Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1939-09-15

CHAPTER FORTY-TWC


SHOTS FOOLISH hope of hav-
inc q chance to kill Luis EScObar
with an axe fortunately did not
materialiZe.
For one thing, Escobar did not
stoop to address the prisoner again
directly. He was a commander OF
an army, however disreputable the
army might be, and as such he not
only was very busy, but he had a
definite dignity to maintain. He
contrived to be rather pompous
when he walked across the camp
grounds with orderlies at his heels.
He could not waste time seeing
one hapless prisoner.
Escobar's camp cooks saw to it
that Shot kept busy, and neglected
to mention when, where and what
he himself was to eat when meal
time came. He had had no break
fast. He shaved all morning pre-
pairing food fer other people. When
it was cooked, its SAVIOR was more
powerful than the urge in him to
kill Luis Escobar.
I'm too weak to do any fighting
anyhow. now" he reasoned, truth
fully. Il got to scrape up some
grub"
He almost literally had to scrape
1t up, too. He dared not try to eat
any of the beef that had been pre-
pared for the three or four hundred
men he saw about the place. nor
any of the hard fiat tortilla bread
that had been cooked, nor any of
the steaming peppery stew. His
principal aim was to give satisfac-
ton in his present status so that
he would not be tied hand and foot
and locked up again. Free of bonds
this way, he just might be able to
grab a chance to run or fight or
accomplish something. SO he ig-
nored the food he helped prepare
until the main cooks themselves sat
down to eat. Then he picked up the
smelly cowhide he had skinned off
that morning. Flies swarmed away,
but he saw that strips Of lean meat
chung to it, and numerous bits of
tallow. Unobtrusively he pulled off
a handful Of the leaner pieces and
laid them on a rock near his fire.
In ten minutes they had cooked to
an edible state, and he devoured
them with as much relish as he had
ever shown for any meal in all his
life.
He felt much better, stronger,
after that, and so rather boldly
gave thought to coffee that had
been prepared in great tubs. When
they had been emptied, he saw a
quart or so of loose grounds in one
tub. Under the guise of washing it,
he managed to heat small bit of
water in those old grounds and boil
out some Of the stimulant for him.
self. He could not maneuver any
bread, nor stew, but he didn't need
it. The beef and the stolen coffee
made a new man of him. He began
studying the camp with minute
care, looking for any possibility Of
escaping, however remote.
All day horsemen had been going
and coming. Overhearing CONVEX
sation and crisp military orders, he
knew that most Of the soldiers
were either drilling or having tar
get practice a mile away. He
thanked his lucky stars that he
spoke Spanish fluently, even though
he had tried to pretend ignorance
Of the language.
Immediately after noon his duty
again was to butcher steers, for it
would take a crew of men six ha:
hours to prepare the night meal.
Shot worked at it industriously,
saying nothing when the cooks in
suited him and barked orders at
him. Since he also had to keep the
outdoor fire going-it was used
mainly for heating water with
which dishes were washed-he was
able TO cook himself still more bits
OF dOod. Some Of these he ate. 9th
ets he quietly stuffed in his pock-
els fol possible emergency use, and
8 handful o. two he hid in the wood
pile.
d@ mac made up his mind by
1o11t II i've that evening to work
onesti7nriy until nightfall, then