Newspaper Page Text
SATURDAY. JUNE 27. .
The Land of Broken Promises
A Stirring Story of the
Mexican Revolution
A etory of border Mexico, vivid,
Intense, such as has never before
been written, Is this one of Ameri
can adventurers Into the land of
manana. Texan, mining engineer,
Spanish senor and senorita, peon,
Indian, crowd Its chapters with
cleawcut word pictures of busi
ness, adventure and love, against
a somber background of wretched
armies marching and counter
marching across a land racked by
revolution and without a savior.
(Continued from Wednesday.)
Bat she waa not his girl and, gazing
hack grimly at the seething plaza and
the hotel that hkl her from sight, he
rode somberly down the road. After
all, there was nothing to get excited
•boot—every reroltoso in the country
was lined up around Agua Negrn and,
with four hundred soldiers to oppose
them and artillery to shell their ad
vance, it would be many a long day be
fore they took that town.
Twice already Agua Negra had
fallen before such attacks, but now It
iwae protected by rifle-pits and mar
chine guns eat high on mod roots. And
then there were the Yaquie, still faith
ful to Madeoo. They alone could hold
the town. If they made np their minds
to fight. So reasoned Hooker, malting
power the news that he bed beard. But
he watrhwd the ridges warily, tor the
-weather was good for raiders.
' A day passed, and then another, and
the Mg whistle blew only for the
rfdTbii (he lonehms of the hltls op
pressed him as he gaced out at the
quivering beat. And then, like a toad
*ftw a shower. Amigo came paddling
into camp on the heels of a thunder
storm. Ms sandals hung an his Up and
hie Mg Dm* aqmdnMng through the
mod.
Amo— his shoulders he wore a gay
aenpe, woven by some patient woman
of his tribe; and in the belt beside
Bodh pistol he canted a heavy knife,
blactomlthed from a ten-inch file by
some Yaqui hi liman. All In all, he
was a line barbarian, bvt he looked
good to the lonely Bud.
“Ola, Amigo!” he hailed, stepping
out from the adobe house where he
had moved to avoid the rains; and
Amigo answered with his honest smite
which carried no hint of savagery or
deceit
Try as he would. Bad could not
bring himself to think of his Yaqui as
dangerous; and even when he bal
anced the Indian’s murderous bowie
knife in his hands he regarded It with
a grin. It was a heavy weapon, broad
across the beak, keen on one edge,
and drawn to a point that was both
sharp and strong. The bast was
wrapped with rawMfle to bold the
clutch of the hand.
"What do you do wfth this?” queried
Hooker. “Chop wood? Skin deer?"
“Tee, chop wood I ” answered Amigo,
but he replaced It carefully in his belt
He looked the adobe house over
thoughtfully, listened long to the
news of the border and of the rurates’
raid on their camp, and retired to the
rocks for the night. Even Bud newer
knew where he slept—somewhere up
on the hillside—ln caves or clefts In
the rooks—and not even the most
pressing invitation could make him
share the house for a night. To Amigo,
as to an animal, a house was a trap;
and he knew that the times were
treacherous.
So indeed they were, aa Hooker waa
to learn to his sorrow, and but for the
Taqnt and his murderous knife he
■night easily have learned it too late.
It waa evening, after a ralnte— day,
and Bud was cooking by the open fire,
when suddenly Amigo vanished and
four man rode In from above. They
were armed with rifles, aa befitted the
times, but gave no signs of ruffianly
bravado, and after a few words Bud In
vited them to get down and eat
"Muchas graclaa. senor,” said the
leader, dismounting and laying his rifle
against a log, “we are not hungry."
“Then have some coffee,’' invited
Hooker, who made it e point to feed
every one who stopped, regardless of
thetr merit; and once more the Mexi
can declined. At this Bud looked at
him sharply, for hie refusal did not
augur well, and It struck him the
man’s face waa familiar. He war tall
for a Mexican and heavily built, but
with a rather sinister oast of counte
nance.
“Where have I seen you before?"
naked Bod, after trying In vain to
place him. “In Fortune ?”
“No, senor,” answered the Mexican
politely. **l have never been In that
city. Is It far?”
“Ten miles by tbe trail,” r—ponded
Hooker, by no means reassured, and
under pretext of Inviting tbem to sat,
he took a look at tbe other men. If
they had not stopped to eat, what
then was their errand while the sun
was sinking so low? And why this
-Sullen refusal of tbe ootlee which every
kfexican drinks?
Bud stepped Into the house, as If on
aome errand, and watched them un
teeg the interior. Seeing them
exchange glances then, he leaned his
rifle Just inside the door and went
about his cooking.
