Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1914-10-23

the tide was passed and all made CO
tain. they could turn 1t over to Kruet
and quit the accursed country.
As for the girl, Bud decided tins
she could take care Of herself wfthcv
any assistance from him, and dh
missed her from his mind.
Back at the mine he found Amig
guarding camp from the hilltop. an
after telling him the gist of his troy
bles. the two of them went to won
Every day, while one Of them dug GU
the ore, the other crushed and washe,
1t and watched as he horned out tn.
gold. Their rifles they kept besid,
them and pistols In their belts; an,
every time a Mexican dropped int.
camp, as n did now and then In Ii,
general unrest, he felt the silent men
ace OF arms In readiness and continued
on his way.
F0 a week they labored on together
grim, watchful. expectant-then, al
the break Of day, they heard q distant
rattle Of arms, like the tearing Of O
cloth, and knew that the battle was
on.
The great whistle at Fortuna opened
with Its full, bass roar, and Amigo
snatched up his gun and went Looping
down the canyon, drawn irresistibly
by the sound Of conflict. Bud fingered,
climbing higher and higher to get a
view OF the country. But his young
blood clamored for action too, and
soon he was mounted and gone.
The lighting was not at the Ameri-
can town, but down the valley by Old
Fortuna, and as Hooker galloped on
the sound Of the firing he no
ticed that 1t was on the move. AL
ready the cowardly rebels were re-
Ireating-the volunteers from Fortuna
hurrying to get closer to them,
he rurales were riding to flank them;
md when Bud jumped his horse up
last hill and looked down into the
broad, cultivated valley he saw the
lust Of their flight.
Down the fenced trail that led to the
country the mounted insurrectos
we're squirting In a rout; across the
lewly plowed field, Of Aragon the men
N foot were making a short cut for the
ILLS; and all about them, like leaping
'rasshoppers, sprang up puffs of dust.
Now they plunged into the willow
rush along the river, where 1t swung
n against the ridge; and as their pur-
uers broke into the open they halted
nd returned the fire. The bullets
truck up the dust like hailstones in
ront of the oncoming ~irregulars, a
IAN or two In the lead went down,
nd they faltered. Then, as frantically
s the rebels. they turned and ran for
over.
While defenders and invaders shot
ack and forth across the broad field.
ud put spurs to his horse and rode
loser. and when he came out on an.
Their hilltop he was Just in time to see
le rurales come pelting in from the
est and take the revoltosos on the
There was a great dealof long
firing then. while the rebels
owly, retreated. and finally. with. a
st defiant volley, the defenders
lrned back from their pursuit ana
larched triumphantly to Old Fortuna.
There, amid numerous vivas, Don
ipriano rolled out q cask OF mescal
nd, after a fiery speech, invited the
ictors to help themselves. So they
to drinking and carousing, and the
defender who had been wounded
as bandaged and made much OF.
lille a great crowd from the upper
wn looked or in awe and admiration
At last Manuel del Rey and his
lrales returned from harassing tho
lemy and with several wounded pris
lers In their midst, the v~alordrunk
exicans formed a riotous procession
ID went marching back to town.
very horse and mule was carrying
'ubIe, guns were being dropped,
Dad hats knocked of. and ever, as
ey marched, they shouted:
Viva Madero! Viva Metico! Muerte
los re~voltosos!"
was IN edi1ying spectacle to An
nerican, and with the rest Bud
eyed along to the plaza, where they ID.
d speeches and cheers galore and p,
ore mescal at the company's cantina.
1t in the midst of 1t, while he sat
on his horse by the hotel, =,
I'd felt a gravel strike his broad .
t from above and. looking ~furtively1 !.
!, he beheld Gracia Aragon smiling ,
wn at him from the balcony. ,
She beckoned him with a swift =.
ovement and gazed out over the as ,
mblage again, and after a few mo- i,
snts Of elaboration Hooker tied his
rse and wandered into khe hotel. .
A Jingle Of excitement went over =
m as he tramped up to the ladies' 4
rlor. for he had never met Gracia ;
to face. But he disguised his ,
aims by assuming q masklike grim. :
of countenancs and, when the =
'rious Gracia glided out Of her room =
meet him. he only bhnked and stood :,
t. :
long experience As q poker player 9
IS all that saved him from betrayal. 4
there a something in her very =
essence which made his heart leap \
d bound. But he only gaxed at her =
.berly, without even SO much as E
hin hnA