The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1920-01-15
Williams xasped.

AhSACuiuiC. let, Wudt NOutU NE VI
other Americans expect from the bun
Cling way the whole Mexican prob
lem" seemed to have been handled at
home?
But what has this to do with my
arrestY' he savagely demanded.
Everything" bluntly retorted Har-
dinge. you were an interloper and
a trespasser on property now owned
and about to be operated by the Uni
ted Kingdom Exploration company. Or
ders were issued by Governor General
Moreno himself that you should be
brought in, il you came back to El
Tigre. You returned and Captain
Manuel Pacheco, one of Moreno's own
stan, was sent to carry out the order.
That is why you are here"
II see," bitterly exclaimed the pris-
oner. but why was / not taken be-
fore the jefe politico and warned about
this new law?"
Governor Moreno has suspended
the civil statutes until the province is
entirely %pacifed."
"Then why was / not taken before
him?"
"Ah! 1 think you will scarcely be
anxious to face a military tribunal
composed Of General Moreno's officers,
Williams-at least, if you still possess
the discretion with which l have al
ways credited you"
"Why not? What have I to fear
from him or his offcers?"
you ought to know. Captain
Pacheco did not return to Zapatillio
with his command, did he?"
II realize it. But what has that to
do with me?"
"You are accused of numbering him
this morning"
rats 70
"The military court" evenly re-
sumed Hardinge, II am informed, will
accord you a hearing this afternoon
probably within an hour. You know
what that signifies as well as /. You
were armed and arrested by Captain
Pacheco. He was murdered-they
have brought in his body. You are
accused. The lieutenant of the com
mand, who succeeded to. Pacheco's
title, the sergeant and other officers,
as well as some of the privates, were
giving their testimony before the court
when 1 vas admitted to the carcel."
Buck Williams laughed contemptu-
ously.
"That is why I came" severely
continued Hardinge, "to see if 1 could
help you out of this ugly mess. I've
fought you, but l don't particularly
wish to see you backed against the
wall of the carcel and shot to death at
sunrise tomorrow morning. I'm a
persistent enemy, Williams, but not a
vindictive one. Now, what do you say
to my former proposition about get
ting out of Mexico?"
eff that's the best card you have
up your sleeve with which to hoodwink
me out of Ell Tigre, Hardinge, you'd
better go back to your exploration
company and wait for Moreno's firing
squad to shoot. Why, man, it's alb
surdl / was tied, hand and foot, on
the back of a horse, when Pacheco
kicked off. How can they reason !
killed a man in such circumstances"
"They don't need any reasons-an
excuse is enough" laughed H%ardinge
brutally. "Pacheco was we'll and
strong when he left. He died in some
way not yet determined just after
striking you. The physician who per-
formed the autopsy says he was muir
dered."
docs that prove / killed him?"
"Who else? Pacheco's own men
certainly did not-they worshiped him.
You are against the guns, Williams
literally. But if you want to be OBJ
%stinate, don't fancy I'm trying to per
suade you to do the only thing that
will let me help you. Your mine or
life-take your choice-or lose
them both if you want tol But when
you look into the rifles of the firing
squad admit to yourself at least that
/ did all l could to save you"
'Thank you," dryly answered the
prisoner. But why this sudden So
Hardinge?"
purely a matter Of expediency-
an anchor to leeward, we'll say. Gov
ernor Moreno has already issued us a
legal title to Ell Tigre. If the provi-
sional government is permanent, Wen {
need nothing more. If it fails, we will
then have your transfer of title to us {
and continue operating it as if nothing
had happened The exploration com :
pany is interested in mining-not poll
l
But I e no reason to believe that 5
you can do what you promise-or will '
Why should I permit myself to be
frightened into transferring a title to
4 ive-million-dollar mine-and per- c
be shot down, just the same, be- t
-ween here and the border? If I'm f
Up against a brace game, Hardinge.
20 ahead with it. have associates in b
he United States who put money into I
hat property. They trust me-" i
81 am fully aware of that" b
81 have full power to act for them a
N any WAY that seems hest tn nrotpof