Gilpin observer., 1914-10-08
CHAPTER xutcoutisueA

II was slow work; slower than they
had thought, and the gang Of Mexi-
cans that they had hired for muckers
were marvels of ineptitude. Left to
themselves, they accomplished moth
ing. since each problem they encoun-
ksred seemed to present to them some
eaament of insuperable difficulty, to
soive which they either went into eau
Gus or waited for the boss.
To the Mexicans of Sonora Bernardo
Bravo was the personifcation of all
the malevolent qualities-he being a
bandit chief who had turned first gen.
asal and then rebel under Madero-
and the fact that he had at last been
driven out of Chihuahua and therefore
over into Sonora. made his malevo-
aonce all the more imminent.
Undoubtedly. somewhere over to the
nast, where the Sierras lowered like a
fblue wall, Bernardo and his outlaw
Anllowers were gathering for a raid.
and the raid would bring death to So
mona
= he was a bad man, this Bernardo
HsAvo. and II half of the current sto-
kAas were true, he killed men when
ever they failed to give him money,
md was never too hurried to take a
fRE daughter Of the country up behind
him, provided she took his fancy.
Yes, surely he was a bad man-but
kiaat did not clear away the rock.
h ,J0r the first week Phil took charge
II the gang. urging. directing and ca
3oling them, and the work went mer-
Rily on, though rather slowly. The
hGMAsans liked to work for Don Felipe,
he was 30 polite and spoke such good
Spanish; but At the end Of the week
It developed that Bad could get more
E>ssts out Of them.
Every time Phil started to explain
anything to one Mexican all the 9TH
ers stopped to listen to him, and that
took time But Buds favorite way of
directing q man was by grunts and
signs and bending his own back to
ehe task. Also. he refused to under
stAnd Spanish, and cut OF all long
winded explanations and suggestions
hy an impatient motion to go to work.
which the trabatadores obeyed with
shuugs and grins.
80 Don Felipe turned powder man
md blacksmith. sharpening up the
AFilh at the little forge they had fash
np0ed and loading the holes with dy-
hAmits when It became necessary to
hseak q rock. while Bud bossed the
nAwiliing Mexicans.
In an old tunnel behind their tent
ghey set = heavy gate. and behind 1t
EAay stored their precious powder.
Then came the portable forge and the
hlacksmith shop. just inside the mouth
sl the cave, and the tent backed up
qgnanst II for protection. For II there
d any one thing, NEXT to horses, that
~ rebels sre wont to steal. It ts
giant powder TO blow up culverts with,
Ds to lay on the counters Of timorous
spuntxy merchants and frighten them
Into making contributions
As for their horses, Bud kept them
beiled and hobbled, close to the house,
and no one ever saw him without his
gun. In the morning. when he got up,
he took II from under his pillow and
hung It on his belt. and there u
stayed until bedtime.
He also kept sharp watch on the
trail. above and below, and what few
men did pass through were conscious
Of his eye. Therefore It was all the
more Surprising when, one day, look
ing up suddenly from heaving at a
great rock. he saw the big Yaqui sol
dier. Amigo. gazing down at him from
the cut bank
Yes, It was the same man. but with
q difference-his rife and cartridge
bsits were absent and his clothes were
torn by the brush. But the same
good-natured. competent smile was
there, and after few words with Bud
he leaped nimbly down the bank and
hid hold upon the rock. They pulled
eogether. and the boulder that had
baked Buds gang Of Mexicans moved
sasily for the two Of them.
Then Amigo seized crowbar and
shpped 1t into q Granny and showed
rhem few things about moving rocks.
For half an hour or moro he worked
along. seemingly bent on displaying
his skin. then he sat down on the
bank and vntched the Nsxicans with
tolerant haR1Amusod sV0-