Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1914-09-17
CHAPTER Xxx.

III COuuliJ NutI6 WitnCooCo W -
crime are imprisoned along with the
principals and kept more or less In
definitely in Jail. man thinks twice
before he reports to the police.
With four dead Mexicans to the
Yaquis account, and Del Rey In
charge OF the district, Hooker followed
his second thought-he said nothing.
and took his chances on being arrest
ed for murder. Until far into the night
Amigo busted himself along the hill
side. and when the sun rose not sign
remained to tell the story OF the fight
Men, horses, saddles and guns-all
had disappeared. And, after packing a
little food in sack. Amigo disap-
peared also. with grim smile in prom
Use of return.
The sun rose round and hot, the
same as usual; the south wind came
up and blew into bellying mass OF
clouds, which dashed back with the ac-
customed rain; and when all the earth
was washed clean and fresh the last
trace of the struggle was gone. Only
by the burns on his hands was Hooker
aware of the fight and OF the treachery
| which had reared its head against him
like a snake which has been warmed
and fed.
Nowhere but In Mexico, where the
| low pelado classes have made such
deeds a subtlety, could the man be
found to dissimulate like that false
assassin-inchief. To pause suddenly
in protracted speech, swing over and
pick up a gun, and halt his victim for
the shooting by the preparatory click
of the lock-that indeed called for a
brand of cunning rarely found in the
United States.
There was one thing about the AFFAIR
that vaguely haunted Hooker-why
was it that a man so cunning as that
had failed to load his gun? Twice, and
with everything in his favor, he had
raised his rife to fire; and both times
1t had snapped in his hands. Certainly
he must have been inept at arms-ol
accustomed to single-shot guns.
The reputed magic of the swift-fir
ing rifles evidently had been his undo
ing. but where had he got his new
gun? And who was he, anyway? Will
those two bathing questions Bud wres
tied as he sat beside his door, and al
evening his answer came. re-
The sun was swinging low and hi
was collecting wood down the gulci
for a fire when, with a sudden thud o.
hoofs, horseman rounded the poin
and came abruptly to a halt. It wa,
4 Aragon, and he was spying on tn,
camp.
For full minute he scanned tn,
house. tent and mine with a look 81
snaky and sinister that Bud could real
his heart like book. Here was tn,
man who had sent the assassins, an,
he had come to view their work!
Very slowly Buds hand crep
toward his six-shooter but, slight al
was the motion, Aragon caught 1t an,
sat frozen in his place. Then, with al
. inarticulate cry, he fell fiat on hi
horses neck and went squirting GU
of sight.
The answer to Buds questions wa
D very easy now. The Mexican who hat
led the attempt on his life was on
9 of Aragon's bad men, one of the fou
: gunner whom Hooker had locke,
e over SO carefully when they came Il
i drive him from the mine, and Aragol
Q had fitted him out with new arms /
e make the result more sure. But wit
d that question answered there came u
another and another until, in a sue
9 den clarity OF vision, Bud saw througI
0 the hellish plot and beheld himsel
O the master.
g AS man to man, Aragon would no
e dare to face him now. for he kne,
d that he merited death. BY his 81
approach. by the look In his eyes an
h the dismay OF his .renzied retrea
d he had acknowledged more surel
4 than by words his guilty knowledg
o OF the raid. Coming to a camp wher
L he expected to find all dead and still
Q he had found himself face TO fac
E. with the very man he had sought {
d kill. How, then. had the America
o escaped destruction. and what ha
d occurred to his men?
g Perhaps. In his ignorance. Arago