The Tupelo journal., 1916-12-01

ii stony-eyed general adjudged him and
his men adequately fitted to stop q
gap in the fighting line.
One day, a day differing in no re-
spect from many others which had
gone before, John was asked to sane
ton a bit of scout work along IA noun
tain track leading well into the inte-
rior. An experienced sergeant was
anxious for the duty, but, to the young
commanders open dismay, Madge Kerr
was wishful to accompany him.
The sergeant promised that the lady
would net be allowed to run any need
less risks, so, against his better judg-
ment, John rave the requisite permits
sion. In so doing he quite unwittiagly
fired a train which metaph0rically
blew up a powder magazine, because
Madge and the sergeant were cap
tured, and by no less important per-
sol than Sebastian Pancho HIMSELF
1t was a singular fact, when the pair
was brought into the outlaws camp,
/ and Pancho discovered that one of his
prisoners IA Il woman, there could
not be the slightest doubt that the
two had never met teforel The SER
geant was treated roughly, and bound
in merciless cowhide thongs, but Pan
chO affected an almost chivalric air
in addressing Madge.
you are not engaged in woraan's
work, sonora" he said, sweeping off
his scmhrero with a flourish, but far
be it frCr me to offer the slightest
incivility to enc Of your beauty. And
now that l can BOOK at you closely, let
me congratulate you Cn being a most
charming s3ldier!"
He ran a bold eye over her faultless
lines, but Madge did not finch. Here
was a man, a mere male eatur
whose untamed passions and unpleas-
ant attributes We're very much on the
surface, and well she knew how to
handle him. She smiled detiantly.
"Your repute has gone before you,
Senor," she cried. mo one has ever
imagined that you make war on
WOmen!"
Assuredly, the situation was match
less in its irony. Here was Madge
Kerr, the new Joan Of Arc who had
entlaTed her country with her cry of
Get Pancho!" telling that arch villain
himself that he was regarded by his
opponents as Il sort of Chevalier Bay
ard, Ana here was the man who had
Wronged her quite evidently the will
ing slave Of an unknown goddess!
There was Olly one tent in the tum-
Gle1oWn camp, and the rebel leader in
dicated with Il fine gesture that it was
wholly ut the sen3rita's disposal. With
muck ceremony and fiorid words. he
lifted the tlar ana bowed her within.
MaGge did not know that Pancho's
fatucus admiration had been witnessed
with acute diSfavor by Il handsome
half-caSte girl who approached While
these courtesies We're being exchanged.
Had Rogers beer present he could
have watched her, because Pancho ana
Rogers haG become very intimate dur
ing the i~atter's visit to chihuahua, and
everyone knew that the wildly pretty
Juanita was deeply enamored of the
bandit.
Meanwhile, Burton was not only
much worried Ey the failure of the
sergeant and Mrs. Kerr to return, but
had given further cause for discomfit-
ure by Il regrettahle discovery made
that day. A neighhcring picket had
surprised Il small group of rebels and
captured several of them. These men
were brought in, ard their arms We're
examined with interest. Their rifles.
very servicea5le weapons, We're marked
with the letters "B" and ar" inclosed
in q diamonG-shapeG device. In q
word. they We're the output of the Bur
ton and Rogers foundry!
How had these guns reached Mex
leo? 1t was a question hard TO an
swer. When John PUT it to his man
ager, the latter professel the utter
most bewilderr2ent. He coUnseled re-
ticence, however.
There's NJ use in making a song
about it," he said ~3oggedly. Gun rum
ming is nothing new on this frontier,
and our stuff may have passed through
many hands before it reached those
Of Panchc."
Perforce, John he'd to remain con
tent, but he knew III his heart that the
explanation vas a lame che, ar1 de
ter:ained to sift the matter to the ut
most at a more convenient period.
Strcng patrols were sent cut, but no
news Of the missing pair was received
until the sergeant hiiaself rode in at
sunset on tie secGrG day. lie told
an exciting story.
Mrs. Kerr has managed to get into
the good graces of Panchc." he an
bounced. "But she's in a nastier fix
than she guesses, because Pancho's
girl, Juanita, is mad with jealousy, and
eve let me escape so that l might
guide troops to the camp. BY that
means she counts or getting square
with Panchc and the LADY,"
This statement, unsavory in many
| reS2ectS, could have but one Outcome.