Gunnison news-champion., 1920-01-09
CHAPTER III.
Jitendra Returns.

s'NN'S'
Four hundred and ngiy miles on
horseback through country devoid
Of law. brisulnr with ragged. semi
civilized p.ous lusting for lO0t-tgnOr-
ant, ungOycrnHhlr. and y!rulcntly
dcspIsIng "gringocs"-ls journey
some men would hcsitat" hefor" tnking
even to battle for fyc-miIlion. dollar
gold mine.
Buck Williams thought It nll over
as he puTcd medltatlyrly at an nftcr-
SUPPER cigar In the sheldon. while
Billy Scott fidgctcd on the seat beside
him or ueryously paced the lobby.
But the calm-cycd Hindu, squatting
tailor fashion on the farther end Of
the same dlyan, was as motiOnlcss as
an idol In the great temple at Bcnnres.
Only his adoring eyes. like those OF IA
dog whose master refuses him u ca
ress. betrayed the fermcnt beneath the
folds OF the soft snow-whlte turban.
which he dOnned shortly after his ar
rival
"Scotty." blurted Williams. tossing
away half-Consurned cigar; did
l'Ht VI ii'
boys down In Culiacan elect 10 vamOose
or stick around n whIle1'
They stuCk-nt least most OF them
did the last | heard OF them" replied
the superintendent. Hank Gregory,
Tommy Wickware, and n dozen more
you know are stIll In town. They e1-
pect Intervention by the United
States"
THE only Intervention so far seems
TO be on this side of the line" grim'y
retorted the magnate. What TIM
figuring on is this: We can get across
all rIght-a hundred thousand soldiers
couldn't guard the boundary between
here and Aqua Prieta alone-to say
nothing OF reaching as far as the Colo
rado river. Once in, We ought TO be
able to double back east until We strike
San Pedro. then skirt the west branch
of the railroad as far as Sanchez, and
from there across country 10 Cullacan.
However. even II we can do that.
what then7 II Manuel Pacheco and
his friends are after Ell Tigre mine
two OF us can't stop them. But it's up
to me to stop them II l expect to hold
what I've sweat blood to get for the
past FIVE years. How do you feel
about tryIngT
Il think you're plumb crazy to think
about It," frankly replied Scott. 1T
was bad enough in Madero's insurrec-
ton. With him gone and Huerta In
power, what chance has a man got.
nyl
other self-made generals are roaming
around chihuahua. numbering. robbing,
burning railroads and raising h
generally. Now Morenos bedevillng
Sinaloa. Every one down country Is
trying TO get out. Believe me.
wouldn't try to get back the same way
came out for a half-interest In El
Tigre itself"
"All right" tersely retorted VIII
iiams. You take the train back to
Benson. drop down to Nogales and
see II you can get through to Culiacan
by way of Guaymas along the west
coast. Trains are still running through
to MaZatlan on that division. I'll hit
II down the other way. That gives US
kWo IL sou
before do. get the boys together and
start for Ell Tigre with every gun and
cartridge you can buy. beg or borrow.
II get there first I'll leave instruc-
dons In case l want you to follow me
to the mine. II you can't get through,
shoot back to Nogales and walt until
you hear from me-"
Deaf to entreaty, expostulation. OF
argument, Buck Williams slipped out
Of the hotel before midnight and rode
70 the northwest. His long detoul
carried him far beyond the regulars
and he easily eluded the American
"line-riders"
Before daybreak he was well pas'
the monuments In the first fringe oi
hills south Of the Arizona BOUNDARY
LN~o