The Arvada enterprise., 1914-10-15
CHAPTER v.

CHAPTER v.
Tho journey to Fortuna Is a scant
nfty miles by measure. but within
these eight kilometers there is lapse
Do Lancey rode out OF battle-scarred
Aqua Negra they travelled a good road.
we'll worn by the Mexican woodwag-
ons that hauled in mesquit from the
hills. Then. ~ they left the town and
the wood roads scattered. the highway
changed By degrees to . broad trail.
dug deep by the feet of pnck-animals
and marked but lightly with wheels. It
followed along the railroad. cutting
over hills and down through gulches.
and BY evening they were in the heart
Of Old Mexico.
Here were men In sandals and wom-
an barefoot: chickens tied up by the
legs outside OF brush jacales: long
uosed hogs. grunting fercely - they
skirmished for food: and half-naked
children. staring like startled rabbits
At the strangers.
The smell Of garlic and fresh.roast.
ing coffee was In the air as they drew
into town for the night. and their
room was An adobe chamber with tile
floor and iron bars across the win.
dows. Riding south the next day they
met vaQueros. mounted on wiry mus
tangs. who saluted them Eravely. tax.
ting no shame for their primitive wood.
sn saddletrees and pommels a. broad
a. soup plates.
Al they left the broad plain and
clambered up over the back of noun
tain they passed Indian houses. brush
built and matched with long. coarse
grasses. and by the fires the women
ground corn on stone metates as their
ancestors had done before the fall.
For In Mexico there are two peoples.
the Spaniards and the natives. and the
indians still remember the days when
they were FREQ.
II was through such land that Phil
and Hooker rodo on their gallant
ponies. leading n pack-animal we'll
loaded with supplies from the north.
and ~ tho people gaIed from their
miserable novels and saw their outnt
they wondered at their wealth.
But II they were moved to envy. the
bulk Of = heavy pistol. showing through
the swell Of each coat. discouraged
them from going farther: and the cold.
searching look OF the tall cowboy A.
he ambaed past stayed In their men,
DRY long after the pleasant "Adios!"
Of Do Lancey had been forgotten.
Americans were scarce In those
days. and what few came by we're rid.
ting to tho north. How bold. then. must
this big man be who rode In front
and certainly he had some great re-
ward before him to risk such horse
among tho revoltosos! SO reasoned
the simple-minded natives OF the noun
tains. gazing In admiration at Copper
Bottom. and for that look In their eyes
Bud returned hi~ forbidding stare.
There II something about u good
ican-perhaps because they breed the
finest themselves and are In a position
to judHe-but Hooker Ind developed a
romantic attachment for his trim little
chestnut mount and he resented their
wide-eyed gnplngs ~ u lover rcsents
glances mt his lady. This. and frontier
education. rendered him short. spoken
and grui, with the paisanos and 1t was
left to the cavalier DO Lanccy to do
the courtcsies OF the road.
As the second day wore on they
dipped down Into rocky canyon. with
huge cliffs OF red and yellow sandstone
glowing In the slanttng sun. and soon
they broke out into narrow valley.
we'll wooded with sycamores and mes.
quits and giant blackberry trees,
Tho shrill toots OF n dummy engine
came suddenly from down below and
. mantle OF black smoke rose males.
ideally against the sky-thcn. at n turn
Of the trnil. they topped the last hill
and Fortuna lay before them.
In that one moment they were set
back again nifty miles-clcar ba.k
across tho line--for Fortuna WAS
American. from tho powcr.housc on
tho creek bank to tho mammoth con.
contractor on the hill
All tho buildings were OF stone.
square and uniform. First n central
plaxa. nankcd with Offices and ware
houscs; then behind them barracks
and lodging houses and trim cottages
IN orderly rows. and over across the
canyon loomod the huge bulk OF this mill
and the concentrator with It's aerial
tr.,uway and endless row Of gliding
buckets.
Only on the lower hills. whore the
rough country rock cropped up and
nature was at it, worst. only there did
thc real Mexico creep In and assert "
sslf IN Q crude huddls Of haif.lndian
hints: tho dwellings Of the casefrcs ~
t1vUA
We'll BY Jovsi" exclaimed D. Ian
80. sarvsytnS The seans with IN 40