Show t avab s v 5 the land of broken promises A stirring story by DANE author vf of the mexican tin fool hatm revolution thu Tfx ican etc lavin 1914 by fruit A SYNOPSIS bud hooker and phil de lancer are forced owing to a revolution in mexico to give up their mining claim and return to the united states in the border town of gadart n bud meets henry kruger a wealthy miner who makes him a apropo to return to mexico to acquire title to a very rich mine which kruger had blown up when he found he had been i cheated out of the title by one aragon the mexican subsequently had ghent a SK large sum of money in an unsuccessful f attempt to relocate the vein and then al lowed the land to revert tor taxes hooker and de I 1 ancey arrive at fortuna near where the eagle tall mine Is located they engage cruz mendez to acquire the bt title for them and begin preliminary work aragon accuses them of jumping tila claim hooker discovers that mabrl entanglements entangle ments prevent mendez from acquiring a valid title phil who has been paying attention to gracca ara lon decides to turn mexican and acquire the title aragon falls in his attempt to them ott the claim rebels are re in the vicinity A rich vein of gold Is etrick and work on the mine is until the title can ba perfected phil Is arrested by manuel del hey cap of the and suitor of gracca ie Is released on promise to stay away from gracca phil Is forced to enlist in the he asks bud to take care 01 gracca the rebels are defeated in a fierce battle near fortuna CHAPTER continued what benor bhe bantered you 0 o not speak surely then your friend de lancey was wrong when he said ou would save mel for look hooker I 1 am promised to marry dear phil but how can I 1 manage that when manuel del rey ie watching ma at la impossible Is it not seems so muttered bud and in the back ot his head he began to think here waa the ct bis misfortunes and if she had her way she would lay all his plans in ruins and even then not marry phil in fact from the light way she spoke Q geneed that ehe did not intend to him her grudge was against manuel del rey who drove away all lier lovers J well he ventured there a no rush I 1 reckon phil a enlisted tor five yeara ha ehe cried contemptuously and do you think he will serve no I 1 M a word from me he will flee to the reorder rt order and I 1 shall join him in the united what demanded bud phil de bertt in moment be baw what such a move would mean to him to kruger and the eagle tall and he woke sud denly from his calm here now he said scowling as he aw that ehe was laughing at him you TO made me and phil enough trouble you let that boy alone savvy he stooped toward her as he spoke fixing her with masterful eyes that tad tamed many a bad horse and man and she shrank away instinctively then she glanced at him shyly and edged over toward the open door 1 I will do what I 1 please mr hook r she returned balancing on the verge of flight all right bud came back but lont you call me in on it youve w made a fool of phil I 1 suppose you d like to get me too then your father would grab our mine what do you meant ahe chal longed turning back upon him 1 I mean this responded hooker warmly phil holds the title to our mine it be deserts he loses his dexl can citizenship and his claim Is no food but you don t need to think that your father will get the mine then because bell have to whip me oho bhe sneered BO that Is what you are thinking of you are a true gyengo mr hooker always thinking about the money 1 yes returned bud and even at that I 1 believe your old man will best mel she laughed again with budden and stood tapping the floor with her foot ah I 1 see ebe said at length gaz lag at him reproachfully you think I 1 am working for my father you think I 1 got poor phil into all this trouble in order to cheat him of his cine but let me tell you senor chingo she cried with sudden fire that I 1 did hotl I 1 have nothing to do with my father and bis 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 ehe said it was because be waa an american because he was brave that I 1 put my faith in phil these mexican men are cowards they are afraid to stand up and but philip dared to make love to me be dared to sing to me at night and when manuel del rey tried to stop him he stood up and made a ah that Is what I 1 admire a man who Is brave and let me tell you benor hooker I 1 shall always love your friend I 1 it I 1 could run away I 1 would marry him tomorrow but this cur manuel del rey stands in the way even my own father Is me I 1 don t care I 1 don t care what happens only do not think that I 1 am abot your driendl fri endl she paused now and glanced at him haly and as her eloquent eyes met ls own bud felt suddenly that the waa sincere the gnawing and corro alve doubts that had arten at his i eu aw BI be SAV her now IB AT true beauty with no uneasy thoughts of treachery to poison hla honest love I 1 believe you lady he eald and I 1 m glad to know ou he added tak ing off his hat and bowing awkwardly anything I 1 can do or you don t besl tate to ask tor it only I 1 cant go against my partners pard ners on this mine he bowed again and retreated toward the door but ahe followed him impulsively shake bands she said holding out both her own and will you