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TUESDAY, JUNE 30.
The Land of Broken Promises
A Stirring Story of the
Mexican Revolution
A Story 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,
Bpsnlsh senor and senorita, peon,
Indian, crowd Its chapters with
clear-cut word pictures of busl
nesak adventure and love, against
a somber background of wretched
armies marching and counter
marching across a land racked by
revolution and without a savior,
j. '
(Continued from Yesterday.)
The ccflumn to the south —the one
which Hooker had encountered—had
taken to the high hills west of the
town, and, along the skyline of the
tmtteHke summits they could now be
ss£n In scattered bands making their
way to the north.
The defenders of Fortuna consisted
of a rag-tag garrison of twenty fed
orals and the hot-headed, charging
miners. But apparently that was a
combination hard to beat, for, while
the federals entrenched themselves be
hind the black tank on the hill and
prepared to protect the town, the So
norans in shouting masses drove every
thing before them and marched on to
attack Chular.
But in thie they made a mistake, for
the rebel scouts, seeing the great body
of defenders pressing on up the nar
row canyon, rode back and Informed
the tricky Bernardo Bravo. He would
be a poor general Indeed who could
not see the opening that was offered
and, while the valiant Sonorans pur
sued the rebel cavalry up the pass,
Bernardo Bravo sent the half of hts
thousand men to cut off their retreat
from behind.
Along the broad top of the moun
tain above they came scampering by
|fns and twenties, closing in with a
va*s superior force upon the now
town. In the depths of the
cani i ( i below the miners were still
abasing the elusive cavalry, their fir
ing becoming faint as they clambered
on toward the summit and the rebel
headquarters at Chular.
They had, in fact, been handled like
children, and the Americans Joined in
contemptuous curses of their mistaken
bravery as they beheld in what straits
it had left them.
Forbidden by the superintendent to
participate in the combat, yet having
In their oare the women of the camp,
they were compelled to stand passive
ly aside while rebels by the hundred
came charging down the ridgee. Only
in the last resort, and when all diplo
macy and federal defense had failed,
would they be allowed to so much as
cock a rifle. And yet—well, twenty
uetermlned Americans might easily
turn back this charge.
Taking advantage of hl3 Mexican
citizenship. Hooker was already on the
run for the trenches when the super
intendent stopped him with a look.
“Let the Mexicans fight it out,” he
said. "They might resent it if yon
took sides, and that would make it bad
for us. Just wait a while—you never
can tell what will happen. Perhaps thtf"
rurales and federals will stand them
oft.”
“What, that little bunch?” demanded
Bud, pointing scornfully at the hand
ful of defenders who were cowering
behind their rock piles. "Why half of
them pelones don’t know what a gun
was made for, and the rurales—”
"Well, the rebels are the same,” sug
gested the superintendent pacifically.
"Let them fight It out —we need every
American we can get, so Just forget
about being a Mexican.”
"All right,” agreed Bud, as he yield
ed reluctantly to reason. “It ain’t be
cause I’m a Mexican citizen —I Just
want to etop that rush.”
He walked back to the house, Jug
gling his useless gun and keeping his
eye on the distant ridges. And then,
In a chorus of defiant yells, the men
In the federal trenches began to shoot.
In an airline the distance was some
thing over a mile, but at the first scat
tering volley the rebels halted and
fired a volley In return. With a vicious
spang a few stray bullets smashed
agalnstV-he reverberating steel tank,
but no ono was hurt, and the defend
ers, drunk with valor, began to shoot
and yell like mad.
The bullets of the rebels, fired at
random, struck up dust-jets In every
direction, and from the lower part of
the town came the shouting of the non
combatant Mexicans as they ran here
end there for shelter. But by the
trenches, and In the rear of the black
tank, the great crowd of onlookers
persisted, ducking as each euccesslve
bullet hit the tank and shouting en
couragement ae the defenders emptied
their rifles and reloaded with clip after
dip.
