The Arvada enterprise., 1914-10-15
Feeling Cautiously Of the Walls.

Vce'HS SAuNousy VI knV "Auo.
bestowed upon Hooker and De Lancey
the task Of finding an honest Mexican.
and keeping him honest until he made
the transfer.
While the papers were being made
out there might be a great many
temptations placed before that Mexi-
can-either to keep the property for
himself or to hold out for bigger re-
ward than had been specified. After
his experience with the aristocratic
Don Cipriano Aragon J Tres Palacios.
Kruger was in favor Of taking q chance
on the lower classes. He had therefore
recommended to them one Cruz Men
DEE. a wood vender whom he had
known and befriended. a. the man to
play the part.
Cruz Mendez, according to Kruger.
was Woodworking. sober and honest
for a Mexican. He was also simple
minded. and easy to handle. and was
the particular man who had sent word
that the Eagle Tail had at last been
abandoned. And also he was easy to
pick out, being a little, one-eyed man
and going by the name OF "El Tuerto. -
So. in pursuance Of their policy OF
playing waiting game. Hooker and
De Lancy hung around the hotel for
several days. listening to the gossip
of Don Juan dc Dios and watching for
one-eyed men with prospects to sell.
In Sonora he Is poor and unimag-
NATIVE man indeed who has not at
least one lost mine or "prospecto" to
sell: and prosperous.looking strangers.
riding through the country. are often
beckoned aside by half.naked paisanos
eager to show them the gold mines OF
the Spanish padres for hundred dol.
lars Mex.
II was only a matter OF time, they
thought, until Cruz Mendez would hunt
them up and try to sell them the Eagle
Tail: and It was their intention re.
luctanly to close the bargain with
him. for = specified sum. and then
stake him to the announcement fees
and gain possession Of the mine.
As this was a commonplace In the
district-no Mexican having capital
enough TO work claim and no Ameri
was very natural and inconsplcuous
way Of jumping Senior Aragon y Tres
Palacios' abandoned claim. II they
discovered the lead Immediately after
ward II would pass for case OF fools
luck. or ut least so they hoped. and
riding out n little each day and sitting
| on the hotel porch with Don Juan the
rest Of the time. they waited until pa
tience seemed no longer virtue.
Don juan" said De Lancey. taking
up the probe ut last, IL had n Mexican
working for me when we were over In
the Sierras-onc OF your real. old
time workers that had never been
spoiled by an cducation-and he was
always talking about La Fortuna
guess this was the place he meant, but
II doesn't look like it-nccording to
him II was n Mexican town. Maybe
he's W.ound here now-hs name was
Mendsk'
Jose Maria Mendez" inquired Don
Juan. who was IA living directory OF
tho place. Ricardo? Pancho? Cruzr
CRUZ" cried De Lancey; that was
IT."
"He lives down tho river a couple OF
miles," said Don Juan; down ut Old
Fortuna"
"Old Fortuna" repeated Phil. Il
didn't know there was such Q place. q
why. my gracious!" exclaimed Don
Juan do Dios. scandalizcd by ouch
ignorance. DO you mean to shy you
have been here three dnya and never
heard about Fortuna vicja! Why,
this isn't Fortuna! This In an Ameri.
can mining camp-the old town 10
down below.
That's where this man Araxon, the
big Mexican Of the country, has his
ranch and store. Spanish! Himf No,
indecd-mitad! He 10 half Spanish and
half Yaqui Indian. but his wife u Q
pure spaniard-ons Of the few IN the
country. Her father waa from Madrid
aAA Ne = villanssvs-A v9y baan.