Mexico Missouri message., 1914-10-08


a belt of gold around his waist there
was nothing left I'm Mexico for him.
Once on his horse and headed for the
line and he could laugh at them all.
In Gadsden he could show title to
Kruger, he could give answer for his
trust and look the world In the eye.
II had been a long and strenuous
fight; a fight made against seemingly
insurmountable odds; a fight that had
cost him much, but he had won. He
! had proved the trust Kruger had
placed in him, and II had been a fight
worth winning.
Yes, he was a man now--but his
work was not quite done. Up at the
big house. with the screeching women
around her, was Gracia Aragon, and
he owed her something for his rough
words. To pay her for that he would
stay. Whatever she asked now he
would grant It; and II worst came to
worst he would take her with him and
make good his promise to Phil He
had given his word and that was
enough. Now he had only to wait.
1t would not be long, for the parley
would soon be over. and IL the coward
ly rurales surrendered the town to
the bandits he would make break for
the line and civilization with the girl
It would be hard ride. and alone he
would have no fear of the results, but
he would chance 1t even with the girl
rather than leave her
The boy lieutenant, the brothers
Mendoza, the superintendent, and Man
uel del Rey, all were out on the hill.
| side talking terms with Bernardo
Bravo and his chiefs. With the rebels
1t was largely a bluff. since field
glasses had shown them to be short Of
cartridges; but they had over a thou
sand men massed along the ridges
and, with courage. could easily take
| the town.
Bud knew that courage was the one
thing lacking. II was the one thing
| that was always lacking in these Mex.
lean fights. The Mexican bandit takes
but little chance when he goes to war
AS for the Mendozas and their So
moran miners. they were properly
chagrined at their waste Of ammuni-
| ton and swore by Santa Guadalupe to
fight 1t out with hand grenades. Even
as their leaders wrangled the Mexican
powder men were busily manufactur-
ing bombs, and all the while the su.
perintendent was glancing to the
south. for swift couriers had been sent
| to Alvarez. the doughty Spanish ha-
ciendado of the hot country. to beg
him to come to their relief.
Twice before Alvarez had met the
rebels. The first time he spoke them
well and they ran of all his horses.
The second time he armed his Yaquis
and Yaqui Mayo rancheros against
them and drove them from his domain,
infiicting sanguinary punishment.
Since then he had been itching to
engage them In pitched battle, and
when the word reached him he would
come. Two hundred and forty Yaquis,
ALARMED with repeating rifles, would
follow at his back, and even with his
boosted thousands Bernardo Bravo
could hardly Withstand their valor. So.
while the rebels parleyed. demanding
1 - ia anu
to destroy the town, the defenders
argued and reasoned \, with them.
hoping to kill the time until Alvarez
should arrive.
In the open space in front of the
house the refugees gathered in an anx-
ious group, waiting for messengers
from the front, and as Hooker walked
among them he was aware Of the ma
lignant glances or Aragon. There we're
other glances as well, for he had won
great favor with the ladies by ditching
the powder train, but none from Ora
cha or her mother.
Bud would not have admitted that
he resented this lack of appreciation
on the part of Gracia. In fact he hard
ly knew that he did resent 1t, but he
watched anxlously for any sign of ap-
prevail from this girl who was to be
his par6ners bride should he conduct
her safely to the border.
From the beginning the Sonora Ara
gon had treated him as a stranger, &C
cording to the code Of her class, and
Hooker had never attempted to in