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Show The Land of Broken Promises A Stirring Story of the Mexican Revolution By DANE COOLIDGE Atahm- if "The Fiehtin Pool." "Hidden Wuera." "TUc Tcxican." Etc (Copyright, 19H, by Frank A. Munsey J SYNOPSIS. Bud Hooker antf Phil Da Lancey are forced, owing to a revolution in Mexico, to give up their mlnwg claim and return to the United States. In the border town Df Gadsden Bud meeio Henry Kruger, a ivealthy miner, who makes him a proposition propo-sition to return to MerAco to acquire title to a very rich mine fhich Kruser had blown up when he frfiind he had been cheated out of the titl by one Aragon. The Mexican subsequently had spent a large sum of money ir. an unsuccessful attempt to relocate the rein and then allowed al-lowed the land to revert for taxes. Hooker Hook-er and De Lancey arriv at Fortuna, near Where the Eagle Tal' mine is located. They engage Cruz Medez to acquire the title for them and begin preliminary work. Aragon accuses them of jumping his claim. Hooker discovers that matrimonial matri-monial entanglements prevent Mendez from acquiring a valid title. Phil, who has been paying attention to Gracia Aragon, Ara-gon, decides to turn Mexican and acquire the title. Aragon fails in his attempt to flrive them off the claim. Rebels are reported re-ported in the vicinity. A rich vein of gold is struck and work on the mine Is Stopped until the title can be perfected. Hill is arrested by Manuel del Rey. captain cap-tain of the rurales and suitor of Gracia's. He Is released on promise to stay away from Gracia. Phil is forced to enlist in the rurales. He asks Bud to take care ef Gracia. The rebels are defeated In a fierce battle near Fortuna. CHAPTER XVII Continued 1 "What, senor!" she bantered; "you flo not speak? Surely, then, your friend De Lancey was wrong when he said you would save me! For look, Mr. Hooker, I am promised to marry dear Phil; but how can I manage that when Manuel del Rey la watching me? It is impossible, is it not?" "Seems so," muttered Bud, and In the back of his head he began to think quickly. Here was the fountainhead of his 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, he sensed that she did not intend to marry him. Her grudge was against Manuel del Rey who drove away all her lovers. "Well," he ventured, "there's no rush, I reckon Phil's enlisted for five years." "Ha!" she cried contemptuously; "and do you think he will serve? No! At a word from me he will flee to the border and I shall join him in the United States!" "What?" demanded Bud; "Phil desert?" de-sert?" In a moment he saw what such a move would mean to him to Kruger and the Eagle Tail and he woke suddenly sud-denly from his calm. "Here now," he said, scowling as he saw that she was laughing at him, "you've made me and Phil enough trouble. You let that boy alone, navvy ?" He stooped toward her as he spoke, fixing her with masterful eyes that iad 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. "I will do what I please, Mr. Hooker," Hook-er," she returned, balancing on the verge of flight. "All right," Bud came back; "but don't you call me in on it. You've 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 challenged, chal-lenged, turning back upon him. "I mean this," responded Hooker warmly. "Phil holds the title to our mine. If he deserts he loses his Mexican Mexi-can citizenship and his claim is m. good. But you don't need to think that your father will get the mine then, because be-cause he'll have to whip me first!" "O-ho!" she sneered; "so - that is what you are thinking of? You are a true gringo, Mr. Hooker always lhinking about the money!" "Yes," returned Bud; "and even at that I believe your old man will best me!" She laughed again, with sudden capriciousness, and stood tapping the floor with her foot. "Ah, I see," she said at length, gazing gaz-ing at him reproachfully; "you think I 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 iGringo," she cried with sudden fire, "that I did not! I have nothing to do with my father and his schemes. But if you do not trust me " I She turned dramatically to go, but when Hooker made no effort to stay her she returned once more to the attack. at-tack. "No," she said, "it was because he was an American because he was brave that I put my faith in PhU. 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 is 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 against 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 blm shyly, and as her eloquent eyes met his own Bud felt suddenly that Bhe was sincere. The gnawing and corrosive corro-sive doubts that had eaten at his heart fell away, 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 said. "And I'm glad to know you," he added, taking tak-ing off his hat and bowing awkwardly. "Anything I can do for you, don't hesitate 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 Hands," she said, 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 Chihuahua. 