• The rifles rattled a continuous vol
ley; spent bullets lesped like locusts
ocrosa the flat; men ran to and fro,
now crouching behind the tank, now
stepping'boldly Into the open; and the
defiant shouts of the defenders almost
drowned the walls of the women, Ex
empt for Ofn» Jjj, y/fiti ft battle—
there was nobody hurt.
For the first half-hour the Ameri
cans stayed prudently under cover,
busying themselves at the suggestion
of a few American women In providing
a first-aid hospital on the sheltered
porch. Then, as no wounded came to
fill it and the rebels delayed their
charge, one man after another climbed
up to the trenches, ostensibly to bring
down the Injured.
As soldiers and bystanders reported
no one hit, and the bullets flew harm
lessly past, their solicitude turned rap
idly to disgust and then to scorn.
Strange as It may seem, they were dis
appointed at the results, and their re
marks were derogatory as they com
mented on the bravery of pelones and
Mexicans in general.
From a dread of imminent attack, of
charging rebelß and retreating defend
ers, and a fight to the death by the
house, they came suddenly to a desire
for blood and battle, for dead men and
the cries of the wounded; and all fear
of the insurrectos left them.
“Come away, boys," grunted the
burly roadmaster, who up to then had
led in the work; "we wasted our time
on that hospital—there’ll be no wound
ed. Let’s take ourselves back to the
house and have a quiet smoke.”
"Right you are, Ed,” agreed the mas
ter mechanic, as he turned upon his
heel in disgust. “Thie ain’t war—
them Mexicans think they’re working
for a moving-picture show!"
”1 bet you I can go up on that
ridge,” announced Hooker, “and clean
out the whole bunch with my six
shooter before you could bat your
eye.”
But the superintendent was not so
sure.
“Never mind, boys,” he said. “We’re
worth a lot of ransom money to those
rebels and they won’t give up so quick.
And look at this now —my miners com
ing backl Those are the boys that will
fight 1 Walt till Chico and Ramon
Mendoza get after them!”
He pointed as he spoke to a strag
gling band of Sonorans, led by the
much-vaunted Mendoza brothers, as
they hurried to save the town, and a
cheer went up from the trenches as
the federals beheld reinforcements.
But a change had come over the flre
eating miners, and they brought other
rebels In their wake.
As they trudged wearily into town
and sought shelter among the houses
a great body of men appeared on the
opposite ridge, firing down at them as
they retreated, The battle rapidly
turned into a long-distance shooting
contest, with the rebels on the ridgeg
and the defenders in’ the valley, and
finally, as the day wore on and a thun
derstorm came up, It died out alto
gether and the rebels turned back to
their camp.
Except for one lone federal who had
shot himself by accident there was not
a single defender hurt, and if the
enemy had suffered losses it was onlx
by some such chance. But when the
Sonoran patriots, holding up their
empty belts, came clamoring for am
munition, the men by the big house
took in the real catastrophe of the
battle.
Seventeen thoueaud rounds of the
precious thirty-thirties had been de
livered to the excited miners and now,
except for what few the Americans had
saved, there was not a cartridge in
camp. Very soberly the superintendent
assured the leaders that he had no
more; they pointed at the full belts of
the American guard and demanded
them as their right; and when the
Americans refused to yield they flew
into a rage and threatened.
All in all, it was a pitiful exhibition
of hot-headedness and imbecility, and
only the firmness of the superintend
ent prevented a real spilling of blood.
The Mexicans retired in a huff and
broke into the cantina, and as the
night camo on the valley re-echoed to
their drunken shoutings.
Such was war aB the Sonorans con
ceived it. When Hooker, standing hia
guard in the corredor, encountered
Gracia Aragon on her evening waller
he could scarcely conceal a grin.
“What are you laughing at, Senor
Hooker?” she demanded with asperity.
“Is It so pleasant, with a houseful of
frightened women and screaming chil
dren, that you should make fun of our
plight?”
