Show n A V NUN v x- x H. H iTI f. f ii The Land of Broken Promises I f I I I By DANE COOLIDGE f A Stirring Story I I I of uH HiMs TM IV Ete EI I 4 t 1 L Revolution I I l' l s No I N v a 1141 1914 by Puk A. A 1 I SYNOPSIS Dud Bud Hooker and Phil De De' Lancey are forced owl owIng rig to a revolution In Mexico tto to Rive their claim and return United In the tho border town Of Dt Bud Bull meets Henry Kruger a wealthy miner who make him a to j to Mexico to acquire title to a a v very ry rich mine which Kruger had blown up when he lie found be he had hl been cheated put ut of ot the title titie by one Aragon The rhe MOI Mexican subsequently spent pent a 11 large turn Jum cumin 10 la an unsuccessful attempt to relocate relocate relo relo- cate the vein and then allowed the land to revert revert tot or tue Hooker and md nd De Dc Lan Lan- coy cey arrive at Fortuna near Dear where Lan Lan-I the mine known a the Eagle a Tall la Ia lo 10 kT They Ther lI engage a the services of Cruz Cru Mendez Mender who has hILs been beon friendly to Kruger to title for tot them and get a permit to do preliminary work Aragon Araron protests and accuses them of ot jumping hi his claim Bud Dud discovers that matrimonial entanglements prevent Mendez from per per- footing a 11 valid title Phil Phi who ho ha h. hai been Saying payIng attention to daughter Gracia racla decides to turn Mexican and ge getho get the tho title In n his own name Bud Dud objects to to Phil's Phils attentions to Aragon Amon tall falls in n to drive them off otT the cl m Re Rebels reported In the vIcinIty vIcin- vIcin Ity Stories of ot rapine and bloodshed are brought In n Bud Dud and arid Phil begin work in f. f earnest ne ron on their claim I ni I CHAPTER CI R I 4 XI XIII XIII-Continued XIII Continued Il I It IL was WM slow work slower than they had thought and th the gang gan of cana caris that they had hired for muckers were vere marvels of ot ineptitude Loft to themselves they thoy accomplished nothing noth noth- ing since each problem they encountered seemed seethed to present to them some element of insuperable difficulty to solve which they either went into caucus caucus cau cau- cus or waited for tor the boe To To the Mexicans of Sonora Bernardo Bravo w was the personification of all the Ehe mal malevolent qualities qualities qualities-he he being a bandit chief who ho o. o had turned first genera general gen gen- era eral and then rebel under Madero Madero- and the fact that he h had d at at last ast been driven out of Chihuahua and therefore over into Sonora made his malevolence lence all aU the more more imminent Undoubtedly somewhere over to the east east where the Sierras Sierras t towered like a blue wall Bernardo and his bis outlaw followers were gathering for a raid and aric the raid would bring death to So So- oDora o- o nora Dora Ho Iio was a bad man this thle Bernardo Bravo and and if half of the current stories stories stories sto sto- sto- sto ries w were re true he killed men whenever whenever whenever when when- ever the railed failed to give him money aad was was never too hurried to take a ar r fair lr a gl of the the country up behind him pr provided vIded she t took Ok his fancy rancy Yes surely he was a bad man man but but t that did not clear away the rock For tho the first week Phil took charge I of ot the gang urging directing and Cajoling cajoling ca Ca- joling them and the work went merrily mer mer- merrily rily on on though rather slowly The Mexicans liked to work for forDon Don Felipe he ho was so so polite and spoke such good Spanish but at the end of th the week it developed that Bud could get set more results out out of them 1 i Every Eyer time Phil started to explain anything t to ono one Mexican all the othere others oth oth- ere ers ere st stopped t to listen to him and that took time lime But Duds Buds favorite way of ot directing a man man was by grunts and signs and Ind bending his own back to the task Also he refused to understand understand under under- stand staM Spanish and cut off all longwinded longwinded long- long winded explanations and suggestions by an Impatient motion to go to work which the trabajadores obeyed with shrugs and g grins gIns Ins So Don Felipe turned powder man and blacksmith sharpening up up the drills at the little HUle forge they had fashioned fash tash- lon d and loading the holes with dynamite dynamite dynamite dy dy- dy- dy when It became necessary to break a rock while Bud Dud bossed the theun un unwilling Mexicans In an old tunnel behind their tent they set a heavy gate and behind it they stored their precious powder Then ThEm came the portable forgo torge and the tho blacksmith shop just inside the mouth of t the cave and the tent backed up against it for or protection For if there Is any anyone one thing next to horses that the rebels rebel are wont to steal it is giant powder to blow up culverts with or to lay on the counters of timorous country m merchants and md frighten them into making c contributions A As for tor their h horses horse Bud kept them boiled belled and ho hobbled bled close to the house and no one ever saw aw him without his gun In the morning when he got up he ho took took- It from under his pillow and hung huns it t on his belt and there it stayed until bedtime He lie also kept a sharp watch