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 if I do!" muttered mut-tered Bud. Then he sat down to think. "Amigo," he 6aid to the Yaqui, "are you a Mexican citizen? Can you get title to mine?" "Me a Mexican?" repeated Amigo, tapping himself on the chest. "No, senor! Seguro que no!" "All right then," observed Bud bitterly, bit-terly, "here goes nothing nowhere! I'll turn Mexican myself!" He passed the messenger on the way to town, took out bis first papers as a citizen, picked up the mineral agent's expert on the way back, and located the Eagle Tail in his own name. Before Be-fore riding back to camp he wired to Kruger: Have turned Mex and relocated claim. HOOKER. It was his last card, and he did not expect to win by it. Fate had been against him from the first, and he could Bee his finish, but his nature drove him to fight on. All that Aragon Ara-gon had to do now was to have him summoned for 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 had been crowded to the wail, and he was mad enough to fight. The news of De Lancey's desertion followed quickly after his flight it came over the federal wires in a report re-port to Manuel del Rey but by the time it got to Aragon that gentleman was too late. They rode into camp the next day Aragon and the captain of the rurales and at the first glimpse of that hated uniform Amigo was off like a buck. Bud went out sullenly to meet them, his black mood showing in his lowering eyes, and he halted them by the savagery of his cursing. "You cock-eyed old reprobate," lie snarled, advancing threateningly upon the paling Aragon, "this makes three times you've come into my camp and brought your gun vih you! Now take it off!" lie yelled, dropping suddenly into Spanish. "Take that gun off do you understand?" So violent and unexpected was hte assault that it threw Aragon into a panic, and even Manuel del Rey softened soft-ened his manner as he inquired into the cause. "Never mind," answered Bud, smiling crustily as Aragon laid aside his arms; "I know that hombre well! Now what can I do for you, capitan?" "Be so kind as to take your hand from your belt," replied Del Rey with a smile that was intended to placate. "Ah, thank you excuse my nerves now I can tell you the news. I regret to inform you, senor, that your friend, De Lancey, has deserted from my command, com-mand, taking his arms and equipment with him. In case he Is captured he will be shot aB a deserter." "Your news is old, capitan," rejoined re-joined Hooker. "I knew it two days ago. And you can tell Mr. Aragon that it is no use for him to try to get this mine I became a Mexican citizen yesterday and located It myself." "So we learned," responded the captain cap-tain suavely. "It was part of my errand today to ask If you would not enlist in my company of rurales." "Muchas gracias, capitan," an swered Hooker with heavy irony. "I do not care to!" "But your friend" protested Manuel Man-uel del Rey with an insinuating smile. "My friend was in jail," put in Bud; "he was to be shot at sunrise. But mira, amigo, I am not in jail, and, furthermore, I 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 killed. Come now, you understand my errand why make it hard for me?" "No, senor," returned Bud grimly, "I know nothing of your errand. But this I do know. I have done nothing for which I can be arrested, and if any man tries to make me join the army " he hooked his thumb into his belt and regarded the captain fixedly. "Ah, very well," said Del Rey, jerking jerk-ing his waxed mustachios, "I will not press the matter. But I understand from one of my men, senor, that you are harboring a dangerous criminal here the same man, perhaps, whom I saw running up the canyon?" He smiled meaningly at this, but Bud was swift to defend his Yaqui. "No, senor," he replied, "I have no such criminal. I have a Mexican working work-ing for me who Is one of the best miners in Sonora, and that is all I know about him." "A Mexican?" repeated Del Rey, 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 Yaqui. Moreover, he is a fugitive and an outlaw, and If he had not been enlisted with the federals fed-erals I should have arrested him when he passed through Fortuna. So I warn you, sir, not to hide him, or you will be liable to the law." "I'm not hiding him," protested Hooker scornfully. "I'm just hiring him as a miner, and any time you want him you can come and get him. He's up In the rocks there somewhere now." "So!" exclaimed the captain, glancing glanc-ing uneasily at the hillside. "I did not think but many thanks, senor, another an-other time will do as well." He reined his horse away as he spoke and, with a jerk of the head to Aragon, rode rapidly down the canyon. can-yon. Aragon lingered to retrieve his fallen gun-belt and then, seeming to think better of his desire to speak, he made a single vindictive gesture and set spurs to his champing horee. It was mrely 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 his declaration of war to the knife. He bared his strong teeth in reply and hissed out a blighting 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 before be-fore it, his rugged form silhouetted against the flames. And soon, as quiet as a fox, the Yaqui appeared from the gloom. "Did he come for me?" he asked, advancing warily into the firelight, "that capitan?" "Yes," answered Bud, "and for