Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1923-04-14

i
"On the square, George, l don't
know any more why Pm here than
than you know"
"Well, that beats me-" calculated
Thorne, sitting back in his chair,
amaze and concern in his expression.
"What the devils wrong? Your old
mans got too much money for you
ever to be up against it. Dick you
couldn't have gone to the badY
A tide Of emotion surged over Gale.
How good 1t was to meet a friend
someone to whom to talk He had
never appreciated his loneliness until
that moment
George, how I ever drifted down
here l don't know. / didn't exactly
quarrel with the governor. But
d-n II, Dad hurt me-shamed me,
and l dug out for the West 1t was
this way. After leaving college l tried
TO please him by tackling one thing
after another that he set me to do
On the square, ! had no head for
business. l made a mess of every
thing. The governor got sore. When
Il L
that | was going west to fare for my
self, why. 1t wouldn't have been so
tough If he hadn't laughed at me- He
said couldn't earn dollar-that I'd
starve out west, and couldn't get back
home unless | sent to him for money.
He said he didn't believe I could
fight-could really make fight for
anything under the sun Oh-he-he
shot it into me all right"
Dick dropped his head upon his
hands, somewhat ashamed of the
smarting dimness in his eyes.
Eight" cried Thorne, holly.
whats ailing him? Didn't they call
you Biff Gale in college? Dick. you
were one of the best men Stagg ever
developed"
"The governor didn't count foot
ball." said Dick. "He didn't mean that
kind of fight When l left home /
don't think / had an idea what was
wrong of me. But, George, 1 think
know now. l was a rich mans SON
spoiled, dependent absolutely ignO-
rant of the value Of money. l haven't
yet discovered any earning capacity in
me. seem to be unable to do any
thing with my hands. That's the
trouble But I'm at the end of my
tether now And I'm going to punch
cattle or be miner, or do some real
stunt-like joining the rebels"
"Aha 1 thought you'd spring that
last one on me-" declared Thorne,
wagging his head. "Well, you just
forget it. Say, old boy, there's some
thing doing in Mexico. The United
States In general doesn't realize it.
But across that line there are crazy
revolutionists, ill-paid soldiers, guer-
rilla leaders, raiders, robbers, outlaws, !
bandits galore, starving poems by the |
thousand, girls and women in terror. |
Mexico is like some of her volcanoes |
ready to erupt fire and hell Don't |
make the awful mistake of joining the |
rebel forces. If you didn't starve or
get shot In ambush, or die of thirst !
some Greaser would knife you in the J
back for your belt buckle or boots |
There are a good many Americans |
with the rebels eastward toward Aqua |
Prleta and Juarez. Orozco Is operat-
ing in chihuahua, and l guess he has
some idea of warfare. But this is So
nora, a mountainous desert, the home
of the slave and the Yaqui There's
revolt everywhere. We're
the boundary line. We're
making a grand bluff. could tell you
of a dozen instances where cavalry
should have pursued raiders ON the
other side of the line. But we won't
do 1t. The officers are a grouchy lot
these days You see. of course, what
would attach to United
States cavalry going into Mexican ter
ritory There would simply be hell 7
My own colonel is the sorest man on
the job. We're all gore. It's Ike sit
thing on powder magazine We can't
keep the rebels and raiders from cross
Ing the line. Yet we don't fight My
expires soon. I'll be dis
charged in three months. You can
bet I'm glad for more reasons than
I'VE mentioned"
Thorne was evidently laboring I'M
der strong, suppressed excitement.
His face showed pale under the tan,
and his eyes cleaned with a dark fire
de had seated himself at table near
,ne Of the doorlike windows leading
nto the street, and every little while
he would glance sharply out. Also he
1ept consulting his watch.
These details gradually grew upon
Gale as Thorne talked.
George, it strikes me that you're
Upset." said Dick, presently. 81 seem
o remember you as a cooI-headed
elbow whom nothing could disturb.
Has the army changed your
Thorne laughed. 1t was a laugh
With a strange, high note. 1t was
limited of exaltation. he
)eered out one window, then another.
His actions were rapid Returning to
he table. he put his hands upon it
md leaned over TO looA closely into
5ale.s face.