Lakeland Evening Telegram Newspaper, June 13, 1914, Page 2

T SLEOE O SOSOEAOE 0 Ees “Ah, senor,” shrugged Del Rey, “was he not a Mexican citizen? Very well, Rhen; he could be summoned for mili- | by the sound or confiict. Bud lingered, ! climbing higher and higher to get a tary service. But the circumstances {wm these. Your friend came yester- day to this town, where I am at pres- mnprovoked assault upon my person. For this, according to law, he should | have been shot at sunrise. But, not ‘'wishing to occasion unpleasantness with the Americans now residing here, I offered him the alternative of mili- tary service. rural for a term of five years.” “Five years!” exclaimed Hooker; and then, instead of startirg the ex- pected rough-house—upon which the rural guards were prepared to jump on his back—he simply threw down his hat and cursed. Not anyone in par- | in general; | ticular, but everything and at the end of it he turned once more upon the watchfud captain, “Dispenseme, senor,” he said, “this is the truth, is it?” “Si, senor,” returned Rey. “But before leaving with his de- tachment your friend wrote this letter, which he requested me to deliver to you.” He offered with a flourish a sealed envelope, from which Bud extracted a short note. Dear Bud: ‘When you get this T shall be far away. I must have been mad, but it is too late r than be executed I have enlisted as a rural. But I shall try to be brave for her sake. Take care of her, Bud—for me! PHIL. Bud read it through again and medi- tated ponderously. Then he folded it up and thrust it in his pocket. “Muchas gracias, senor capitan,” he said, saluting and turning upon his heel; and while all the Mexicans mar- veled at the inscrutable ways of Amer- icanos, he mounted and rode away. CHAPTER XVIIL There was a world of Mexicans in the plaza when Hooker rode down through the town. Never, it seemed to him, had he seen so many or liked them less. To the handful of Americans who remained to man the mill and mine, they were easily a hundred to one; and though their eyes were wide with fear of the imminent rebels, they had an evil way of staring at him which he did not relish. Even at the hotel, where the Span- ish-Mexican aristocracy was massed ten deep, he sensed the same feeling of velled hostility and wondered vague- ly what it might portend. If Philip De Lancey, for making love to a girl, was drafted into the army, what would happen to him if these people should ever break loose? And did they have the courage to do their worst? He lingered around the door for a while, hoping to meet Don Juan or some American who would tell him the news; then, disgusted with every- thing, he flung away and left them to themselves. Fortuna was not a white man’s country—he could see that with- out a dlagram—but at the same time he intended to hold his mine until he could hear from Phil. Let the tides of insurrection come and go, let the red-flaggers take the town and the federals take it back again—at the end he would still be He is now enlisted as a | ! were hurrying to get closer to them, | the rurales were riding to flank them; Captain del | ¢ The Land of Broken Promises By DANE COOLIDGE § g A Stirring Story Of The Mexican Revolution SRS UBOE OV LOTOINTQIOIATOT PG POOOPAPLFOFOTOT N & | | ‘ent military commander, and made an | 50on he was mounted and gone, found at the Eagle Tail, unless Phil received his title to the mine. As for Aragon, whose fine Italian hand he perceived behind the sudden taking off of Phil, let him make what trades he would with the rurales and Manuel del Rey, even to the giving of his daughter's hand; but if, taking ad- vantage of the unsettled times, he dared to try to steal their mine, then there would be war to the knife. It s a fine, comforting thing to be single-minded and of oge purpose. All the rest of life is simiplified and or- dered then, and a man knows when to raise his hand and when to hold it back. In his letter Phil had sald nothing about their mine, but he was a Mexi- can citizen still, and the mine was in his name. Bud was his pardner and free to hold it in his stead; and that he determined to do—not only hold it, but work it for a stake. Then, when the tide was passed and all made cer- tain, they could turn it over to Kruger and quit the accursed country, As for the girl, Bud decided that she could take care of herself without any assistance from him, and dis- missed her from his mind. Back at the mine he found Amigo guarding camp from the hilltop, and after telling him the gist of his trou- bles, the two of them went to work. Every day, while one of them dug out the ore, the other crushed and washed it and watched as he horned out the ! &old. Their rifles they kept beside them and pistols in their belts: and every time a Mexican dropped into camp, as one did now and then in the general unrest, he e silent men- ace of arms in readiness and continyed