Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1914-12-25

There were some brush FENCES TO be
jumped, but Copper Bottom took them
| flying, and as they cut into the river
trail he made the m%ud-puddles splash.
Across the fields to the south Bud
could see the poems running for cover
the insurrectos must be In sight be-
| yond the hills.
He was going south, they were NOV
ing west, but 1t was Ave miles north
again to the town. Speed vas what
was needed and Copper Bottom gave
his best. They dashed into Fortuna
like a whirlwind, and Hooker raised
his voice In a high yell.
Tnsurrectos!" he shouted. "Ladro-
mes! Pr-onto a Fortuna!"
There was a rush, a moments 81
lence, and then heads appeared from
every window and women ran scream
ing with the news. Aragon came rush
ing from the store and confronted him
angrily; then, reading conviction In
his tones, he called for horses and ran
frantically into the house.
A shrill screech came from the hill
side, where a serving.woman had
scampered to view the valley. and, as
she pointed her finger and screamed,
mothers laid hold Of their little ones
and started up the valley OF foot
Still the men ran about in the horse
pen and Aragon adtured his women
folk in the house. Burning with I'm
patience, Bud spurred his way to the
| corral where they were fumbling with
reata and rigging and dropped a rope
on the first horse he saw. Then he
snatched a s%ide-saddle from a trem-
bling peon and slapped It on the
brute's back. Grabbing up the bride,
he led the horse back to the house and
bridled 1t while he shouted for haste.
Still the women tarried, and the
sound Of galloping came from the
south. Then, as all seemed lost, the
Mexicans came humping out from the
stable with the family coach, Aragon
and his wife leaped in, and Gracia,
neatly attired in a riding-skirt, came
tripping down the steps.
Even In such times as these she
seemed to realize her first duty to
herself, and Eooker had to gaze for a
moment before he helped her up. She
offered her foot and vaulted lightly
into the saddle; the coach went pound
ing on ahead; and as the servants
scattered before her she galloped OF
at the side Of Bud.
Behind them the rumble Of distant
hoofs rose up like the roaring OF wa
tiers, and the shrieks Of feeing women
echoed from the roadside, but once
safely In the canyon their lead was
never lessened and, with coach-horses
g~alloping and positions flashing from
both sides, the whole cavalcade swept
into the plaza while the town Of For
tuna went mad.
Already the great whistle was blow
ing hoarsely. Its deep reverberations
making the air tremble as II with fear.
Americans we're running back and
forth, distributing arms and rushing
their women to cover; Don Juan, his
chin ~quivering with excitement, was
imploring all corners to be calm; and
the Aragons. coming flying up to the
door, added the last touch to the panic.
They with their eyes had seen the
rebels; they were riding In from the
south! Other men, equally excited,
swore they were coming from the
north, and a disorderly body of So
nora miners. armed as II by magic
with guns which had long lain hidden,
banked themselves about the store aud
office and clamored for more and more
cartridges. Then a rip Of gun-fre
echoed from across the canyon, and
\ the miners made a rush to the attack,
The whistle. which had obscured all
: sound as a cloud obscures the light
stopped suddenly In Its roar, and the
crowd at the hotel became calm. The
superintendent, a wiry, gray-haired
little man, with decision In every
movement, came running from his
fortlike house on the hill and ordered
all the m to take shelter there
and take their children with them.
So, while the rifles ratified and STRAY
bullets began to knock mud from the
walls. they went struggling up the hill
rich and poor, patrician and peon
while the air was rent by the wall.
Of the halflndian Mexican women
who held themselves as good as cap
tured by the revoltosos, concerning
d whose scruples they entertained M
y Illusions.
The women Of the aristocracy bor
n themselves with more reserve, as be
o fitting their birth and station, and tn,
Americans who gathered about then
d with their protecting rines pretende,
that all would be well; but In tn,
q minds Of every one was that sam,
e, terror which found expression in tn,
d peon wall and. while scattered rebel
and newly armed miners exchange,
e volleys on both sides Of the town. IN,
70 non-combatant Americans sought on
a. every woman and rushed her up to tn,
70 big house. There, II worst came +
rs worst, they could make a last stand
ID or save them by a ransom.
lie So. from the old woman who ken
i'd the candy stand in the plaza to tn
at wives Of the miners and the cherishe
It. womenfolk Of the landowners, the
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