Page 108 (1/1)

In i of shoulders as she heard him say: "The curse of it is--that the stuff is there, and that we're the only fellows that can get it out The Mexicans can't do it They haven't the brains All they've got is the guns, and they'refor us, Jereet profits for a year or so, lay off the "

"I threw that into Arranzo," Jeremy Braxton's voice boomed "And as his comeback? That if we laid off the peons, he'd see to it that the engineers laid off, too, and the mine could flood and be damned to us--No, he didn't say that last He just s For two cents I'd a-wrung his yellow neck, except that there'd have been another patriot in his boots and in ot his 'bit,' and, on top of it, before he went across to join the main bunch around Juarez, he let his men run off three hundred of our ht there, after I'd sweetened him, too The yellow skunk!"

"Who is revolutionary chief in our diggings right now?" Paula heard her husband ask with one of his abrupt shifts that she knew of old tiether theto action

"Raoul Bena"

"What's his rank?"

"Colonel--he's got about seventy ragamuffins"

"What did he do before he quit work?"

"Sheep-herder"

"Very well" Dick's utterance was quick and sharp "You've got to play-act Become a patriot Hike back as fast as God will let you Sweeten this Raoul Bena He'll see through your play, or he's no Mexican Sweeten hieneral---a second Villa"

"Lord, Lord, yes, but how?" Jere him at the head of an army of five thousand Lay off the men Make him make them volunteer We're safe, because Huerta is doomed Tell him you're a real patriot Give each e, and it will prove you a patriot Promise every man his job back when the war is over Let the Keep on the pu force only And if we cut out profits for a year or so, at the sa down losses And perhaps on't have to flood old Harvest after all"