Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1921-01-07

can go NAH or tnree quarters aN
mile out the Gale San Rosario. sOr.
the Irishman answered. After that
twill not be a pleasant sight for the
young leddy-an' there may be some
shootin'. Squads av the governmin-
TROOPS took refuge in the houses an
took to snipin'. Twill be shlOw wurrk
rOundin' the last av thin up. Even
! afther the fight is over. there1l e
scatterin' shootin' scrapes all av the
night long. I'm thinkin'."
AT the slightest danger We'll turn
back" Webster announced. and with
Don Juan Cafetero scouting the way
| block in advance they progressed
slowly toward the center of the dis
turbance.
Soon they passed a horse dead In
the middle of the street; little far
Their on one of the machinegun
company, lank Texan. sat on
left hand. He had bullet through
his right shoulder and another through
the calf of his leg and had received no
first aid attention; the flies We're both
ering him considerably and he was
cursing softly and fiuently, like the ex-
mule-skinner he was.
Farther on another white invader
lay face down in the gutter; for him
the fight had ended almost ere ii had
begun. In the next block half a doZ-
en- sandal-fOoted Sobranteans. i'm the
blue and red-trimmpd uniform. of the
Cuardia Civil. lay sprawled I'm uncouth
attitudes. where the first blast of a
machine gun had caught them as they
pei the advancing mercenaries.
Seeing that the main street of the
city would assume even a more grisly
aspect the longer they followed ii, Don
Juan led Webster aud Dolores cou-
pie of blocks down a cross street and
turned out into the Gale de Herman
deZ. parallel to the Gale San Rosario.
There had been no shooting in this
street. apparently; as they proceeded
not even stray bullet whined down
the silent Gale.
Four blocks from the government
palace they found the narrow side
walks of this quiet street lined with
wounded from both sides. with doc
tor and half a dozen Of Ricardo's hired
fighters ministering to them; as they
threaded their way between the recum-
bent figures they came upon Mother
jerks. brandy bottle and glass in hand
doing her bit"
"Hah! So here you are, my lamb"
she greeted Dolores. "Right-O. Just
where yer ought to be. Cor bless yer
sweet face. Let these poor misfor-
tunate lads see that the sister o. the
new president amt too proud. to care.
for 'em. Ere, lass. old up the 'ead
o this young cOckerel with the ole in
Us neck. Ere. lad. Tyke brace now,
'Ere's some o. your own people. not
lot o bloOmin' yeller bellies, come to
put something else in yer neck-some-
think that1i stimulate yer"
The young cOckerel," blond youth
of scarce 20 summers, twisted his head
and grinned up at Dolores as she knelt
beside him to lift him up. Here. here.
sister" he mumbled. you'll get that
white dress dirty. Never mind me. It's
just flesh wound. only my neck has
got stiff AID I'm weak from loss of
blood
Mother jerks winked at Webster as
she set glass Of brandy to the strick-
en- adventurer's lips. "Give me a bit
O. the white meat. as my sainted En-
cry used to s'y," she murmured COM
ically.
Dolores looked up at Webster. "T'll
stay here" she said simply. 1--WE found
a Job helping Mother jerks. You and
Don Juan may run along If you wish.
I know you're as curious as children"
They were. II would have been i'm
possible for any man with red corpus
cles in his blood to harken to the shoot.
ing and shouts only three city blocks
distant without yearning to see the
fight itself.
"Tll return In Is minutes, at the
latest" he promised her, and with Don
Juan Cafetero. who had helped himself
TO rifle and bayonet from one of the
he turned the corner into the
next street which they followed west
through a block plentifully sprinkled
with the dead Of both factions.
Don Juan led the way through an al
ley In the rear of the Cathedral de Ia
Santa Cruz to the door of the sacris-
~; as he placed his hand on the latch
-hree rifle bullets struck around them,
'howering them with fragments of fall
ng adobe.
There's house party in the neigh |
yelled Don Juan and darted |
INTO the church. with Webster at his |
heels. just in time to escape another
'usillade. They walked through the |
'acristy and passed through a door |
nto the great cathedral, with its high. |
gothic-arched ceiling. Through |
he 'thick-closed doors of the main en-
rance, lost in the dimness Of space
tut In front. the sounds of the battle |
lalf block away seemed very distant,
indeed.
They passed the altar and Don Juan
,enufiected and crossed himself rever-
.ntly. "I'll be afther maxim me con-
'ession," he whispered to Webster.
Wait for me. sor"
He leaned his rifle against the altar
ailing. crossed the church and touched
ig..uly on the shoulder a monk kneel-
ng in. prayer before the altar of the
Tirgin; the latter bent his head while
Jon Juan whispered: then he rose and