It was one of the chances he took,
living out in the brush, but he had
come to know this low-browed type of
semi-bandit all too well and had small
respect for their courage. In case of
trouble Amigo was close by in the
rocks somewhere, probably with his
gun in his hand —but with a little pa
tience and circumspection the unwel
come visitors would doubtless move
on.
So he thought, but instead they lin
gered, and when eupper was cooked he
decided to go to a show-down —and if
they again refused to eat he would
send them on their way.
“Ven amigos," he said, spreading
out the tin plates for them. “Come and
eat!”
The three low-brows glared at their
leader, who had done what little talk
ing there was so far, and, seized with
a sudden animation, he immediately
rose to his feet
“ Many thanks, senor,” he said with
a cringing and specious politeness.
“We have come far and the trail is
long, bo we will eat. The times are
hard for poor men now—this traitor,
Madero, has made us ail hungry. It is
by him that we poor working men are
driven to insurrection—but we know
that the Americans are our friends.
Yes, senor, I will take some of your
beans, and thank you.”
He filled a plate as he spoke and
lifted a biscuit from the oven, con
tinuing with hie false patter while the
others fell to in silence.
“Perhaps you have heard, senor," he
went on, “the saying which is in the
land: Muoho trabajo, paco dlnero;
no hay frUoles, viva Madero! [Much
work, little money; no beans, long
live Madero!]
“That, in truth, 1b no Jest to the
Mexican people. This man has be
trayed us all; he has ruined the coun
try and set brother against brother.
And npw, while we starve because the
mines are shut doWn, he gathers his
family about him in the city and lives
fat on the money he has stolon.”
He ran on in this style, after the
fashion of the revottosos, and by the
very commonplace of Ms fulminations
Bud was thrown completely off his
guard. That was the way they all
talked, these worthless bandft-beggare
—that and telling how they loved the
Amactoaaos —and then, if they got a
chance, they would stick a knife in
your hack.
He listened to the big man with a
polite toleration, being careful not to
torn Ms back, and ate a few bites as
he waited, but though it was coming
dusk tbe Mexicans were in no hurry
to depart. Perhaps they hoped to stop
for the night and get him in his sleep.
Still they lingered on, the leader sit
ting on a log and continuing his
harangue.
Then, In the middle of a sentence,
and while Bud was bending over the
fire, the Mexican stopped short and
leaned to one side. A tense silence
fell, and Hooker was waked from hts
trance by the warning click of a gun
lock. Suddenly his mind came back
to Ms guests, and he duoked like a
flash, but even as he went down he
heard the hammer clack!
The gun had snapped!
Instantly Hooker's hand leaped to
his pistol and he fired from the hip
polntblank at the would-be murderer.
With a yell to the others, one of the
Mexican* sprang on him from behind
and tried to hear him down. They
struggled for a moment while Bud
shot blindly with his pistol and went
down fighting.
Bud was a giant compared to the
stunted Mexicans, and be threw them
about like dogs that hang on to a bear.
With a man in each hand he rose to
his feet, crushing them down beneath
him; then, in despair of shaking off
his rider, he staggered a few steps
and hurled himself over backward Into
the fire.
A yell of agony followed their fall
and. as the live coele bit through the
Mexican's thin shirt, he fought like a
cat to get free. Rocks, pots and ket»
ties were kicked In every direction,
and when Hooker leaped to his feet
the Mexican scrambled up and rushed
madly for the creek.
But, though Bud was free, tbe bat
tle had turned'against him, tor in the
brief Interval of his fight the other
two Mexicans had run for their guns.
Tile Instant be rose they covered him.
Their chief, who by some miracle had
escaped Bud's shot, gave a shout for
tbem to halt. Cheated of his victim at
the first ha waa claiming the right to
kilL
As Hooker stood blinded by the
smoke and asbea the fellow took de
liberate aim— and once more his rifle
snapped. Then, as the other Mexi
cans stood agape, surprised at the
faliura of tbe shot, the cannonlika
whang of a Mauser rent the air and
the leader crumpled down in a heap.
An instant later a shrill yell rose
from up the canyon and. as the two
Mexicans started and stared. Amigo
came dashing in upon them, a spitting
pistol In one band and bis terrible
"Wood-chopping” knife brandished
Author of
“THE FIGHTING FOOL,” “HIDDEN WATERS,”
“THE TEXICAN,” Etc.