on his way. | For a week they labored on together; | grim, watchful t—then, at | ithe break of day, they d rattle of arms, like the tearing of a | cloth, and knew that the battle was | on. The great whistle at Fortuna opened | with its full, bass roar, and Amigo|‘ “Not since he_went away,” snatched up his gun and went loping down the canyon, g;n;wg,m;lmbly( | for Phil and his kind to talk by UGS DRE D G OO BN POFOPREHEE0 view of the country. But his young blood clamored for action too, and The fighting was not at the Ameri- can town, but down the valley by Old Fortuna, and as Hooker galloped on toward the sound of the firing he no- ticed that it was on the move. Al- ready the cowardly rebels were re- treating—the volunteers from Fortuna and when Bud jumped his horse up the last hill and looked down into the broad, cultivated valley he saw the dust of their flight. Down the fenced trail that led to the lower country the mounted insurrectos were spurring in a rout; across the newly plowed field, of Aragon the men on foot were making a short cut for the hills; and all about them, like leaping grasshoppers, sprang up puffs of dust. | Now they plunged into the willow brush along the river, where it swung in against the ridge; and as their pur- suers broke into the open they halted and returned the fire. The bullets struck up thd dust like hailstones in front of the oncoming irregulars, a man or two in the lead went down, and they faltered. Then, as frantically as the rebels, they turned and ran for | cover. While defenders and invaders shot back and forth across the broad field, | Bud put spurs to his horse and rode ' closer, and when he came out on an- | other hilltop he was just in time to see | DEOEOEOHOHE the rurales come pelting in from the! west and take the revoltosos on the flank. There was a great deal of long- | distance firing then, while the rebels slowly retreated, and finally, with a last defiant volley, the defenders turned back from their pursuit and marched triumphantly to Old Fortuna. There, amid numerous vivas, Don Cipriano rolled out a cask of mescal | and, after a fiery speech, invited the ' victors to help themselves. So they fell to drinking and carousing, and the one defender who had been wounded was bandaged and made much of,' while a great crowd from the upper town looked on in awe and admiration, At last Manuel del Rey and his rurales returned from harassing the en:my and with several wounded pris- oners in their midst, the valor-drunk ! Mexicans formed a riotous procession and went marching back to town. Every horee and mule was carrying double, guns were being dropped,' broad hats knocked off, and ever, as they marched, they shouted: “Viva Madero! Viva Mejico! Muerte a los revoltosos!” It was an edifiying spectacle to an American, and with the rest Bud' tagged along to the plaza, where Lheyj had speeches and cheers galore and more mescal at the company’s cantina. | But in the midst of it, while he sat laughing on his horse by the hotel.I Bud felt a gravel strike his broad hat from above and, looking furtively up, he beheld Gracia Aragon smiling down at him from the balcony. She beckoned him with a swift movement and gazed out over the as- semblage again, and after a few mo- ments of deliberation Hooker tied his horse and wandered into the hotel. A tingle of excitement went over him as he tramped up to the ladies’ parlor, for he had never met Gracia face to face. But he disguised his qualms by assuming a masklike grinrj ness of countenance and, when the glorious Gracia glided out of her room to meet him, he only blinked and stood pat. A long experience as a poker player was all that saved him from betrayal, | for there was something in her very presence which made his heart leap and bound. But he only gazed at her somberly, without even so much as' raising his hat. Back in Texas, in his social world, it was considered almost unmanly to thus salute the ladies. So he stood | there, his big sombrero pulled down over his mop of light hair, gazing at her without a blink. | Perhaps it was not altogether as friendly a scrutiny of her charming features as Gracla expected, for he! remembered what she had done to his | pardner; but if she sensed such a rare thing as disapproval from a young] man, she was too excited to show 11.3 Her lips trembled, and she looked back | furtively, meanwhile drawing him into an alcove by the slightest twitch of | N his sleeve. “Don't talk too loud,” she whis- pered. “My mother {8 listening from | the room—but for the love of God, tell me, where is Phil?” “I don’t know,’ ing to lower his b softness; “he joined t was ordered north—tha swered Bud, try- oice to a boudoir » rurales and all I know.” “Yes, ves, to be 2; but haven't you heard from h She seemed to be snatch hi ws i Bud we I far w: R C that he imr 1y i to its normal bass. It was all and whispers, but that was n