"No, Indeed,” apologized Bud; "noth
ing like that. Sure must be bad in
there—l stay outside myself. But I
reckon it’ll soon be over with. The
Mexicans here in town have shut off
all their ammunition and I reckon the
rebels have done the same. Like as
not they’ll all be gone tomorrow, and
then you can go back home."
"Oh, thank you for thinking about
me!” she returned with a scornful curl
of the lip. "But if all men were as
open as you, Mr. Hooker, we women
would never need to ask a question.
This morning you told me I did not
know what I was talking about —now 1
presume you are thinking what cow
ards the Mexicans are!
"Oh, I know! You need not deny itt
You are nothing but a great big—To
jano! Yea, I was going to say ‘brute/
but you are a friend of dear Phil’s, and
so I will hold my tongue. If it wasn’t
Author of
"THE FIGHTING FOOL,” “HIDDEN WATERS,"
“THE TEXICAN," tyc.
Illustrations by DON J. LAVIN
Frank A. MunstyJ
(Copyright. 1914, hy
him to guess.
“Oh, I do wish he were here,” she
breathed, leaning wearily against the
white pillar of an arch and gazing
down through the long arcade.
“It was so close in there," she con
tinued, “1 could not stand it a minute
longer. These Indian women, you
know —they weep and moan all the
time. And the children—l am so 6orry
for them. I cannot go now, because
they need me; but tomorrow —if Phil
were here—l would leave and ride for
the line.
“Have you seen Del Rey toduyT No?
Then all the better —he must b 9 polic
ing the town. It Is only of him I am
afraid. These rebels are nothing—l
agree with you I No I lam not angry
with you at ail now I But tomorrow.
Just at dusk, when all is still as tt la
at this time, then, If Phil were here
I would mount my brave horse and
ride out by the western pass.”
She ended rather inconclusively, let
ting her voice trail oit wistfully as she
waited for him to speak, but something
within moved Hooker to hold hla
peace, and he looked out over the town
without commenting on her plans. It
was evident to him that she was deter
mined to enlist his sympathy and In
volve him in her wild plot, and each
time the conversation veered In that
direction he took refuge in a stubborn
silence.
“What are you thinking of, Mr.
Hooker?” she asked at last, as ha
gazed Into the dusk. “Sometimes I
scold you and sometimes I try to
please you, but I never know what you
think) I did not mean that when I
said I could read your thoughts—you
are bo different from poor, dear Phil I"
“M-m-m,” mumbled Bud, shifting hla
feet, and his face turned a little grim.
"Ahal” she cried with ill-concealed
satisfaction, “you do not like me to
call him like that, do you? ‘Poor, dear
Phil,’ —like that I But do you know
why I do it? It 1» to punish you for
never coming near me—when I signed
to you—when I Waited for you—long
ago 1 Ah, you were so cruel I I want
ed to know you—you wore a cowboy,
and I thought you were brave enough
to defend me—but you always rod6‘
right by. Yes, that was it—but Phil
waa different! He came when I sent
for him; he sang songs to me at night;
he took my part against Manual del
Rey; and now—”
“Yes!” commented Bud bruskly,
with his mind on "dear Phil's" finish,
and she turned to peer Into his face.
“So that Is It!” she said. “You do
not trust me. You think that lam not
your friend —that I will serve you as
he was served. Is that what you are
thinking?”
"Something like that," admitted
Hooker, leaning lazily against the
mud waU. “Only I reckon I don’t think
just the way you do.”
"Why? How do I think?" she de
manded eagerly.
"Well, you think awful fast,” an
swered Hooker slowly, "And you don’t
always think the same, seems like.
I’m kind of quiet myself, and I don’t
like—well, I wouldn't say that, but you
don't always mean what you say.”
“Oh!” breathed Gracia, and then,
after a pause, she came nearer and
leaned against the low wall beside
'him.
