Tombstone epitaph., 1916-08-13

emerald bell. They want it and have promised their prisoner. Lieutenant kynaston. that if they get the jewel he will be freed. They send mes senser with the proposition to the American mine house.
 Mir. Upton did so. The man came forward unhesitatingly and delivered his message
 Ask him who he is." prompted the old man.
 The soldier came forward. explain ing haltingly in Spanish that he was .sc bearer .; a noio. Mr. Wilkes bent forward excitedly.
 Give 'em a dose of their own medi- cine!" he said bitingly. "Ev'ry min ute tha: you can delay their proceedin's is so much gain. Ask him what he come fer. but don't take his note seer"
 MT. Upton did not "see." but he did AS he was bid. Presently the man with some difficulty explained that he had come as bearer Of note to open nego- tiations the nature of which he did not understand. He held out the note. MT. Upton was about to take 1t when . word dropped by Dorothy made Wilkes jump as if line of biting white ants had crawled up his leg.
 Wouldn't it be fine" said the girl. eff we could only make a couple of their officers prisoners and then ex- change them for Mir. Kynaston!"
 Wilkes patted her shoulder
 And they tell me that woman ain't At to vote" he said scathingiy. Don't take his note. Upton. Not on no con- sideration. What excuse Oh, I don't know. Upton. Yes. do, too.
 Tell 'em that you are a caballero of blood and that 1t stands not with yer honor to receive messages at the hand of a common soldier. He must have come on an important message. Tell him that you will not receive the note except at the hand of an officer seer"
 "Yes. see. And then what?"
 Why. then he'll go on down the hill. They'll let him come because they've just passed him out through their lines An when he goes down I'll follow him with Manuel here, an when we reach the line of cottonwoods we can hide in 'em till daylight. When they send an officer up to see you at daylight we can grab 'em as they come back.
 "Of course they'll hoiler about bein' under a white flag, but they won't be no such thing cause they'll drop their white flag as soon as they are out of range comin' back-see"
 Taken aback at the refusal to re- ceive the note, the soldado stumbled oil down the hill, his lantern bobbing along among the mesquit-brush like a lightning bug in summer. No sooner had his shadow melted away in the dusk than MT Wilkes and Manuel, the Mexican "horsewrangler." left the house. They followed the soldier stealthily down the slope to the line of cottonwoods which stood out. a low lying blot, against the dusk of the val ley.
 "WeT wait here. Manuel" said the old ex-deputy sheriff tersely. wen wait here till the next outfit sees fit to ask Upton to pow WOW; it ought to be just about daylight Wake me up when the light first shows"
 The hours of the night passed with ieader feet. The eyes of the watchers were strained with looking for the dawn to break over the eastern ranges. After putting his papers in order all night long, Upton found relief-or at least surcease from worry-by work ing over his machine, tinkering here and there till he had built up species of iron-clad automobile that would have sickened the soul of the maker.
 He was called from his work by the insistent voice of Dorothy calling him to breakfast. While he was eating. a sandwich in one hand. his rife in the other. a hail from autside the house brought him to his loophole. Three men stood within easy rife range Of the house, c dirty white cloth pro claiming them to be messengers from the rebels.
 Hastily he laid his rife against the house. and motioning the Mexicans to Iay aside their arms. he signaled them ,o come forward. Then, with eau ,ion to Nolan and Lewis to shoot on the first sign of treachery, he strode forward to meet them
 There was no discussion The senior officer, Colonel Mayez, simply handed him a bulky envelope. which Upton thrust into his shirt, and, saluting ,tiniy. faced about and walked quick Iv down toward the trees in the hol- low. Upton stood watching them and tbe movement among the trees where Wilkes and Manuel lay concealed
 A shot from cover-and very long range shot it was-warned him that all lealings with him were over until he ~.sr ready to give his reply to the note So, signing. he turned quickly back into the house. opening the note as he lid so. The clipping from the news ps,er took first attention Again, end