The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1914-07-07
WODyrShi. isi1. bY fs.e a. Munsss.I
Continued from Monday.)

ed reluctantly TO reason. 1t amt be-
cause I'm a Mexican citizen Just
want 10 etop that rush
He walked back to tho house, jug
Cling his useless gun and keeping his
eye on the distant ridges. And then.
in a chorus Of defiant yells. the men
In the federal trenches began to shoot
In an airline the distance was some.
thing v er a mile, but az the first scat
tering volley the rebels halted and
fired a volley In return. With q vicious
spang n few stray bullets smashed
against the reverberating steel tank.
but no onS was hurt. and the defend
ers. drunk with valor, began TO shoot
and yell like mad.
The bullets Of the rebels, fred nj
random, struck up dust Jets in every
direction, and from the lower part OF
the town came the shouting Of the non.
combatant Mexicans as they ran here
and there for shelter. But by the
trenches. and in the rear OF the black
tank. the great crowd OF onlookers
persisted, ducking as each successive
bullet hit the tank and shouting en-.
couragement as the defenders emptied
their rifles and reloaded with clip after
clip
The rifles ratified a continuous vol.
ley; spent bullets leaped like locusts
across the fat: men ran TO and fro,
now %crouching behind the tank. now
stepping boldly into the open; and the
defiant shouts OF the defenders almost
I drowned the walls OF the women. Eek.
cept for one thing II was a battle
there was nobody hurt.
For the FIRST half-hour the Ameri.
cans stayed Frudently under cover
busying themselves at the suggestion
Of a few American ome In providing
a firstaid hospital on the sheltered
porch. Then. as no wounded came 10
Mi Il anal the rebels delayed their
charge. one man after another climbed
up 10 the trenches. ostensibly 10 bring
down the injured.
AS soldiers and b~ystanders reported
no one hit. and the bullets few harm
lassly past. their solieitude turned rap.
idly 10 disgust and then 20 scorn.
Strange as Il may seem. they were dis.
appointed at the results. and their re
marks we're derogatory as they com
mented on the bravery OF pelones and
Mexicans In general.
From a dread OF imminent attack. OF
charging rebels and %retreatlng defend.
ers, and a fight TO the death by the
house, they came suddenly to a desire
for blood and battle. for dead men and
the cries OF the wounded: and all fear
of the insurrectos left them.
"Come away, boys" grunted the
burly roadmaster. who up to then had
led In the work; we wasted our time
on that hospital-theren be no wound
ed. Let's take ourselves back to the
house and have n quiet smoke"
Right you are. Ed" agreed the mas
ter mechanic. as he turned upon his
heel In disgust. This amt war
them Mexicans think they're working
for a moving.picture show!"
II bet you ] a go up on that
ridge" announced Hooker. "and clean
out the whole bunch with my six
shooter before YOU could bat your
eye"
But the superintendent, was not &c
sure.
p Never mind, boys" he said. Were
worth a lot Of ransom money 10 those
rebels and they won't give up so quick
And look at this now-my miners com
ing back Those are the boys that vii!
light Walt til Chico and Ramon
Mendoza get after theml"
He pointed as he spoke 10 a strag
+, Cling band OF sonorans, led by thu
, much.vaunted Mendoza brothers. al
they hurried TO save the town. and
cheer went up from the trenches a
the federals boheld reinforcements
) But a change had come over the ere
I eating miners, and they brought otheI
T rebels in their wake.
As they trudged YEARLY into tow
9 and sought shelter among the house,
q great body OF men appeared on th'
+ opposite ridge. firing down at them Al
they retreated. Inc battle rapidly
turned into a long-distanee shooting
contest with the rebels IN the ridge
y and the defenders In the valley, an'
d finally. a. the day ore on and a thur
e derstorm came up, Il died out alto
! gether and the rebels turned back q
their camp.
I, Except for one lone federal who ha'
Z shot himself by accident there was no
q single defender hurt, and n IN
= enemy had suffered losses Il was onl.
by some such chance. But when IN
e sonoran patriots. holding up thei
d empty belts. came ciamoring for an
= munitlon. the men by the big hous
I. took In the real catastrophe OF n
battle.
Seventeen thousand rounds Of n
/, precious thirty-thirties had been d.
livered 10 the excited miners and nov
q except for what few the Americans Ia
saved. there was not a cartridge
n camp Very aoberly tho Superintendent
asgured the leaders that ha had n