Gilpin observer., 1914-09-03


tiful women in Madrid have chestnut
hair as soft az the fur Of dormouse-
It is the old Castilian hair. and they
are proud of 1t. 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 and
never omits to bow to me when she
comes up to take the train. remem-
ber one time"
Does Cruz Mendez work for him p
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 gentleman whom, whatever his
present station might be. she recog-
nized as member of one of the Oldest
families In CASTLE.
De Lancey did not press his In
Quiries any further, but the next morn
ing, instead of riding back into the
hills, he and Bud turned their faces
down the canyon to seek out the elusive
Mendez. They had, of course, been
acting part for Don Juan. since Kru-
ger had described Old Fortuna and the
Senior Aragon with great minuteness.
And now, in the guise of innocent
strangers, they rode on down the river.
past the concentrator 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 slickings un-
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 tke Spanish con-
Quistadores. when 1t yielded up many
muleloads of gold.
The present town WAS built little
up from the river in the lee of great
ridge of rocks thrust down from the
hill and well calculated to turn aside
a glut of waters. 1t was comfortable
huddle of whitewashed adobe build
ings set on both sides of 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 q
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 Yuccas.
This was the town. but the most i'm
portant building-set back in the
shade of mighty cottonwoods and
pleasantly aloof from the road-was
the residence of Senior Aragon. It was
this, in fact, which held the undivided
attention of De Lancey as they rode
quietly through the village. for he
had become accustomed from a long
experience in the tropics to look for
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 housed" observed Phil. with
a last hopeful look over his shoulder.
''Uh." assented Bud. as they came
to a fork in the road. Say" he con-
tinued, Tets turn on on this trail.
Lot OF burro tracks going out-eupect
it's our friend. Mr.. Mendez"
''All right" said De Lancey abb
sently; wonder where old Aragon
keeps that beautiful daughter Of his
the one Don Joo-an was telling about
Have to stop on the way back and
sample the old an's,mescal"
Nothing doing!" countered Hooker
instantly. Nov you heard what J
told you-there's two things you leave
alone for sixty days-booze and wom-
en-. After we cinch our title you can
get as gay az you please"
"Oo-ee!" piped Phil. hear the boy
talk" But he said no more OF wine
and women. for he knew how they do
complicate life.
They rode to the east now. follow
ing the long. fiat footprints OF the bur
ros, and by all the landmarks Bud
saw that they were heading straight
for the old Eagle Tail mine. At Old !
Fortuna the river turns west and at
the same time four canyons came in
from the east and south. OF these
they had taken the first to the north
and it was leading them past all the
old workings that Kruger had spoken
about. In fact. they were almost at
the mine when Hooker swung down
suddenly from his horse and motioned
Phil to follow.
There's some burros coming" he
said, glancing back significantly; and
when the pack-train came by, each
animal piled high with broken wood.
the two Americans we're busily tap