me, too. But you must have known him before, Amigo he seems to be afraid of you." A smile of satisfaction passed over the swarthy face of 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 he had been with Bud he drew aside the veil from his past. "Yes," he said, nodding significantly, "the rural is afraid. He knows I 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 gesture, ges-ture, he laid open his shirt and pointed to a scar along the ribs. "He shot me there," he said. "And so you have come to kill him?" "Yes," answered Amigo; "but not now. Tomorrow I go to my people I must take them my money first." "Have you got a wife?" asked Hooker, Hook-er, forgetting for once his accustomed reserve. "No," grumbled Amiga, shaking his head sadly, "no wife." "Oh, you take your money to your father and mother." "No. No father no mother nadie!" He threw up his open hands to signify sig-nify that all were gone, and Hooker said no more. For three months and more he had worked alongside this giant, silent Yaqui and only once had he sensed his past. That was when Amigo had torn his shirt in lifting, and across the rippling muscles of his 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 his people, peo-ple, he had been deported to the hene-quen hene-quen fields of Yucatan and flogged by the overseer's lash and Amigo was ashamed of it. But now that ha 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 Amigo quietly; quiet-ly; "they died." He spoke the words simply, but there was something in his voice that brought up images of the past of peaceful Yaquis, seized at every ranch in Sonora on a certain night; of long marches overland, prodded on by rurales and guards; of the crowded prison-ships from which the most anguished an-guished hurled themselves Into the sea; and then the awful years of slavery in the poisoned tropics, until only the hardiest were left. Amigo had seen it all, as the scars on his broad back proved but he withdrew now into silence and left his thoughts unsaid. As he sat there by the fire, one long, black hand held out to keep the gleam from his eyes, he made a noble figure, but the Yaquql songs which he had crooned on other nights were forgotten, and he held himself tense and still. Then at last he rose and gazed at Bud. "You pay me my money," he sald. "I 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 hold It "What you buy with all that?" he inquired with a friendly grin; "grub?" "No, senor,' answered Amigo, knotting knot-ting the precious gold in a handkerchief; handker-chief; "cartridges!" "What for?" queried Bud, and then it was Amigo who smiled. "To kill Mexicans with!" he replied, and in those words Hooker read the secret of his thrift. While his wild brethren fought in the hills or prepared for the battles to come, it was his part to earn the money that should keep them in ammunition. am-munition. It was for that, in fact, that Porfirio Diaz had seized all the peaceful peace-ful Yaquis in a night and shipped them to Yucatan for he saw that while they were working the wild Yaquis would never lack. All the time that Amigo had been doing two men's work and saving on the price of a shirt he had held that cheerful dream in his mind to kill more Mexicans! Yet, despite the savagery in him, Hooker had come to like the Yaqui, and he liked him still. With the rurales on his trail It was better that he should go, but Bud wanted him to return. So, knowing the simple honesty hon-esty of Indians, he brought out his own spare pistol and placed it in Ami-go's Ami-go's hands. Often he had seen him gazing at it longingly, for it was lighter light-er than hi3 heavy Mauser and better for the journey. "Here," he said, "I will lend you my pistol and you can give it to me when you come back." "Sure!" answered the Indian, hanging hang-ing it on his hip; "adlos!" They shook hands then, and the Yaqui disappeared in the darkness. In the morning, when a squad of rurales closed in on the camp, they found nothing but his great tracks in the dust. CHAPTER XIX. It was June and the windstorms which had swept in from the southeast south-east died away. No more, as in the months that had passed, did the dust-pillar dust-pillar rise from the dump of the Fortuna For-tuna mill and go swirling up the canyon. can-yon. A great calm and heat settled over the harassed land, and above the far blue wall of the Sierras the first thunder thun-der caps of the rainy season rose up till they obscured the sky. Then, with a rush of conflicting winds, a leaden silence, and a crash of flickering light, the storm burst in tropic fury and was gone as quickly as it had come. So, while the rich landowners of the hot country sat idle and watched it grow, another storm gathered behind the distant Sierras; and, as empty rumors lulled them to a false security, suddenly from the north came the news of dashing raids, of railroads cut, troops routed, nnd the whole border bor-der occupied, by swarming rebels. In a day the southern country was isolated and cut off from escape and, while the hordes of Chihuahua insur-rectos insur-rectos laid siege to Agua Negra, the belated Spanish haciendados came scuttling once more to Fortuna. There, at