The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1915-06-05

| cHoNo
at Captain del Rey-but six months in
Mexico had made him careless. and he
half hoped the Yaqui would win.
The captain had 1t coming to him
for his brutality. but with Aragon 1t
was different-Aragon had wife and
daughter-and. with the memory OF
Gracia In his mind. Bud sent his horse
plunging down the ridge to warn them
before 1t was too late
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 mud-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 was what
was needed and Copper Bottom gave
his best They dashed into Fortuna
like q whiriwind, and Hooker raised
his voice in q high yell.
"Insurrectosl" he shouted. "Ladro-
mes! Pr-onto q Fortuna!"
There was Q rush. q moments 81
lenca, 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
front{ro llxy 1r$1 Tho ho,,oo
A shrill screech came from the hill
side, where q 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 on foot.
Still the men ran about In the horse
pen and Aragon adjured 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 rope !
on the first horse he saw. Then he
snatched q side-saddle from 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 It while he shouted for haste.
Still the women tarried. and the
sound Of galloping came from the
south. Then. a. all seemed lost. the
Me1icans came humping out from the
stable with the family coach. Aragon
and his wife leaped in. and Gracia,
neatly attired In . riding-skirt. came
down the steps.
Even In such times - these she
seemed to realise her drst duty to
herself. and Hooker had to gase for .
before he helped her up. She
offered her foot and vaulted lightly
into the saddle: the coach went pound
Ing on ahead; and ~ the servants
before her she galloped OF
It the side Of Bud.
Behind them the rumble OF distant
boots rose up Ike the roaring Of va
Eszs, and the shrieks Of fleeing women
echosd from the roadside. but once
Dafsly in the canyon their lead was
never lesseasd and. With coach-horsss
yAlioping and Positions lashinS from
10th sides. the whole cavalcade swept
INTO the plasa while tina town Of For
una went mad
Already the great whistle was blow
Nc hoarsely. it, deep reverberations -,
making the air tremble - II with fear.
Americans were running back and I
orth, distributing arms and rushing I
heir women to cover; Don Juan. his
hin Quivering with excitement, was (
mploring all corners to be calm; and
he Aragons. coming flying up to the
loor, added the last touch to the panic.
ebels: they we're riding in from the I
outh! Other men, equally excited, q
wore they were coming from the '
lorth. and a disorderly body Of So q
ora miners. armed as If by magic 4
With guns which had long lain hidden, t
anked themselves about the store and
flee and clamored for more and more c
artridges. Then rip Of gun-fire q
chOed from across the canyon, and t
be miners made a ru1h to the attack.
The whistle. which had obscured all
ound as a cloud closures the light, F
IopPcu cuuuoAly III lie roar, anu Iu0 r
rowd at the hotel became calm. The v
wiry, gray-haired a
tile man, with decision in every X
,ovement came running from his a
ort-like house on the hill and ordered q
IL the women to take shelter there Il
nd take their children with them.
So. while the rifles ratified and stray a,
ullets began to knock mud from the a
alls. they went struggling up the hill. h
oh and poor, patrician and peon. a
lille the air was rent by the walls
the half-Indian Mexican women, "
no held themselves as good as cap o.
lred by the revoltosos, concerning r,
hose scruples they entertained no ir
lusions. 4