help me sure I 1 answered bud and as her soft fingers closed on bis he took them gently for tear that he might crush them and never know CHAPTER A month of weary waiting followed that day of days in fortuna and still there waa no word from phil bernardo bravo and his rebel baldera passed through the mountains to the east and news came of heavy fighting in achl don aragon moved his family back to his hacienda and gracca became only a dream then one day as hooker and the abul 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 rays no be earned it I 1 do I 1 mut bud then he sat down to think amago he eald to the raqul are you a mexican citizen can you get title to alne me a mexican repeated amago tapping himself on the chest to fenorl seguro que no I 1 all right then observed bud bit terly here goes nothing nowhere ill turn mexican myself I 1 he passed the messenger on the way to town took out bis first papers as a citizen picked up the mineral agents expert on the way back and located the eagle tall in bis own name before riding back to camp he wired to kruger have turned mex and relocated claim HOOKER it was bis last card and he did not expect to win by it fate had been against him from the first and he could see his finish but his nature droe him to fight on all that ara gon bad to do now was to have him summoned tor military service and del rey would do the rest then he could take over the mine A mere formality or so it seemed but between aragon and his mine stood the texas blood hooker bad been crowded to tho wall and he waa mad enough to fight the news of de lancey s desertion followed quickly after his flight it camo over the federal wires in a report to manuel del rey but by the time it got to aragon that gentleman waa too late they rode into camp the next day aragon and the captain of the and at the first glimpse of that bated uniform amago was off like a buck bud went out sullenly to meet them bis black mood showing in bis lowering eyes and be baited them by the savagery of hla cursing you cockeyed old reprobate he snarled advancing threateningly upon the paling aragon this makes three times youve come into my camp and brought gun with youl now take it boffl be yelled dropping suddenly into spanish take that gun off do you understand T so violent and unexpected was hla assault that it threw aragon into a panic and even manuel del rey soft ened bis manner as be inquired into the cause never mind answered bud smiling crustily as aragon laid aside bis arms I 1 know that hombre well now what can I 1 do tor you capatan T bo so kind aa to take your band from your belt replied del key with a smile that waa intended to placate ah thank you excuse my nerves now I 1 can tell you the newe I 1 regret to inform you senor that your friend de lancey has deserted from my corn mand taking his arms and equipment with him in case he Is captured he will ba shot as a deserter your news Is old capatan rejoined hooker I 1 knew it two days ago and you can tell mr aragon that it la no use tor him to try to get this mine I 1 became a mexican citizen yesterday and located it myself so we learned responded the captain suavely it waa part of my errand today to ask it you would not enlist in my company of muchas gracyas gra clas capatan an hooker with heavy irony 1 I do not care to but your friend protested man uel del rey with an insinuating smile my friend waa in jail put in bud he was to be shot at sunrise but alra amago I 1 am not in jail and furthermore I 1 do not intend to be that Is very creditable to you laughed del rey but even then you are entitled to enlist the country Is full of turbulent fellows who have to be caught or tilled come now you understand my errand why make it hard for me no senor returned bud grimly I 1 know nothing of your errand but this I 1 do know I 1 have done nothing tor which I 1 can be arrested and it any man tries to maho roe join the army he hooked his thumb into his belt and regarded the captain fixedly ah very well said del rey lerk ins his waxed mustachios los 1 I will not press the matter but I 1 understand from one of my men benor that you are harboring a dangerous criminal here the same man perhaps whom I 1 saw running up the canyon he smiled at thle but bud was swift to defend his raqul no senor be replied I 1 have no such criminal I 1 have a mexican work ing for me who Is one 0 the best miners in sonora and that Is all I 1 know about him A mexican repeated del key arching his eyebrows excuse me sir but it is my business to know every man in this district and he Is no mexican but a raqul moreover he Is a fugitive and an outlaw and it he bad not been enlisted with the fed brals I 1 should have arrested him when he passed through fortuna so I 1 warn you sir not to hide him or you will be liable to the law 1 I m net hiding him protested hooker scornfully I 1 m just hiring him as aciner and any time you want him you can come and get him he s up in the rocks there somewhere now sol exclaimed the captain glanc ing uneasily at the I 1 did not think but many thanks senor an other time will do as well he reined bla borso away as be spoke and with a jerk of the head to aragon rode rapidly down the can yon aragon lingered to retrieve his fallen gun belt and then