The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1914-06-19
CHAPTER ~.

CHAPTER ~.
From the times of David and Jona
than down to the present day the
| world has been full of young meI
sworn to friendship and seeking ad
| venture in pairs. "Pardners," they cal
them in the west, and though the wore
has not crept into the dictionary yet
it Is as different, from partner" as
| friend is from business associate.
They travel together, these pardners
of the West, and whether they be COW
boys or Cousin Jacks" the boss who
| fires one of them fires both of them
| and they go share and share in every
| thing.
Bud Hooker and Philip De Lancey
had met by chance in Ell Paso when
the revolution was just beginning te
boil and the city was swarming with
adventures. The agents Of the rebels
were everywhere, urging Americans tc
| join their cause. Military preferment
cash payments, and grants of lano
we're the bats they used, but Hooker
stood out from the first and took De
Lancey with him. A Mexican promise
did not pass current where he was
born and they went to the mines in
stead.
Then the war broke out and, while
fugitives streamed out of stricken
Chihuahua, they finally struck out
against the tide, fighting their way te
| a certain mine far back in the Sierra
| Madres, where they could dig the golG
on shares.
Behind them the battle waged;
Casas Grandes was taken and retaken
Juarez, Aqua Negra and Chihuahrs
fell; Don Porfirio, the Old Man of Mex
leo. went out and Madero took his
place; and still they worked for theil
stake.
Then new arms and ammunition
| flowed in from across the border
Orozco and his rebel chiefs went out
and the breath Of war famed higher
against the hills. At last the frs
| broken band of rebels came struggling
| by, and, reading hate and envy
| in their lawless eyes, the American:
dug up their gold at sundown and rode
| all the night for their lives.
! And now, welded together by all tha
toll and danger, they were pardners
| cherishing no delusichs as to eacf
others strength or weaknesses, bu
Joined together for better or worse.
It was the last thing that either o.
them expected, but three days aftel
they fed out of Mexico, and with al
| their money unspent, the hand of fate
seized upon them and sent them bacl
| TO another adventure.
1t was early morning again, witt
| crowds along the street. and as they
| ambled slowly along toward the lint
the men on the corners stared at them
The bunch of cowboys gazed at Bud
| who sported a new pair of high-heeleC
boots, and knew him by the way hi
rode; and the mining men looked
searchingly at De Lancey, as IL tt
| guess the secret of his quest.
A squad of mounted troopers, riding
out on border patrol, gazed after then
| questioningly,l but Bud and Phil rode
on soberly, leading their pack, ant
headed for Aqua Negra across the line
1t was grim place to look at, this
border town of Aqua Negra, for the
war had swept it twice. A broad waste
| of level land lay between it and the
prosperous American city, and across
machine guns had twice moved, lay
the huddle of low houses which
marked the domain of Mexico.
Fussy little customs officials, lurk
ing like spiders in their cooped-uI
guardhouses, rushed out as they
crossed the deep trench and demanded
their permit to bear arms. The mo
ment they crossed the line the all
seemed to be pervaded with Latin OK
citability and Indian jealousy, but De
Lancey replied in f1orid Spanish anG
before his polite assurances and full
some compliments 1t was dissipated IL
a moment.
Good! Pass on, amigos" cried the
beady-eyed little jefe, pasting labe
on their pack. "Adios, senor," he
added, returning Phils salute with e
military flourish, and with a scornfu
glance at Bud he observed that the
gentleman was muy caballero.
HUH" remarked Bud, as they rode
on through the town, we're in Mexico
| all right, all right. Talk with both
| hands and get busy with your eye
brows-and holy Joe, look at then
| pelones!"
The pelones referred to were s
squad of Mexican federal soldiers, 80
| called from their heads being shaved
and they were marching doggedly tC
and fro through the thorny mesquit
| bushes in response to shouted orders
| from an officer Being from Zacatecas
where the breed Is short, they stood
about as high as their guns; and theil
crumpled linen suits and Tapping san
| dals detracted sadly from the soldierly
| effect
Big and hulking, and swelling with
the pride of his kind, Hooker looked
! them over slowly, and spoke his hid
| den thought.
81 wonder" he said, turning to Phil
HOW mdHy VI tnen cOulu llCh WILL
! one hand?"
We'll, they're nothing but a lot o.
petty convicts, anyway" answered De
Lancey, but here's some boys aheaC
that I'll bet could hold you, man fol
man, husky as you are, old fellow"
They we're riding past a store, nov
serving as an improvised barracks
! and romning about in tho atraats u1arf