The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1916-12-08

ed.
Manuel, anticipating his reply. had
already mounted.
II think the greasy old skunk is
iying," said Manuel, pulling out his re-
volver. II am positive that through
my glnsses I saw Pedro and Liberty
go In that door. However, I'm not
going to risk my life digging them out
Lock that door and fire the cabin while
l put few bullets inside"
Manuel's orderly built a bonfire at
all four corners of the cabin and
when the blaze had begun to eat
through the flimsy structure both
Manuel and his man stood off and
emptied their revolvers through the
walls.
Pedro and Liberty, creuched on the
floor, heard the bullets boring through
the wood above their heads. A few
feet away the old Mexican lay huddled
In pool Of his own blood. A stray
bullet had pierced his brow as he sat,
rocking back and forth In his misery,
In an old American armchair.
We'll have to get out Of this" whis-
pered Pedro to Liberty. Lets make
for the cellar and dig our way out
through the brush.
Pedro lifted trap door and helped
Liberty down. With a shovel he
quickly scooped out a hole beneath
the foundations of the beams and
looked out. Manuel and his compan-
ion on the other side of the house
were not In sight. Pedro quickly
crawled through and pulled Liberty
after him. On their hands and knees
both made their way to the brush near
at hand. Then, rising to their feet,
they scurried along until the brush
grew higher and merged into the jun.
gle. Manuel watched the blazing cab
In until Its rafters fell into the in
terror, sending up a shower Of sparks.
Then he rode on to rejoin Lopez ana
his band.
Suddenly Manuel clapped his field
glasses to his eyes. Away of on the
horizon, skimming the desert below,
he spied an aer0plane. Droning on the
breeze, now louder, now fainter, he
could hear Its humming motor. Far
Their In the distance he saw a cloud
Of dust.
"The American cavalry" he shouted
excitedly, pointing In the direction Of
the dust. 1--WE must get back to Lo-
PEE. II we put few machine guns
at Diablo pass we can annihilate
them"
Pedro and Liberty made their way
through the jungle until they reached
the edge Of the desert. Pedro, with his
sharper eyes, was the first to descry
the aeroplane.
Look" he cried in his excitement.
There's one Of good old Uncle Sans
aeroplanes. Can we attract their at
tention?"
Liberty didn't wait to answer. She
disappeared into the brush and a mo-
ment later came out with her white
skirt In her hand. vigorously she
waved it back and forth. The aero
plane circled about, apparently not
seeing the signal, went back over the
cloud of dust which marked the posi-
ton OF the cavalry and then, like a
great buzzard. droning and moaning,
came back again toward them.
The plane settled on the sands a
hundred yards from Pedro and Liber-
ty. The operator swung his machine
gun around into position, ready for q
light. When he saw a woman running
toward him, however he hesitated.
Don't fret" shouted Liberty. "It's
Pedro and Liberty"
The operator wiped his brow In re-
lief.
I'VE thought we would have to clean
out the brush there with little fusil-
lade," he remarked as Liberty and
Pedro approached. PEDRO looks very
much like Mexican, and l thought at
first that you, Liberty, were merely
one OF their camp followers-pardon
the thought. Jump in; Wen soon have
you back to Major Winston and the
boys"
Pedro and Liberty stepped into the
pit OF the car, built to accommodate
four passengers, and a minute later
the machine skinned along the sand. |
"See that pass ahead?' shouted the
operator, shutting off his engine and
volplaning so they could hear distinct
ly. That's Diablo pass. We expect |
trouble there If Lopez gets word that
we are on the way-Hello! /"
A rafting fusillade greeted the
Lopez and his men had arrived AT
the pass and the first of his machine
guns already was In position.
Let 'em have it, boys |" he shouted.
IF that aeroplane gets back to Win,
ston's command there will be no sur.
prise attack and Wen have to make q
run for it."
Manuel, who had come upon Lopez
and his insurrectCs, took charge of the
machine gun and directed its fire.
Through his glasses he saw Liberty
the woman he had forced to marry
him, clinging desperately to Pedro In
the tonneau Of the plane.
Flying low over the pass, the aero
plane presented an easy target. Man.