Gilpin observer., 1914-11-19
accustomed to single.shot guns.

those two bafiing questions Bud wres-
tied as he sat beside his door, and at
evening his answer came.
/ The sun was swinging low and he
was collecting wood down the gulch
for fire when, with sudden thud OF
hoofs, a horseman rounded the point
and came abruptly to a halt. 1t was
Aragon, and he was spying on the
camp.
| For a full minute he scanned the
house, tent and mine with look 80
snaky and sinister that Bud could read
his heart like book. Here was the
man who had sent the assassins, and
he had come to view their work!
Very slowly Buds hand crept
toward his six-shooter but. slight as
was the motion. Aragon caught 1t and
sat frozen in his place. Then, with an
inarticulate cry, he fell fiat on his
horses neck and went spurring out
of sight.
| The answer to Buds questions was
very easy now. The Mexican who had
| led the attempt on his life was one
of Aragon's bad men, one Of the four
gunmen whom Hooker had looked
over so carefully when they came to
drive him from the mine, and Aragon
had fitted him out with new arms to
make the result more sure. But with
that question answered there came up
another and another until, in sud-
den clarity of vision. Bud saw through
the hellish plot and beheld himself
the master.
AS man to man, Aragon would not
dare to face him now, for he knew
that he merited death. By his sly
approach, by the look in his eyes and
the dismay of his frenzied retreat.
he had acknowledged more surely
than by words his guilty knowledge
of the raid. Coming to camp where
he expected to find all dead and still,
he had found himself face to face
with the very man he had sought to
kill. How. then. had the American
escaped destruction. and what had
occurred to his men?
Perhaps, in his ignorance, Aragon
was raging at his hirelings because
they had shirked their task; perhaps,
not knowing that they were dead. he
|
for them to accomplish the deed. How
ever it was, Bud saw that he held the
high card, and he was not slow to act.
In the morning he saddled Copper
Bottom, who had been confined to the
corral for weeks. and went galloping
into town. There he fingered about
the hotel until he saw his man and
started boldly toward him. Surprise.
alarm and pitiful fear chased them
selves across Aragon's face as he
stood, but Bud walked proudly by.
Good morning. senor!" was all Bud
said, but the look in his eyes was
eloquent Of a grim hereafter.
And instead of hurrying back to
guard his precious mine Hooker loi.
tered carelessly about town. His
mine was safe now-and he was safe
Aragon dared not raise hand. So he
sat himself down on the broad veranda
and listened with boyish interest to
Don Juan's account of the war.
What have you not heard of the
battle?" cried portly Don Juan. delight
ed to have a fresh listener. Aqua
Negra has been taken and retaken,
and the railroad Will soon be repaired.
My gracious! have you been out In
the hills that long? Why, it was two
weeks ago that the rebels captured
the town by a coup. and eight days
later the federals took it back
"Ah. there has been a real war. Mr..
Bud! You who have laughed at the
courage of the Mexicans. what do you
think of Bernardo Bravo and his men!
They captured the last up train from
Fortuna; loaded all the men into the
ore cars and empty coaches; and.
while the federals were still in their
barracks, the train ran clear into the
station and took the town by storm.
And eight days later, at sundown.
the federals took II back. All. there
was awful slaughter averted. senior!
But for the fact that the fuse went
out two hundred Yaqui Indians who
led the charge would have been blown
into eternity.
Yes. 80 great was the charge Of
dynamite that the rebels had laid in
their mine that not a house In Aqua
Negra would have been left standing
II the fuse had done its work. Two
tons OF dynamite! Think Of that. my
friend!
But these rebels were as ignorant
OF its power as they were OF laying
train. The YaQuis walked into the
town at sundown and found 1t de-
serted-every man. woman and child
had fed to Gadsden and the rebels had
Ged to the west.
But listen. here was the way II
happened-actually. and not as COM
mon report has It, for the country Is
all in an uproar and the real facts
were never known. When Bernardo
Bravo captured the town OF Aqua Ne
gra the people acclaimed his a hero.
He sent word to the junta at FL