style. «He Teft me & liftle note, then, say- ing—" “Saying breathlessly. ] “Well, saying that he had enlistec to keep from being executed, and— that’s about all!” “And not a word about me?” “Yes,” admitted Bud; “he said he'd try to put up with it—on account of you—and—" “What?” she entreated, taking him beseechingly by the coat. “Well,” stammered Hooker, shifting his feet and looking away, “he fold me to kinder take care of you—while he was gone.” “Ah!” she breathed, still standing close to him, “and will you do it?” “I reckon so,” said Bud, “if we have any trouble.” “But I'm in trouble now!” she cried. “I'm watched—I can’t get away—and I'm afraid!” “Afraid of what?” he demanded. “Of him!” she answered, her voice breaking; “of Manuel del Rey!” “Well,” replied Hooker bluntly, “I've got nothing to do with that— I can’t what?” she demanded “But I'm In 't'ouble Now!” She <Sried. interfere in your love affalrs—but if they’s war and they try to take the town, you can count on me.” “Oh, thank you,” she said, bowing satirically. “And do you expect a war?” “Not with that bunch of hombres!” returned Bud, waving a disparaging hand toward the noise of the shouting. At this ehe broke down and laughed. Evidently she was not so fearful of discovery after all. “You forget, sir,” she sald, “that I am a Mexican!” Then, as he failed to show any signs of contrition, she changed her mood again. “But wait!” she ran on, her eyes flashing. “Perhaps we are not so eager to defend our government \ aen we have a new one every year. But if the | men who are gathering in Chihuahua invade our country, you will find that as Sonorans those men will fight to' the death, “You laugh because you do not un- derstand. But why should we So- norans fight side by side with the federals and rurales? Are they not the soldiers of Diaz, who have simply changed to another master? That Manuel del Rey was last year hunting down Maderistas in the hills; now he is fighting for Madero! And tomor- row? Who can say?” She shrugged her ehoulders scorn- fully, and Hooker perceived that she was in earnest in her dislike of the dashing captain, but prudence warned him to say nothing if he would escape being drawn into the quarrel. “No!" she went on, after an expec- tant pause, “let the rurales pursue these bandits—they are hired for that purpose! But if Orozco and Salazar join this ladron, Bernardo Bravo, and seek to capture our towns, then, Senor Americano, you will see real war and men fighting to the death! Ah, you laugh again—you are a Texan and judge us Sonorans by the cowardly Chihuahuans—but it is the truth. And I, for one,” she added naively, “would be almost glad to have war. Do you know why? To see if you would really defend me!"” She smiled, looking frankly into his eyes, and Bud blushed to the roots of his hair, but once again he held his peace, “What, senor!” she bantered; “you do not speak? Surely, then, your friend De Lancey was wrong when he said you would save me! For look, ge thae ng me? how can [ v is wate , is it not?” d Bud, and in 2an to think vinhead usly; No! to the | in the E m promised to marry | | Have turned Mex and re INE 13, 1914, «What?”’ demanded Bud; “Phil de- o Bell.:l' a moment he saw what such a move would mean to him—to Kruger and the Eagle Tail—and he woke sud- ¢ from his calm. de']“gere now,” he said, scowling s he saw that she was laughing at him, “you've made me and Phil enough trouble. You let that boy alone, P le;:Ive)ystooped toward her as he spoke, fixing her with masterful eyes that had tamed many a bad horse and man, and she shrank away {nstinctively. Then she glanced at him shyly and edged over toward the open door. “] will do what I please, Mr. Hook- er,” she returned, balancing on the verge of flight. ‘fill right,” Bud came back; “but don’t you call me in on it. You'\fe made a fool of Phil—I suppose you d like to get me, too. Then your father would grab our mine.” “What do you mean?” she chal- lenged, turning back upon him. “l mean this,” responded Hooker warmly. “Phil holds the title to our mine, If he deserts he loses his Mexi- can citizenship and his claim is no good. But you don’t need to think that your father will get the mine then, be- cause he'll have to whip me first!” “0-ho!” she sneered; “so that is what you are thinking of? You are a true gringo, Mr. thinking about the money!” “Yes,” returned Bud; “and even at that I believe your old man will best i me!” She laughed again, capriciousness, and stood tapping the floor with her foot. 1 am working for my father. You think I got poor Phil into all this trouble in order to cheat him of his mine. But let me tell you, Senor Gringo,” she cried with sudden fire, “that I did not! I have nothing to do | with my father and his schemes. But | it you do not trust me—" She turned dramatically to go, but | when Hooker made no effort to stay her she returned once more to the