seeming to think better of his desire to speak be made a single vindictive gesture and set spurs to his champine champing cham ping horse it was arely a fling of the hand as spontaneous as a sigh or a frown but in it hooker read the last exasperation of the spaniard and bis declaration of war to the knife he bared his strong teeth in reply and out a blight ing curse and then aragon was gone that evening as the darkness came on and the canyon became hushed and still bud built a big fire and stood be tore it his rugged form silhouetted take that gun off do you understand 7 against the flames and soon as quiet as a fox the raqul appeared from the gloom did be come tor me be asked advancing warily into the firelight that capatan yes answered bud and tor me too but you must have known him before amago be seems to be afraid of you A smile of passed over the swarthy face et the indian at this and then the lines became grim again his eyes glowed with the light of some great purpose and for the first time since be bad been with bud be drew aside the veil from his past yes he said nodding significantly the rural ie afraid he knows I 1 have come to kill him he squatted by the fire and poured out a cup of coffee still brooding over his thoughts then with a swift ture he laid open bis shirt and pointed to a scar along the ribs he shot me there be said and so you have come to kill him yes answered amago but not now tomorrow I 1 go to my people I 1 must take them my money first have you got a wife asked hook er forgetting for once his accustomed reserve no grumbled amiga shaking bis head sadly no wife oh you take your money to baur father and mother no no herno fat mother nadle he threw up hla open hands to sag alty that all were gone and hooker said no more for three months and more be bad worked alongside this giant client raqul and only once had be sensed his past that was when amago bad torn his ehart in lifting and across the rippling muscles of bis back there had been shown the long white wale of a whip it was the mark of his former slavery when with the rest of bis people be bad been deported to the fields of yucatan and flogged by the overseer a lash and amago was ashamed of it but now that he was about to go bud made bold to ask him one more question to set his mind at rest perhaps this captain killed your people no senor answered amago quiet ly they died he spoke the words simply but there was something in hla voice amt brought up images of the past of peaceful seized at every ranch in sonora on a certain night of long marches overland prodded on by euralea and guards ot the crowded prison ships from which the moat an hurled themselves into the aea and then the awful years 0 slavery in the poisoned tropics until only the handiest hardiest har diest were lett amago had seen it all as the scars on his broad back proved but he withdrew now into silence and lett bis thoughts unsaid As be sat there by the fire one long black hand held out to keep the gleam his eyes be made a noble figure but the songs which he had crooned on other nights were forgotten and he held himself tense and still then at last ho rose and gazed at bud you pay me my money he bald I 1 go now sure answered bud and after he had weighed out the equivalent in gold on his scales he flipped in some more for luck and gave him a sack to bold it what you buy with all he inquired with friendly grin glubt no benor answered amago knot ting the precious gold in a banaker chief cartridges 1 what for queried bud and then it was amago who smiled to kill mexicans with I 1 be replied and in those words hooker read the secret of his thrift while hla wild brethren fought in the hills or prepared tor the battles to come it was his part to earn the money that should keep them in am it was tor that in fact that diaz had seized all the peaceful in a night and shipped them to yucatan tor be saw that while they were working the wild would never lack all the time that amago bad been doing two men a work and saving on the price of a shirt be bad held bat cheerful dream in bis mind to kill more yet despite the savagery in him hooker had come to like the raqul and he liked him still with the euralea on bis trail it was better that he should go but bud wanted him to return so knowing the simple bon esty of indians be brought out his own spare pistol and placed it in ami go s hands often be bad seen him gazing at it longingly tor it was light er than his heaby mauser and better for the journey here he said 1 I will lend you my pistol and you can give it to me when you come back surel answered the indian hang ing it on bla hip adleat ad loat they shook hands then and the yaqui disappeared in the darkness in the morning when a squad ot closed in on the camp they found nothing but his great tracks in the dust CHAPTER it was june and the windstorms wind storms which bad swept in from the south east died away no more aa in the months that had passed did the dust pillar rise from tha dump of the for tu na mill and go swirling up the can yon A great calm and heat settled over the harassed land and above the far blue wall of the sierras the first thun der caps of the rainy season rose up till they obscured the sky then with a rush of conflicting winds a |