Illustrations by DON J. LAVIN
(Copyright, 1914. by Frank A. Munsey.)
high in fne other. ~
In the dusk his eyes and teeth
gleamed white, hie black hair seemed
to bristle with fury, and the glint of
his long knife made a light as he
vaulted over the last rock and went
plunging on their track. For, at the
first glance at this huge, pursuing fig
ure, the two Mexicans had turned and
bolted like rabbits, and now, as the
Yaqui whirled in after them, Bud could
hear them squealing and scrambling
as he hunted them down among the
rocks.
It was grim work, too, even for his
stomach, but Hooker let the Indian fol
low his nature. When Amigo came
back from his hunting there was no
need to ask questions. His eyes shone
so terribly that Hooker said nothing,
but set about cleaning up camp.
After he had washed the from
his eyes, and when the fury had van
ished from Amigo’s face, they -went aa
by common consent and gazed at the
body of the chief of the desperadoes.
Even in death his face seemed strange
ly familial-; but as Hooker stood gaz
ing at him the Yaqui picked np his
gun.
“Look!” he said, and pointed to a
bullet-splash where, as the Mexican
held the gun across his breast, Bud’B
pistol shot had flattened harmlessly
against the look. It was that which
had saved the Mexican chief from in-
Btant death, and the Jar of the shot
had doubtless broken the rifle and
saved Bud, in turn, from the second
shot.
All this was in the Yaqui’s eye as ho
carefully tested the action; but, when
he threw down the lever, a cartridge
rose up from tbe magazine and glided
smoothly into the breech. With a rifle
fun of cartridges the ignorant Mexican
had been snapping on an empty cham
ber, not knowing enough to jack up a
shell!
For a moment Amigo stared at the
gnn and the man, and hie mouth drew
down with contempt.
“Ha! Pendejo!” he grunted, and
kicked the corpse with his foot.
Threw Them About Like Doga That
Hang Onto a Bear.
But if the Mexican had been a fool,
he had paid the price, for the second
time he snapped his gun Amico had
shot him through and through.
CHAPTER XX.
In a country where witnesses to a
crime are imprisoned along with the
principals and kept more or less in
definitely in Jail, a man thinks twice
before he reports to the police.
With four dead Mexicans to the
Yaqul’s account, and Del Rey in
charge of the district, Hooker followed
his second thought—he said nothing,
and took his chances on being arrest
ed for murder. Until far into the night
Amigo busied himself along the hill
side, and when the sun rose not a sign
remained to tell the story of the fight.
Men, horses, saddles and guns—all
had disappeared. And, after packing a
little food in a sack, Amigo disap
peared also, with a grim smile in prom
ise of return.
The sun rose round and hot, the
Bame as usual; the south wind came
up and blew into a bellying mass of
clouds, jvblch lashed back with the ac
customed rain; and when all the earth
was washed clean and fresh the last
trace of the struggle was gone. Only
by the burns on his hands was Hooker
aware of the fight and of the treachery
which had reared its head against him
like a snake which has been warmed
and fed.
Nowhere but in Mexico, whefe the
low pelado classes have made such
deeds a subtlety, could the man be
found to dissimulate like that false
assassin-in-chlef. To pause suddenly
in a protracted speech, swing over and
pick up a gun, and halt his victim for
the shooting by tho preparatory
THE AUGUSTA HERALD, AUGUSTA, GA.
■By DANE COOLIDGE
of the lock-—Uiat Indeed caTled for a
brand of cunning rarely found in the
United States.
There was one thing about the affair
that vaguely haunted Hooker—why
was it. that a man so cunning as that
had failed to load his gun? Twice, and
with everything in his favor, he had
raised his rifle to fire; and both times
it had snapped in his hands. Certainly
he must have been inept at arms —or
accustomed to single-shot guns.
The reputed magic of the swift-fir
ing rifles evidently had been his undo
ing, but where had he got his new
gun? And who was he, anyway? With
those two baffling questions Bud wres
tled as he sat beside his door, and at
evening hie answer came.
(To Be Cj.itiiiued Tomorrow.)
use herald" want ads
il /V, u , TnHU TUI , A fin ATS EASYIf CHEF THAT WAS A GREAT
' P H h J .* H pJr S WE WILL / Dish would You kindly ,
S Consult me( lEU.MT wirE how IT.S
S (cooked? V- (sUSi)
\ l COOK, IT WE COULD * L ’ S—n
.... '
First YquTake six raw ecqs-a quart of onr prepares \
rice-4 PJQS ears 3 DoZ£N SHoeSTKincs NFVsI DISH ( )
4 LBS OF TRW-STIR SOFTD/ Tilt IT y »HE INfcVsj DISH v j j
( HoW Do You )
i < 7chm!
n Ujk f Aw6IJMNCiL IT
' r (
STORY OF A CONVICT’S
LOYAL WIFE
In the July American Magazine
appears another “Boston Bluckin”
story told by Numbe 6606, at present
a convict in a western penitentiary,
in the course of his story he tells, as
follows, about “Three-Fingered” Mac
who was sent up for fifteen years.
