Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1914-07-15

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parted. and Bud nodded briefly in
reply. Silence was a habit with him.,
desert-bred, and he nodded his head
for two.
CHAPTER lv.
From the times OF David and Jona-
than doWnsto the present day the
world has been full of young men
sworn335to friendship and seeking ad.
venture In pairs they call
them in the west, and though the word
has not crept into the dictionary yet,
it Is as different from partner" as 9
friend is from a business associate.
They travel together, these 5pardners
Of the West, and whether they be cow
boys or Cousin Jacks the boss who
$fres one OF them fires both of them.
and they goashare and share in every
thing. $ y
Bud Hooker and Philip De Lancey
had met by chance In Ell Paso when
the revolution was Just beginning to.
boil and the cityAwas swarming with
adyenturers. The agents Of the rebels
were everywhere, urging Americans to-
join their cause. Military preferment,t
cash payments, and grants Of land.
were the bats they used, but Hooker.
stood out from the first and took De
Lancey with him. A Mexican promise
did not pass current where he was
born and they went to the mines In
stead. #s n E&
Then the war broke out and. while
fugitives streamed out Of stricken.
IChihuahua, they finally struck out
against the tide, fighting their way to.
a certain mine far back in the Sierra
Madres, where they could dig the gold
on shares. 81
Behind them the battle waged;
Casas Grandes was taken and retaken;
Juarez, Aqua Negra and Chihuahua
fell; Don Porflrio, the Old ManSof'Me
Eico. went out and Madero took hts
place; and still they worked for their
stake, @
Then new arms and ammunition.
flowed in from across the border;
Orozco and his rebel chiefs went out.
and the breath Of wartfanned higher
against the hills. At last the first
broken band OF rebels came struggling
BY. and, reading hate and envy
in their lawless eyes, the Americans
dug UP their gold at shutdown and rode
all the night for their lives.
And now, welded together by all that
toll and danger, they were pardners,
cherish1ng no decisions as to each;
others strength or weaknesses. but
Joined together5for better or worse.
1T was the last thing that either Of
them expected, but three days after
they fed out of Mexico and with all
their money unspent, the hand OF fate
seized upon them and sent them back
to another adventure. n
It was early morning again, with
crowds along the street, and as they
ambled slowly along toward the line
the men on the corners stared at them,
The bunch Of cowboys gaxed at Bud,
who sported q new pair of ;high-heeled
boots, and knew him BY the way ne
rode; and the mining men looked
searchtngly at De Lancey. % II to
guess the secret OF his quest.
"A: squad of mounted troopers, riding
ont on border patrol, gazed after them
I%questioningly, but Bud and Phil rode
on soberly. leading their pack. and
headed for Aqua Negra across the line.
It was grim place to look at. this
border town Of Aqua Negra, for the
war had swept itLtwice. a broad waste
OF level land lay between 1t and the
prosperous American city. and ACROSS
this swath, where the Mausers and
machine guns had twice moved, lay
the huddle Of low houses which
marked the domain of Mexico.
Pussy little customs officials, Turk.
ing like spiders in their %cooped-up
guardhouses, rushed out as they
crossed the deep trench and demanded
their permit to bear arms. The mo
ment they crossed the line the air,
seemed to be ipervaded with Latin ex.
citability and Indian jealousy, but De
Lancey replied in norid Spanish and
before his polite assurances and full
some compliments it was %dissipated in
a moment. 5E75
Good! Pass on, amigos" cried the
beady-eyed little jefe, FASTING a label
on their pack. a"Adios, senor." he
added, returning Phil's salute with a
military flourish, and with q scornful
glance at Bud he observed that the
gentleman was muy ca%ballero'
HUH" remarked Bud, as they rode
On through the town. we're in Mexico
all right, all right. Talk with both
hands and get busy with your eye
brows-and holy Joe. look at them
pelonesi"
The pelones referred to were q
squad Of Mexican federal soldiers, so
called from their heads being shaved,
and they we're marching doggedly to
and fro through the 55thorny mesquit
bushes In response to shouted orders
from an oficer. Being from Z~acatecas,
where the breed is short, they stood
about as high as their guns; and their.
crumpled linen suits and tapping san
dals detracted sadly from the soldierly
effect.
Big and hulk1ng, and swelling with
the pride Of his kind! Hooker looked
them over slowly, and spoke his hid
den thought.
r wonder" he said. turning to Phil.
many Of them I could lick with
one hand?"
"Well, they're nothing but a lot of
petty %convicts, anyway" answered De
Lancey, "but here's some boys ahead
that I'll bet could hold you, man for
man, husky as you are. old fellow"
They were riding past a store, now
serving as an improvised barracks.
and romping about in the streets we're
Americans and which are regularly