The Benson signal., 1916-08-19
CHAPTER lV-Continued.

"You stay here, sergeant, with the
rest Of the detachment, on the Ameri-
can side. I will cross over, and if
find / need you I shall start a fire.
You can see it for ten miles. If you
see a fire show three times, come right
into Mexico with all the men. shall
take one man with me.
1T is just possible that we may be
able to help the people without getting
ourselves into trouble. In any case,
we must not get into row on the
wrong side Of the line. Be sure to
keep q man on the lookout 1 shall
make two flares IL want you. Nolan,
you come with me-"
The old soldier would have liked to
demonstrate with his officer, but the
habits of discipline Of twenty years
were too strong. He saluted, and, bid
ding his men dismount and loosen
their cinches, watched his young su-
perior and Nolan as they walked their
horses down the hill in the growing
light.
When they reached the level ground
they took up the trot, and presently
were out of sight among the scrubby
cacti and the mesquit bushes that COW
cred the face of the land.
It was great risk to take; not that
the danger of actual conflict was great,
but there was the certainty that If hts
interference should become known to
the higher authorities Kynaston would
have to be offered up as sacrifice to
Mexican complaints.
We'll move up to that hill just
above the minehouse, Nolan, and see
what we can from there. There go
some more shots 1t looks to me as
though the place is being attacked
from the southern side. If so, we will
hide under cover on the range to the
north and work down toward the
house. Well hide our horses among
the powders and scout down afoot." !"
So, moving very carefully along the
bowlder-strewn hillside, they tied their
horses to q great mesquit bush that
stood in the bottom of an arroyo. TAX
ing their rifles from the scabbards,
they picked their way warily up the
slope to the summit, point from
which they could plainly see the at
tack.
The Santa Cruz mine lay some six
hundred yards below them. A little
cottage built of adobe showed where
the superintendent lived, and across
from it stood the general store. Be-
hind this again, surrounded in front
with adobe walls that marked the cor
rails where the mine mules were kept,
stood the long engine house.
Dark, yawning mouths gaping at
them from the hillside showed where
the lines of the ore-cars were loaded
In the drift, for the Santa Cruz was
fortunate above most mines in that 1t
was possible to tunnel straight into
the breast of the hill without digging
a shaft
Far below the line of the buildings
Kynaston and Nolan, looking down
from the vantage-point Of their hill,
saw in far hollow a group of rider
less horses, with one or two dismount-
ed men guarding them.
There's their herd. Look, Nolan!
Do you see their 1ine?"
Before Nolan could speak the long
crack and rattle Of rife fire broke out
from the line Of giant cottonwood
trees that marked the bottom Of the
now dry watercourse.
some of them kicked up spurts of dust
from the adobe walls. An answering
shot from the house told that the de-
tenders were wide awake. Kynaston
saw the shot take around on the slope
below him.
At once awake to the necessity Of
nnding some way Of getting to the
Aouse undiscovered. Kynaston scanned
dc ground IN his front carefully,