“If I would speak from my heart,"
she asked, “if I would talk plain, as j
you Americans do, would you like me j
better then? Would you talk to me i
instead of standing silent? Listen,
Bud—for that is your name—l want
you to be my friend the way you were
a friend to Phil. I know what you did
for him, and how you bore with hie
love-madness—and that was my fault,
too. But partly It was also your fault,
for you made me angry by not coming.
“Yes, I will be honest now—it was
you that I wanted to know at flret, but
you would not come, and now I am
promised to Phil. He was brave when,
you were careful, and my heart went
out to him. You know how it is with
us Mexicans—we do not love by rea
son. We love like children —suddenly j
—from the heart! And now all I wish
In life Is to run away to Phil. But
every time I speak of it you shut your
Jaws or tell me I am a fool.’’
"Cmp-um,’’ protested Bud, turning
stubborn again. “I tell you you don’t
know what you're talking about. These
rebels don’t amount to nothing around
the town, but on a trail they're awful.
They shoot from behind rocks and all
that, and a woman ain't noways safe.
You must know what they’re like—
theee old women don’t think about
nothing else—so what’s the use of talk
ing! And besides," be added grimly,
"l’ve had some trouble with your old
man and don't want to have any
more.” i
“What trouble have you had?” she
demanded promptly, but Hooker would
not answer in words. He only
shrugged bis shoulders and turned
away, crumpling his hat in his hand.
"But no!” she cried as she sensed
the meaning of hie ooncealment, “you i
must tell me! 1 want to know. Waa
it over your mine? Then you must
not blame me, Hr he never haa told
me a’word!” I
"No?" inquire'/ Hud, rousing sudden
ly at the memorl of his wrongs. "Then
THE AUGUSTA HERALD, AUGUSTA, GA.
By DANE COOLIDGE
maybe you will tell mellow lie go!
this”—he fetched a worn piece of ore
from his pocket—“when my pardner
gave It to you I It waa right there I
lost my pardner—and he was a good
kid, too—and all because of that rock.
Here, take a look at It—l took that
away from your father!"
(To Be Ooatinued Tomorrow.)
Wife—l believe you married me just
because I had money.
Husband—You’re wrong. T married
you because I thought you’d let me
have some of it.
FOR WEAKNESB AND LOBS OF
APPETITE
The old Standard general strength
ening tonlo GROVE’S TASTELESS
thill TONIC, drives out Malaria and
builds up the system. A true tonlo
and sure Appetizer. For adults and
children. 60c.
Yeu remember the last Dollar Day
in Augusta? There’s going to be an
other one aoon. Watch for it, in tho
Augusta Herald.
ONE DOLLAR" BILL
Men’s New Style Straws
just received—all shapes for
a Dollar.
P. F. SHERON & CO.
YOUR DOLLAR
Is Biggest on
Friday July 3rd.
\ 'lk
I J
See Wednesday’s
and Thursday’s
Herald for Story
of Dollar Day in
Augusta.
The Wise Dry Goods Co.
$50,000.00 stock of mer
chandise slaughtered regardless
of cost.
Sale commences tomorrow
morning Toly Ist, every article in
the house marked down.
Watch for the red tags mark
ed in plain figures showing the
original price and the reduced
price.
No fictitious valuation placed
on a single article, but genuine
reductions throughout the entire
house, do not be misled by false
impressions but come and see for
yourself and compare prices, and
let your own conviction govern
you.
The principles under which
this sale is conducted. A small
child can see that it is a genuine
bonafide massacre of merchandise
of merit. All we ask is a visit
from you and the impression will
be everlasting.
Watch the newspapers for
daily bulletins and join the crowds
that will lead you to the greatest
harvest of bargains that you ever
witnessed, don't forget the time.
Sale commences tomorrow
morning, July the first and to
continue until the stock has been
reduced $20,000.00.
/ The Wise Dry Goods Co.
858 Broad Street
FIVE