least, was an American town where the courage of the Anglo-Saxon would protect their women in extremity. And, if worst came to worst, it was better to pay ransom to red-flag generals than to fall victims to bandits and looters. loot-ers. As the bass roar of the great whistle reverberated over the hills Bud Hooker Hook-er left his lonely camp almost gladly, and with his hard-won gold-dust safe beneath his belt, went galloping into town. Not for three weeks not since he received the wire from Phil and located lo-cated the Eagle Tail mine had he dared to leave his claim. Rurales, outlaws out-laws and Mexican patriots had dropped in from day to day and eaten up most of his food, but none of them had caught him napping, ani ne had ac tention that they should. A conspiracy had sprung up to I rid of him, to harry him out of country, and behind it was An But now, with the big whistle blc; Aragon would have other concer; j He had his wife and daughter, Re beautiful Gracia, to hurry to the t M and perhaps the thought of t wr caught and held for ransom woui. ye ter him from stealing mine. So soned Bud, and, dragging a Teh, tar pack-animal behind him, he cjnt c 0 ing in for supplies, gro At the store he bought flour anr; anc fee and the other things whic mi needed most As he was passlt; cou the hotel Don Juan de Dioa haltec for a moment rushing out and t: ha(j ing a bundle of letters Into his f. me. and hurrying back into the hou tt if fearful of being detected in sur Ing act of friendehip. "w Long before he had lost his pi-Bud pi-Bud had decided that Don Juan s "j trimmer, a man who tried to t- per things to all people as a good : end keeper should but now he alters the opinion a little, for the letters ter, from Phil. He read them over t ,hIr crowded plaza, into which the refugees were Just beginning to ?Q! and frowned as he skimmed tithe ti-the last epa Of Gracia and vain protestatl. Dj devotion there was enough a: 6pare, but nothing about the : Only In the first one, written o: -j very day he had deserted, did :Jana much as attempt an excuse for s ia cipitately abandoning their clalr om his Mexican citizenship. Phil v: in.t My mail was being sent throu?- "I que.rters and looked over by Del h Ice-l 1 knew I would never receive the : even if they came. I hope you c : " " hard about It, pardner. Kruger s )0ilr come out right away. I wou:: .ave stayed with it, but it wasn't a:; -ye And now. Bud. I want to ask yo. Je thing. When you come out, brine with you. Don't leave her at tr.--uPld of Del Rey. I would come m; (11 wasn't sure death. Be quick a;- "q0 Bud; I count on you. "Ba. The other letters were all lii: ..Di( but nothing about the mine. A tPrat it was the mine that Bud was . ..Ap for that they had fought for f: The first. The railroad was torn v.; ..gj,, and a flight with Gracia was h: t go but it was just as well, for he r.plo-would r.plo-would abandon the Eagle TaiL J In two monthe, or three, rebels were whipped ofT, his ; might come. Then he could i jjg taxes and transfer his title a: ash sider the stealing of Gracia. I. ne he had seen her and touched t-something t-something held him back a g: Thei reluctance and he was glad t ; th, duty lay elsewhere. If Bhe t s fe girl now he would come down her anyway. . . But she was not his girl and. . back grimly at the seething lithe li-the hotel that hid her from s -rode somberly down the road, all, there was nothing to get f about every revoltoso in the ( was lined up around Agua Nf" with four hundred soldiers to them and artillery to shell ti vance, it would be many a long fore they took that town. Twice already Agua Ner fallen before such attacks, but . was protected by rifle-pits a: n chine guns set high on mud ix then there were the Yaquis, sr.'. ful to Madero. They alone cc the town, if they made up the:: to fight. So reasoned Hooker, over the news that he had he: he watched the ridges warily, weather was good for raiders. A day passed, and then anoti the big whistle blew only ! shifts: the loneliness of the t pressed him as he gazed out quivering heat And then, life-? i Q after a shower, Amigo came r into camp on the heels of a t " storm, his sandals hung on his JL his big feet squelching thro- mud. Across his shoulders he wor Bat serape, woven by some patient utes of his tribe; and in the bell water Bud's pistol he carried a heav: lnto blacksmithed from a ten-incli nor-ti some Yaqui hiilman. All in : was a fine barbarian, but li e l 1 good to the lonely Bud. 'ri "Ola, Amigo!" he hailed, Do out from the adobe house had moved to avoid the ra: UIC.kl Amigo answered with his horn Ljeana which carried no hint of sav.- pjesa dercreit' compl Try as he would, Bud co bring himself to think of his Wriet! dangerous; and even when anced the Indian's murderouf knife in his hands he regardco a grin. It was a heavy wear'11 ' across the back, keen on c and drawn to a point that v sharp and strong. The wrapped with rawhide to t clutch of the hand. I gj "What do you do with this?" y Hooker. "Chop wood? Skin i ' ' "Yes, chop wood!" answered but he replaced it carefully In (TO BR CONTINUEP.) ' A bad memory Is one that Is sprlnglng things on us we tho had forgotten. "nU i |