The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1915-06-12

escaped destruction, and what had
occurred to his men?
Perhaps, In his ignorance. Aragon
was raging at his hirelings because
they had shirked their task; perhaps
not knowing that they were dead. he
was waiting in a fever OF Impotence
for them to accomplish the deed. How
ever 1t was. Bud saw that he held the
high card, and he was not slow to act.
In the morning he saddled Copper
Bottom. who had been confined to the
corral for weeks. and went galloping
into town. There he fingered about
the hotel until he saw his man and
started boldly toward him. Surprise,
alarm and pitiful fear chased them
selves across Aragon's face as he
stood, but Bud walked proudly by.
Good morning. senor!" was all Bud
said, but the look in his eyes was
eloquent Of grim hereafter.
And instead Of hurrying back to
guard his precious mine Hooker loi-
tered carelessly about town. His
mine was safe now-and he was safe.
Aragon dared not raise hand. So he
sat himself down on the broad veranda
and listened with boyish interest to
Don Juan's account of the war.
What, have you not heard OF the
battle?" cried portly Don Juan, delight
ed to have fresh listener. Aqua
Negra has been taken and retaken.
and the railroad will soon be repaired.
My gracious! have you been out in
the hills that long? Why. it was two
weeks ago that the rebels captured
the town by coup. and eight days
later the federals took 1t back.
"Ah, there has been real war, Mr..
Bud! You who have laughed at the
courage Of the Mexicans. what do you
think of Bernardo Bravo and his men?
They captured the last up train from
Fortuna: loaded all the men into the
ore cars and empty coaches: and.
while the federals were still In their
barracks, the train ran clear into the
station and took the town by storm.
And eight days later, at shutdown.
the federals took 1t back. All, there
was awful slaughter averted. senior!
But for the fact that the fuse went
out two hundred Yaqui Indians who
led the charge would have been blown
into eternity.
Yes. SO great was the charge Of
dynamite that the rebels had laid In
their mine that not a house in Aqua
Negra would have been left standing
II the fuse had done its work. Two
tons Of dynamite! Think Of that. my
friend!
But these rebels were as ignorant
OF its power as they were Of laying
a train. The YaQuis walked into the
town at shutdown and found 1t de-
serted-every man. woman and child
had fed to Gadsden and the rebels had
fed to the west
But listen. here was the way 1t
happened actually. and not as COM
mon report has 1t, for the country is
all In an uproar and the real facts
we're never known. When Bernardo
Bravo captured the town Of Aqua Ne
gra the people acclaimed his q hero.
He sent word to the junta at Ell
Paso and set up a new form of gov
eminent. All was enthusiasm, and
several Americans Joined his ranks
to operate the machine guns and can
non. As for the federals. they occu-
pied the country to the east and at
tempted a few sallies, but as they
had nothing but their rifles. the artil.
lery drove them back.
Then. as the battle ceased, the
rebels began to celebrate their vic
tory. They broke into the closed can
tinas, disobeying their Officers and be-
ginning the loot Of the town. and
while half Of their number were drunk
the federals, being informed Of their
condition. suddenly advanced upon
them. with the Yaquis far in the lead.
They did not shoot. those Yaquis:
but, dragging their guns behind them.
they crept up through the bushes and
dug pits quite close to the lines. Then.
when the rebels discovered them and
their guns. the Yaquis shot
down the gunners.
Growing holder. they crept farther
to the front-the rebels became disor-
ganized, their men became mutinoue-
and at last, when they saw they would
surely be taken, the leaders buried
two tons of dynamite In the trenches
by the bull-ring and set a tine-fuse,
10 explode when the Yaquis arrived.
THE word spread through the town
like wildfre--all the people, all the
soldiers fed every which way to es-
ca pe-and then, when the worst was
expected to happen, the dynamite
failed to explode and the Yaquis
rushed the trenches at shutdown"
Did those Yaquis know about the