The Ordway new era., 1915-01-01
CHAPTER xxlI-centInu.d.

LET the Mexicans fight It ott." he
said. "They might resent It II you
took sides. and that would make 1t bad
for US. Just walt q while-you never
can tell what will happen. Perhaps the
rurales and federals will stand them
or" sia--.. 4 -.,-.-
what. that little bunchi" demanded
Bad. pointing stornfully at the hand
behind their rock piles. why half Of
them pelones don't know what . gun
was made for. and the rurales-"
We'll. the rebels are the same" sug-
xested the superintendent pacifically.
Let them nghttt out-we need every
American, we can get, 10 Just forget
about being Mexican"
.Au right" agreed Bud. As he yield
I'd reluctantly to reason. 1T amt be-
cause I'm Q. Mexican citizen-I 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 Q chorus of defiant yells. the men
In the federal trenches began to shoot
In an airline the distance was some
thing over . mile. but at the first scat
tsSing volley the rebels halted and
hred . volley in return. With . vicious
spang . 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 At
random, struck up dust.jets in every
direction. and from the lower part Of
the town came the shouting Of the nom
combatant Mexicans ~ 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 A. each successive
bullet hit the tank and shouting en-
couragement ~ the defenders emptied
their rifles and reloaded with clip after
clip! ~
The rifles ratified = continuous vol.
Icy; spent bullets leaped like locusts
across the dat; mon 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 walk of the women. Ex-
csps for oas thing It was . battle
thse4 Was nobody hurt g n
For the hrat' half-hour the Ameri-
cans stayed prudently under cover.
busytng themselves ct the suggestion
Of . fsw American women in providing
. frst-aid hospital on the bheltered
porch. Then. as no wounded came to
MI II and the rebels delayed their
charge, one man after another climbed
up to the trenches, ostensibly to bring
down the injured.
A. soldierN and bystanders reported
no one hit, and the bullets new harm.
lessiy past. their solicitude turned rap
Idly to disgust and then to scorn.
Strange a. It may seem. they wsre dis
appointed at the results, and their re-
marks were derogatory ~ they COM
msntsd ON the bravery of pslonss and
Mexieans In general.
From . dread Of imminent attack, Of
charging rebels and rstreatins defend
ere, and night to the death BY the,
house, they came suddenly to q desire
Dor blood and battle. for dead men and
the cries Of the wounded: and all fear
Of the insurrsctos 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-thsrs1l be no wound
ID. Let's take ourselves back to the
house and havs quiet smoke"
fright you are, Ed." Agreed the mas
ter, mechanic, - he turned upon his
heel I'm disgust. "This aint war
them. Nexicans think they're working
for q moying-picture showl"
Il .bst you l can 90 mp on that
ridge" announced Hooker. ''snd clean
out the whole bunch with my six
shooter before you could bat your
eye" E
But the superintendent was not 30
sure.
Never mind. boys" b said. "We'rs
worth . lot Of ransom mooey TO those
rebels and they won't give up 70 quick.
And look at this now-my miners COM
ing backl Those are the boyssthat will
hghti Wait till Chico and Ramon
Msn6osa get after themi"
He pointed - he spoke to . stras-
Cling band of sonorans. led by the
much-vaunted Mendoza brothers, a.
they hurried to save the town, and q
cheer went up from the trenches ~
the fs6ersls bsheld rsinforcsments.
But q change had come over the nrs-
eating miners. and they brought other
rebels In their wake.
A. they trudssd wearily into town
end sought sheitsr among the houses
. great body OF men appeared on the
opposite ridge. ArinS down at them -
they retreatsd. Ths battle rapidly
turned into . long distance shooting
oontest. with the rsbs,s On the ridges
and the dsfendsrs in The valley, and
finally. ~ the day wore on and thun-
ders<orm came W. Il died out alto
kether and the rebels turned back to
their camp. 81
Except for one lone federal who had
shot himself By accident there was not
n sinRia defender huSt and II thu