Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1914-09-24

DOWn the Fenced trail JnaC leo 10 lno
lower country the mounted insurrectos
were squirting in a rout; across the
newly piowed field. Of Aragon the men
on foot we're making a short cut for the
hills; and all about them, like leaping
grasshoppers, sprang up puffs OF dust
Now they plunged into the willow
brush along the river, where 1t swung
in against the ridge; and as their pur-
suers broke into the open they halted
and returned the fire. The bullets
struck up the dust like hailstones in
front of the oncoming ~irregulars, a
! man or two In the lead went down,
and they faltered. Then, as frantically
as the rebels. they turned and ran for
cover.
While defenders and invaders shot
back and forth across the broad field,
Bud put spurs to his horse and rode
closer, and when he came out on an
other hilltop he was just In time to see
the rurales come pelting in from the
west and take the revoltosos or the
flank. There was a great deal Of long
distance firing then, while the rebels
slowly retreated, and finally, with q
last defiant volley, the defenders
turned back from their pursuit and
marched triumphantly to Old Fortuna.
There, amid numerous vivas, Don
Cipriano rolled out a cask Of mescal
and, after a fiery speech, invited the
victors to help themselves. So they
fell to drinking and carousing, and the
n defender who had been wounded
was bandaged and made much OF,
while a great crowd from the upper
town looked on in awe and admiration.
At last Manuel del Rey and his
rurales returned from harassing the
enemy and with several wounded pris-
oners in their midst, the valor-drunk
Mexicans formed a riotous procession
and went marching back to town.
Every horse and mule was carrying
double, guns were being dropped,
broad hats knocked off, and ever, as
they marched, they shouted:
Viva Madero! Viva Mejico! Muerte
a los re~voltosos!"
1t was an edifiying spectacle to an
American, and with the rest Bud
tagged along to the plaza, where they
had speeches and cheers galore and
more mescal at the company's cantina.
But in the midst Of 1t, while he sat
laughing on his horse by the hotel,
Bud felt a gravel strike his broad
hat from above and, looking furtively
up, he beheld Gracia Aragon smiling
down at him from the balcony.
She beckoned him with a swift
movement and gazed out over the as
semblage again, and after a few mo
ments of elaboration Hooker tied his
horse and wandered into the hotel.
A tingle of excitement went ovel
him as he tramped up to the ladies
parlor, for he had never met Gracis
face to face. But he disguised his
qualms by assuming a masklike grim
ness of countenance and, when the
glorious Gracia glided out of her room
to meet him, he only blinked and stood
pat.
A long experience as a poker player
was all that saved him from betrayal
, for there was something in her yer!
presence which made his heart leal
! and bound. But he only gazed at he
somberly, without even SO much al
. raising his hat.
Back In Texas, in his social world
4 1t was considered almost unmanly t
r thus salute the ladies. So he stoo
. there, his big sombrero pulled dow
over his mop of light hair, gazing a
, her without a blink.
Perhaps 1t was not altogether a
friendly a scrutiny Of her charming
3 features as Gracia expected, for b
q remembered what she had done to hi
pardner; but if she sensed such a rar
thing as disapproval from a youn
@ man, she was too excited to show 1
Her lips trembled, and she looked bac
f~urtively, meanwhile drawing him int
an alcove by the slightest witch c
his sleeve.
n Don't talk too loud" she whi'
n pered. my mother is listening frol
the room--but for the love Of God, te
d me, where is Phil?"
II don't know" answered Bud, tr.
! ing to lower his big voice to a boudoi
g softness; 'he Joined the rurales an
n was ordered north-that's all / know
yes, yes, to be sure; but haven
e you heard from him?"
She seemed to be all Impotence |
+ snatch his news and fly with 1t, bl
~ Bud was in no such hurry. And {
II far was he from being a carpet knigl
that he Immediately raised his vote
= to its normal bass. 1t was all rig
= for Phil and his kind to talk by sigi
= and whispers, but that was not h
- style.
!. mot since he went away he sal
- "He left me a little note, then. sa
ing"
er
), TAAMNNA&g