Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1914-11-20
The Land Of Broken Promises
CHAPTER XXII-Contlnucd.

Lei INC MeAIChAS Hknl IL Outi no
said. They might resent 1t If you
took sides, and that would make IT bad
for us. Just wait a while-you never
can tell what will happen. Perhaps the
rurales and federals will stand them
of"
What, that little bunch" demanded
Bud. pointing ~scornfully at the land
full OF defenders who were covering
behind their rock piles. why half OF
them p%elones don't know what a gun
was made for, and the rurales-"
We'll, the rebels are the same" sug-
gested the superintendent pacifically.
"Let them fight 1t out-we need every
American we can get. 30 Just forget
about being Il Mexican"
"All right" agreed Bud, as he yield.
cd reluctantly to reason. 1T amt be-
cause I'm n Mexican citizen-l Just
want to stop that rush"
He walked back to the 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 over a mile, but at the first scat
tering volley the rebels halted and
Aired n volley in return. With n Vicious
spang a few stray bullets smashed
against the reverberating steel tank,
but no on was hurt. and the defend
ers. drunk with valor, began to shoot
and yell like mad.
The bullets OF the rebels. fired at
random, struck up dust.jets In every
direction, and from the lower part OF
the town came the shouting OF the non-
combatant MeYicans as they ran here
and there for shelter. But by the
trenches, and in the rear OF the black
tank, tho great crowd OF onlookers
persisted, ducking as each successive
bullet hit the tank and shouting en-
couragement as the defenders emptled
their rifles and reloaded with clip after
clip.
The rifles ratified a continuous vol
ley; spent bullets leaped like locusts
across the fiat: men ran to and fro,
now crouching behind the tank, now
stepping boldly into the open; and the
defiant shouts of the defenders almost
drowned the walls of the women, Ex-
cept for one thing 1t was a battle
there was nobody hurt.
For the first half-hour the Ameri-
cans stayed prudently under cover,
busying themselves at the suggestion
of a few American women In providing
a f1rst-aid hospital on the sheltered
porch. Then, as NJ wounded came to
fill 1t and the rebels delayed their
charge, one man after another climbed
up to the trenches, ostensibly to bring
down the injured.
As soldiers and b%ystanders reported
no one hit. and the bullets few harm.
lessly past, their solicitude turned rap
IDLY to disgust and then to scorn.
Strange as II may seem, they were dis
appointed at the results. and their re-
marks we're d%erogatory rs they com.
mented on the bravery of pelones and
Nexicans in general.
From n dread of imminent attack, of
charging rebels and re~treating defend
era. 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; I'VE wasted our time
on that hospital-theren be no wound
ed. Let's take ourselves back to the
house and have a 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
Tor a moving picture show!"
II bet you | can go up on tina
ridge" announced Hooker. and clear
out the whole bunch with my six
shooter before you could bat you
eye"
But the superintendent was not 81
sure.
Never mind, boys" he said. Weir
worth a lot OF rtnsom money to thos
rebels and they won't give up so quick
And look at this now-my miners con
ing back, Those are the boys that wi
fight! Wait till Chico and Ramo
Mendoza get after themi"
He pointed as he spoke to a strat
Cling band Of Sonorans, led by tn
much-vaunted Mendoza brothers, a
they hurried to save the town, and
cheer went up from the trenches a
the federals beheld reinforcement
But a change had come over the fir
eating miners. and they brought othe
rebels in their wake.
As they truiged YEARLY into tow
aud sought shelter among the house
a great body of men appeared on th
opposite ridge. firing down at them g
they retreated. The battle rapid
turned into a long-distance shootin
contest, with the rebels on the ridge
and the defenders In the valley. al
finally, as the da! wore on and a thu
derstorm came Up. 1t died out alt
gether and the rebels turned back
their camp.
Except for one lone federal who hs
shot himself by accident there was NJ
q single defender hurt, and II Il
enemy had suffered losses 1t was on
by some such chance. But when Il