After nine years he was let out be
cause his conduct in prison had been
good. All that time ‘'Three-Finger
ed'' Mac’s wife remained loyal to him.
The story goes on as follows:
“ ‘Fifteen years is what they gave
him. It was a bank safe job. Fifteen
years! That's nine years, five months
solid, allowing for good conduct “cop
per.” A Judge can say fifteen in a
fraction of a second, hut it's a long,
long stretch when you have to do it —
one day at a time.
“ ‘Mac haw a woman, loyal and true
as steel, who did his jolt, too, on the
outside —one day at a time. That's
the worst of this rotten business.
Our women have to do our time tHe
same as we do, if they’re worth while,
which Mae’s wife was. Almost all
the money he’d laid away went to his
"mouthpieces” (lawyers) at the trial,
so she opened a little millinery shop
and took care of herself and the kid
while Mav was “buried.” She wrote
every week and never missed a visit
ing dny in nil of those long years.
“Well at last he got his lime in
and they turned him out «.t the gate
to start life with a five-dollar gold
piece and a “con” suit. I ran across
them on the train to the city—Mac,
his wife, and a long-legged boy who
had been an infant when Mac went
across. I was looking for a man to
SUCH IS LIFE
fill in my "mob” just then, and felt
him out. He shoik his head.
“' “Blackie,’’ he said, “I’m done. 1
haven’t lost my nerve and you know
I’ve always been ‘right.’ But look at
that little woman there. She’s wait
ed and worked for me for nine years
and five months. She's saved enough
to buy us a little chicken ranch and
I'm going in for the simple life, with
her and the boy to hold me straight
when I get. restless for the old, ex
citing days.” ’ ”
HOW TO BECOME A
NAGGING WIFE
in the July American Magazine a
man who has been married for twen
ty-five years contributes “A Hus
band's Story,” in which he describes,
as follows, a period in which his wife
nagged him:
"In her nervous condition she com
menced to take extreme dislike to my
friends and to demand JJiat I give
them up. 1 had made friends in the
city, ninny of whom I enjoyed, who
broadened my views and gave mu
ideas that were useful. During that
(Period, if I mentioned the fact that
someone was my friend my wife in
stantly was prejudiced against that
person. As a result I ceased to In
vito friends to our apartment; but.
many of them asked us to attend lit
tle affairs. Several time I had half
accepted such invitations, and when
my wife refused to go I was com
pelled to withdraw the acceptance.
Soon we found ourselves cut off from
any social Intercourse and closer and
closer drawn within our own circle —
which consisted of four persons, in
cluding the cook. All the while my
wife maintained that I was out "hav
By T. E. POWERS
ing a good time’ at sny work, while
she had to remain at home with the
baby.
“To avaid wrangling I assumed an
apologetic manner, pretending to
admit a degree of guilt iistead of
contradicting her. I strove to calm
and soothe her by admitting that she
was in the righa, even when she was
mosit wrong. Thi3 proved perhaps
my most serious blunder. One friend,
a doctor specializing in nervous trou
bles, seriously advised me to rebuke
hor sharply and to make her under
stand. I dreaded giving her the pain
I knew such a course would cause.
It would have been better to do it
then, for she began to consider me
weak because I yielded to her, and to
take advantage of this supposed, or
perhaps real, weakness. So the habit
of complaining and of adopting an
accusing manner toward me grew
upon her unconsciously.
“I always could divert the argu
ment by reverting to two sjubjects:
the baity ami the home we were to
have. We always agreed upon these
things. I did not. realize then that
they were the only two things in
which she really was interested, and
that the proper way to have averted
most of the trouble was to get her in
terested in more things. She was
rebelling, unconsciously, against the
narrowness of her life, and resented
my broader life in business.”
SUMMER PROBLEMS.
’What aro the women of the family
discussing yonder so gaily?”
‘What they are going to wear.”
"And tlie men of the family, what ars
they discussing so earnestly?”
”lfow they are going to pay for It.”
SHOULD HAVE SOME.
“Alcohol Is said to have a certain
amount of food value.”
“How about chewing tobacco?”
FIVE