at- tack. “No,” she said, “it was because he was an American—because he was | brave—that 1 put my faith in Phil | These Mexican men are cowards—they are afraid to stand up and fight! But Philip dared to make love to me—he | dared to sing to me at night—and when Manuel del Rey tried to stop him . he stood up and made a fight! “Ah, that is what I admire—a man who {8 brave! And let me tell you, | Senor Hooker, I shall always love your ' friend! If I could run away I would marry him tomorrow; but this cur, Manuel del Rey, stands in the way. Even my own father is againet me. But I don't care—I don't care what happens—only do not think that I am | not your friend!"” | She paused now and glanced at him [shyly, and as her eloquent eyes met his own Bud felt suddenly that she was sincere. The gnawing and corro- sive doubts that had eaten at his heart | fell awry, and he saw her now in her | true beauty, with no uneasy thoughts of treachery to poison his honest love. ! “I believe you, lady,” he sald. “And , I'm glad to know you,” he added, tak- ing off his hat and bowing awkwardly. “Anything I can do for you, don't hesi- | tate to ask for it—only I can't go ‘against my pardners on this mine.” | He bowed again and retreated | toward the door, but she followed him impulsively. | “Shake mands,” she sald, holding out both her own, “and will you help me?” “Sure!” answered Bud, and as her soft fingers closed on his he took them . gently, for fear that he might crush them and never know. CHAPTER XVIII. ;A month of weary waiting followed that day of days in Fortuna, and still | there was no word from Phil, Bernardo | Bravo and his rebel raiders passed ; through the mountains to the east, and | news came of heavy fighting in Chi- | huahua, Don Cipriano Aragon moved his family back to his hacienda and Gracia became only a dream. Then, one day, as Hooker and the Yaqui were industriously pounding out gold, a messenger came out from town with a telegram in his hand. Am In Gadsden. No chance to hold | mine Kruger says quit.—P, “No I'll be 'sarned it I do!” mut- tered Bud. Then he sat down to think. “Amigo,” he said to the Yaqui, “are you a Mexican citizen? title to mine?” “Me a Mexican?” repeated Amigo, tapping himself on the chest. “No, senor! Seguro que no!” “All right then,” observed Bud bit- terly, “here goes nothing—nowhere! Il turn Mexican myself!” He passed the messenger on the way | to town, took out his first papers as a | citizen, picked up the minera] agent's | expert on the way back, and located | the Eagle Tai i& own name ! fore riding 1 { Kruger: It was his last card, 2 expect to v against him could see hLi drove him ove [ 1 to ;U& gon had to summoned Del Rey wou Then he c 1 take over the mine, A mere formality—or so it seemed— but between Aragon and his mine stood the Texas blood. Hooker had been crowded to the wall, and h mad enough to fight. b (To Be Continued.) Hooker—always | with eudden | “Ah, I see,” she said at length, gaz- | ing at him reproachfully; -“you think | Can you get ! | HE EVENING TELEGRAM LAKEI:-_;—_;/——"_—__—_—_—_—_’______-__\ ____—____’____———————_—_———-——_———__—-______ AVONDALE SPRINg TENNESSEE R. R. Station Avondale It vou are looking for a beautiful nook in the mgyy;, large variety of health-giving mlne'ral SDrings, surroundeg est trees. and untold quantities of wild flowers, cheereq 1, th many wild birds, where a cool breeze is always to be fe) n deep and shady glens which surround the grounds, ang Wher, fort is made for the pleasure and comfort vot each arng eve then come to Auburndale Springs, Tenn. Note the addreg F. J. HOFFMAN, Proprietor P. 0. Rutlegy, ainy b .5_—______——%‘ /v—‘—-*\i We represent the following reli- able companies: Fidelity Underwriters, capital ...... .. .. 4,750,000 Philadelphia Underwriters, Yk e $4,500,000 Ger_man American, capital 2,000,000 | 8pringfield Fire and Marine capital 2,000,000 & B BB B BB B oo oo BB B I i with all its pessibilities. problems of today are many. Good f and lots of them go a long toward so \he' question of bigger profits. Then not get in line and buy yourf fence home people, who treat you right an M e Security Abstract & Title C: Bartow, Florida R. B. HUFFAKER, PRES......L. J. CLYATT, FRANK H. THOMPSON, VICE PRES H. W. SMITH. T New and up-to-date plant. Prompt service. Lakeland business left with our Vige President at Citf » receive prompt and efficient attentim. 3 Conservation On the Farm Practically every farm in this co; would shew a nice prcfit if the atc\ef pressed idea could be and was carrig The greati preciate your business. Just received a solid car load|d American Fen Also a car of pitch pine fence_po: WILSO! | HARDWARE C The Loss by Fire in the During a Recent' Amounted to Aln One-Half the Of All New Bullé Constructed During the E Twelve Mo | When Buying or £ Provide the Mé For Rebuili MANN & DE Room 7, Raymondo Building j A o i ABSTRACTS OF TITLES *