on the trail above trail above and below and what few rew men did pass through were conscious conscious' of his eye Therefore it was all the themore themore themore more surprising when one day lookIng lookIng lookIng look- look Ing up suddenly from rom heaving at a groat great rock rock- he saw lIaw the big Yaqui sol aol dEer dier Amigo gazing down at him from tram the cut bank YC Yes Vex it was the same man man but with witha a difference his difference his rifle and cartridge- cartridge belts were absent and ls clothes were torn thru by the brush But Dut the same natured good competent smile was there and after a D. with with Bud he l leaped ped nii nimbly bly down the bank and laid larr hold old upon the roc rock They e pulled together and the boulder that had balked Buds Bud's gang of Mexicans moved easily for th the two of them Then AmIgo seized a crowbar and slipped it into a cranny and showed them a few things about t moving rocks rocke For half an hour or more he worked along alons seemingly 1 bent ent on displaying his skill sUll then he sat Bat down on the bank and watched the Mexicans with tolerant tolerant amused hall eyes If U tie le e waa was hungry he be showed it only by the cigarettes he smoked and Hooker studying up the chances he hew w would uld take by hiring a deserter let him wait walt uI until l 1 he ho came to a decision Oyez Amigo he ho hailed at last and end rubbing his han hand around on his stomach ha he smiled questioningly whereat the Yaqui nodded his head 11 St said sald Hooker v yen ven en And he left his Mexicans to dandle as the they would while he bo led the Indian to camp There Thero he lie showed him the pot coffee and the kettle of beans by lytho bythe tho fire set lIol setout out outs a slab bf oven Dutch-oven bread anda and a sack of nt nf h beef cf some nome stewed stewed tn fruit Jt and a can of and left him to do dohis dohis dohis his worst In the tho course of ot half an hour or so sobe sobe be he came back and found the Yaqui sopping up with the last of tho the bread and humming a little tune So they eat sat down and smoked a cigarette and came to the business at hand Bud Dud but Where you go goV inquired Amigo only shrugged enigmatically You like to work continued Bud Dud an and the Indian broke broko into a smile of assent Muy bien blen said Hooker with finality final- final Ity I give Mexicans two dollars ars a aday day I day I give ghe you four Is that enough SI SJ nodded the Yaqui and without I more words he followed Bud back to the tho cut There in half balf a day he ho accomplished accomplished ac ac- ac- ac more than all the Mexicans cans put together leaping boldly up tho the bank to dislodge hanging boulders boosting them by main strength up onto the ramshackle tram they had bad constructed and trundling them out outto outto outto to the dump with the shove of a mighty hand He lie was a willing worker using his head every minute but though he was such a n hustler and made their puny efforts seem so Ineffectual by comparison compari comparI- son son he managed In some mysterious way to gain tho the Immediate approval of at the Mexicans Perhaps It was his pervasive all good nature or 01 the tho respect respect respect re re- re- re inspired by his hardihood perhaps perhaps per per- haps hapa the qualities of natural leadership leadership leader leader- ship which had made him a picked man man am among ng his brother But when late in the afternoon Dud Bud came back from a a. trip to the tent he found Amigo in charge of the gang heaving and struggling and making motions with his 1 l' l cad lead Good enough he muttered after watching him for ri a a minute in silence and leaving the new boss in command he be went back and started supper That was the beginning of a new day at tho the Eagle Tall and when De Dc DeLancey DeLancey Lancey came back from town town whither er he went whenever he could conjure up an errand errand he he found that for lor once he lie had not be been n missed Bud was doing the Amigo was directing the gang and a afresh afresh fresh mess o of beans was on the fire firo the first kettleful having gone to reinforce reinforce reinforce rein rein- force the Yaqui's backbone But they were beans well spent and Bud Dud did not regret the raid on his grub grub pile If he 10 could get half as much work for what he fed the Mexicans he could couldwell couldwell couldwell well rest content But how did this Indian happen to find you demanded Phil when his pardner had ext explained his acquisition Say he must have deserted from his company when they brought them li back ck from Moctezuma Moren likely assented Bud He aint talking much but I notice he L nUn 1 I Bud Was Doing the keeps his eye out out they'd they'd shoot him himor for tor or a deserter If they could ketch him Id I'd d hate to see him go that way Well if hes he's as good as this lets let's take take ake care of ot him cried Phil with enthusiasm Ill tell you Bud Dud theres there's something big coming off orr pretty soon and Id I'd like to stay etar around town a little Ittle more If it I could r want to keep track of ot things l Fr r Fr instance suggested Hooker dryl dryly It had struck him that Phil was spending a good deal of time in town already Well Vell theres there's this revolution Sure Sura as shooting