were busily ia
ping away at q section Of count
OF rock. A man and q boy followed
Id hind the animals, gazing with wond