The Little River news. (Ashdown, Little River County, Ark.) 1897-current, 1920-10-23

over it, There was but one entrance,
a heavy, barred steel gate which was
always kept locked when it. was not
necessary to have it opened for in
gress or egress. Given warning of an
attack and with sufficient time to pre-
pare for it. 100 of the right sort Of
fighting men could withstand an in
definite siege by a force not provid-
ed with artillery heavier than an or
binary field gun. With full realiza-
ton of this, therefore. Ricardo and
his confreres had designed to accom-
plish by strategy that which could not
be done by the limited forces at their
command.
AS the column approached the
neighborhood Of the arsenal. three de-
tachments broke away from the main
body and disappeared down side
streets, to turn at right angles later
and march parallel with the main
command. Each of these detachments
was accompanied by one unit of the
motorcycle mounted machine gun bat
terry with its white crew; two blocks
tachment leader so disposed his men
as to offer spirited resistance to any
sortie that might be made by the
troops from the palace in the hope OF
driving off the attackers Of the ar
senaf.
Having thus provided for protection
during its operations, the main body
nominally under DIR. PachecO but in
reality commanded by the chief OF the
machine gun company, proceeded TO
operate. With the utmost assurance
in the world the armOred truck rolled
down the street to the arsenal en-
trance, swung in and pointed its frp-
pudent nose straight at the iron bars
while the hidden chauffeur called
loudly and profanely in Spanish upon
the sentry to open the gate and let
him in-that there was necessity for
great hurry. since he had been sent
down from the palace by the presi-
dente himself, for machine guns to
equip this armored motorcar The SEN
try Immediately called the officer Of
the guard, who peered out, observed
nothing but the mOtOrtruck, which
seemed far from dangerous and With
out further ado inserted a huge key
in the lock and turned the bolt. The
sentry swung the double gates ajar,
and with prolonged and raucous toot
of its horn the big car loafed in. The
sentry closed the gate again, while the
officer stepped up to turn the KEY in
the lock. Instead, he died with half
q dozen pistol bullets through his body,
and the sentry sprawled beside him.
The prolonged foot of the motor
horn had been the signal agreed upon
to apprise the detachment waiting in
a secluded back street that the truck
was inside the arsenal wall. With a
yell they swept out of the side street
and down on the gate through which
they poured into the arsenal grounds.
At sound of the first shot at the gate.
the cOmmandante of the garrison.
which had been drawn up In
double rank for reveiile roll call.
realized he was attacked, and that
swift measures were necessary. ,Fortu-
nately for him. his men were standing
at attention at the time. preparatory
to receiving from him one Of those
ante-battle exhortations so dear to the
Latin soul.
sharp command, and the little gar
rison had fixed bayonets; another COM
mand, and they were in line Of squads;
before the autotruck could be swung
play on the Sobranteans in close
formation, the latter had thrown out
a skirmish line and we're charging;
while from the guardhouse window,
just inside the gate. volley, poured
into the unprotected rear Of the truck
following its passage through the
gate, did deadly execution. The driver.
a bullet through his back, sagged for
ward into his steel-clad citadel; both
machine gun operators were wounded.
and the truck was stalled. The sit
uation was desperate.
'T'm q gone goose" mourned Don
Juan Cafetero. and he leaped from
the shambles to the ground. with some
hazy notion of making his escape
through the gate. He was too late.
Two men. riding tandem on a motor
cycle with Q machine gun in the spe-
cially constructed side-car, appeared
In the entrance and leaped of; almost
before Don Juan had time to dodge
behind the motortruck to escape pos
sible wild bullets. the machine gun
was sweeping the oncoming skirmish
line. Don Juan cheered as man after
man Of the garrison pitched on his
face. for the odds were rapidly being
evened now. greatly to the pleasure
Of the men charging through the gate
to support the machine gun. Out into
the arsenal yard they swept, forcing
the machine gun crew to cease firing
because OF the danger of killing their
own men; with shock bayonet met
bayonet in the center Of the yard. and
the issue was up for prompt and final
decision.
Don Juan's Hibernian blood thrilled:
he cast about for a weapon in this
AYnQr1oncv and his glance rested on