The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1921-03-11

other to the draw, Tor each had al
ready filled his hand. II was a cues
ton, rather, as to who should recover
drst from his establishment. II Benz
vides decided to let bygones be by
cones and retreat without firing
shot. then Webster was quite WILLING
to permit him to pass unmolested; In
deed, such was his aversion to shoot
ing any man, so earnestly did he hone
the SObrantean would consider that
discretion was the better part Of valor,
that he resolved to inculcate that idea
In the Hotspur.
captain Benavides," he said suave-
ly, ''your cause is lost. If you care to
escape aboard the steamer, viii see
to It that you are not removed from
her before she sails; If you care to
surrender to me now, give you my
wcrd Of honor you will not be exc
cuted."
Benavides might have had, and
doubtless did have, his faults but
cowardice was not one Of them. And he
did have the ghost Of sense Of hui
NOR. An evil smile fitted over his
olive features.
without taking into consideration
the bayonets at my back" he replied,
ut strikes me the odds are even now.
And yet you patronize me-"
Webster was nettled. "Pd rather
do that than kill you, Benavides," he
retorted. Don't be a fool. Run
along and sell your papers, and take
your pitiful little sandal-footed bri-
gands with you. Scat"
Benavides' hand, holding his pistol,
had been hanging loosely at nis side.
With his furious glance meeting Web
ster's unfalteringly, with the merest
movement Of his wrist and scarcely
without movement of his forearm, he
threw up his weapon and fred.
Scarcely a fifth of q second had
elapsed between the movement Of his
wrist and the pressure Of his finger
on the trigger; Webster, gazing stead
lily into the somber eyes, had noted
no hint of the mans intention, and
was caught actually of his guard.
The bullet tore through his biceps,
momentarily paralyzing him, and his
automatic dropped Gathering to the
sidewalk; as he stopped and recovered
1t, Benavides fred again, creasing
the top Of his left shoulder. The
Sobrantean took aim for a third and
finishing shot, but when he pulled the
trigger the hammer fell on a defective
cartridge, which gave to John Stuart
Webster all the advantage he craved.
He planted bullet in Benavides' alb
domen with his first shot, blew out
the duelist's brains with his second,
and whirled to meet the charge of the
little sandal-footed soldados, who,
seeing their leader fallen, had with
out an instant's hesitation and appar-
emily by mutual consent decided to
avenge him.
Webster backed dazedly toward the
wall, firing as he did so, but he was
too dizzy to shoot effectively, end the
semicircle Of bayonets closed In on his
front He had wounded three men
without stopping them; a second
more and their long, elghteen-inch
bayonets would have been in his
vitals, when into the midst Of the
melee from the rear, dashed Don
Juan Cafetero, shrieking like a fiend
and swinging his rife, which he held
grasped by the barrel.
Webster saw a bayOnet lunging to-
ward him. He lifted his leg and
caught the point on his boot-heel while
with his last cartridge he killed the
man behind the bayonet, just as the
latter's next-rank man thrust straight
and true In under the Americans left
arm, while third man jabbed at his
stomach and got the bayonet home in
his hip. These two thrusts, delivered
almost simultaneously, by their Inn
pact carried their victim backward
against the wall, against which his
head collided with a smart thud. He
fell forward on his face; before his
assailants could draw back for a I'm.
ishing thrust, in case the grlngo need
ed It, which they doubted, Don Juan
Cafetero had Drained them both.
Standing above the man he loved,
with the latter's body between his
outspread legs, Don Juan Cafetero
stood for the final accounting. his but
termilk eyes cleaning hatred and war
madness, his lips drawn back from
his snaggle teeth, his breast rising
and falling as they closed In around
him. For few seconds he was visi-
BILE swinging his rife like a fail,
magnificent unterrifed-and then a
bayonet slipped In under his guard.
It was the end.
With a final great effort that used
up the last strength In his drink