they're going to pull one won soon Theres There's two thousand Mexican miners working at Fortuna and they say every everyone one of em has got a rifle burled buried Now they're beginning to quit and drift out into the hills and were we're likely to hear from them any time All AU the more reason for tor staying In camp then remarked Bud Dud Ill tell teU you Phil I need you here That dogged ledge la in lost good and plenty and I 1 need eed you to say where to dig We Ve aint doing much better than old Aragon did just did just rooting around In that rock pile rock pile lets let's do a little timber Umber ing lag and sink You cant can't timber that rock answered answered answered an an- De Lancey decidedly And besides besides Its It's cheaper to make a cut twenty feet deep than It is to tunnel or sink a shaft Walt Wait till tm we get to that porphyry contact then well we'll know where were we're at at atAll All right grumbled Bu Bud but Jut seems like were we're a long time getting there What's the news downtown r Well tho the fireworks hue hats bogia c a again over in Ia Chihuahua Chihuahua Orozco Orozco and Salazar and that bunch but bunch but it seems there thero was something to this Moctezuma Moctezuma Moctezuma I zuma scare after all nil I was talking toan to toan toan an American mining man from down that way and he told me that the federals fed federals erab marched out to where ethe the rebels Z n sat down and nd watched them cross th the tho river river without ut firl firing on 1 them them some some kind of ot aa understanding between Bernardo Bravo and th these the M blackleg fed federals en II The only fighting fighting- there was waa was wat when a bunch of or twenty Yaqui got away from their officers in the rough country and went alter after Bernardo Bravo Bra Bra- vo yo by their lonesome That threw a abig abig abig big scare Into him too but he be managed managed man man- aged to fight them off and off and If it I was was was' making a guess graces Id I'd bet that your our Yaqui friend was one of that fighting twenty I reckon assented l Bud Dud but dont don't you ea say eay nothing I need that hombre bomb re reIn In my business Come on on lets let's go up and look at nt that cut I cut I come across an old board today down own in the muck and I bet you its it's a piece that Kruger left Funny wo o dont don't come como across some of at hl his tools though or tho thc hole where the powder went off When we do that observed Ph Phil It well vell be where were we're going Nothing to do then thea but lay o off orr the tho men and wait walt till I get my ray papers That's why I say dont don't hurry so 10 hard hard we we haven't got our title to this claim pardner and we wont won't get it It either not either not for some sometime sometime sometime time yet yeL Suppose you'd hit this ledge ledge ledge- Well Vell if It I hit It it remarked BudIll BudIll Bud Dud Ill stay with it you It-you you can trust me for that Hello lIello what's the Yaqui found 7 As they came up the cut Amigo quit work and and while white the Mexicans followed suit and gathered expectantly behind him he picked up three throe rusty drills and an iron drill spoon and presented them to Dud Bud Evidently he had learned the object of their search from the tho Mexicans but If he looked for any demonstrations of or delight at sight eight of at these sought much for lor tools he be was doomed to disappoint disappointment ment meat for tor both Bud Dud and Phil had schooled themselves to keep their faces straight Um m said Bud Dud old drills eh eb Where you OU find them 7 Tho Yaqui led lcd the way to the face of the cut and showed the spot a hole bole beneath tho pile of ot riven rock and anda a Mexican not to be outdone grabbed up a handful of porphyry and Indicated indicated indi Indi- where the dynamite had pulverIzed pulverized pulverized pulver pulver- it BIen Blen said Phil pawing solemnly around In the bottom of the hole and then filling his handkerchief with fine dirt he lie carried it down to the creek There in a miners miner's pan he washed It out carefully slopping the waste over over the edge and swirling tho the water around until at last laet only a little dirt vas was left In the bottom of at the pan Then while all the tho Mexicans looked on on be he tailed this toward the edge scanning the last remnant for tor gold gold gold- and quit without a color Nada he be cried throwing down the pan and in some way the Mexicans Mexicans cans sensed the fact that the mine had turned out a failure Three times he went back to the cut and scooped up the barren dust and then he told the themen themen themen men they could quit No more work he ho said affecting a dejected bitterness no hay nada nada nada- there ther Is nothing And with this sad but by no means unusual ending to their labors labore the Mexicans went away to their camp speculating among themselves as to whether they could get their pay But when the last of them had gone Phil beckoned Bud into the tent and showed him a piece of quartz Just take a look at that thaU he said and a single glance told Hooker that it was full of at fine particles of goldI gold I picked that up when they weren't looking whispered Do Lancey his eyes dancing with triumph Its the same rock rock the tho same as Kruger's Well V ell put er |