XII

In its inception the Fortuna hotel had not been intended for the use

of Mexicans--in fact, its rates were practically prohibitive for any

one not being paid in gold--but, since most of the Americans had left,

and seven dollars a day Mex was no deterrent to the rich refugee

landowners, it became of a sudden international, with a fine mixture of

purse-proud Spaniards and race-proud American adventurers.

Not a very pleasing combination for the parents of romantic damsels

destined for some prearranged marriage of state, but very exciting for

the damsels and most provocative to the Americans.

After the promenade in the plaza the mothers by common consent

preempted the up-stairs reception-room, gathering their precious

charges in close; while the Americans, after their custom, forgathered

in the lobby, convenient to the bar. Hot arguments about the

revolution, and predictions of events to come, served to pass the early

evening, with many scornful glances at the Mexican dandies who went so

insolently up the stairs. And then, as the refugees retired to their

apartments and the spirit of adventure rose uppermost, Phil De Lancey

made a dash out into the darkness and came back with a Mexican string

band.

"A serenade, boys!" he announced, as the musicians filed sheepishly

into the hotel. "Our guests, the fair _señoritas_, you know! We'll

make those young Mexican dudes look like two-spots before the war is

over. Who's game now for a song beneath the windows? You know the old

stand-bys--'La Paloma' and 'Teresita Mia'--and you want to listen to

me sing 'Me Gustan Todas' to Gracia, the fairest of the fair! Come on,

fellows, out in the plaza, and then listen to the old folks cuss!"

They adjourned then, after a drink for courage, to the moonlight

and the plaza; and there, beneath the shuttered windows and vacant

balconies, the guitars and violins took up "La Paloma," while Phil and

a few brave spirits sang.

A silence followed their first attempt, as well as their second and

third, and the _comisario_ of police, a mild creature owned and paid by

the company, came around and made a few ineffectual protests.

But inside the company's concession, where by common consent the

militant _rurales_ kept their hands off, the Americans knew they were

safe, and they soon jollied the _comisario_ into taking a drink and

departing. Then De Lancey took up the burden, and the string band,

hired by the hour, strummed on as if for eternity.

One by one the windows opened; fretful fathers stepped out on the

balcony and, bound by the custom and convention of the country, thanked

them and bade them good night. But the two windows behind which the

Señor Aragon and his family reposed did not open and, though the

dwindling band stood directly under their balcony, and all knew that

his daughter was the fairest of the fair, Don Cipriano did not wish

them good night.

Perhaps he recognized the leading tenor--and the big voice of Bud

Hooker, trying to still the riot--but, however it was, he would not

speak to them, and De Lancey would not quit.

"Try 'em on American music," he cried, as every one but Bud went away

in disgust, "the latest rag from Broadwa-ay, New York. Here, gimme that

guitar, _hombre_, and listen to this now!"

He picked out a clever bit of syncopation and pitched his voice to a

heady twang:

"Down in the garden where the red roses grow,

Oh my, I long to go!

Pluck me like a flower, cuddle me an hour,

Lovie, let me learn the Rose Red Ra-ag!"

There was some swing to that, and it seemed to make an impression,

for just as he was well started on the chorus the slats of one of the

shutters parted and a patch of white shone through the spaces. It was

the ladies, then, who were getting interested! Phil wailed on:

"Swee-eet honey-bee, be sweet to me!

My heart is free, but here's the key!"

And then, positively, he could see that patch of white beat time. He

took heart of grace at that and sang on to the end, and at a suggestion

of clapping in dumb-show he gave an encore and ragged it over again.

"Ev'rybody's doin' it, doin' it, doin' it!'" he began, as the shadow

dance ceased.

"'Honey, I declare, it's a bear, it's a bear, it's a bear!'" he

continued temptingly, and was well on his way to further extravagancies

when the figure in white swiftly vanished and a door slammed hard

inside the house.

Several minutes later the form of Don Juan appeared at the lower door,

and in no uncertain tones he requested them to cease.

"The Señor Aragon informs me," he said, "that your music annoys him."

"Well, let him come to the balcony and say his '_buenas noches_,'"

answered Phil resentfully.

"The gentleman refuses to do that," responded Don Juan briefly.

"Then let him go to bed!" replied De Lancey, strumming a few syncopated

chords. "I'm singing to his daughter."

At that Don Juan came down off the porch in his slippers and they

engaged in a protracted argument.

"What, don't I get a word," demanded Phil grievously, "not a pleasant

look from anybody? 'Swee-eet honey-bee, be sweet to me!'" he pleaded,

turning pathetically to the lady's balcony; and then, with a sudden

flourish, a white handkerchief appeared through the crack of the

shutters and Gracia waved him good night.

"Enough, Don Juan!" he cried, laying down the guitar with a thump.

"This ends our evening's entertainment!"

After paying and thanking the stolid musicians Phil joined Bud and the

pair adjourned to their room where, in the intervals of undressing,

Phil favored the occupants of the adjoining apartments with an aria

from "Beautiful Doll."

But for all such nights of romance and music there is always a morning

afterward; and a fine tenor voice set to rag-time never helped much

in the development of a mine. Though Bud had remained loyally by his

friend in his evening serenade he, for one, never forgot for a moment

that they were in Fortuna to work the Eagle Tail and not to win the

hearts of Spanish-Mexican _señoritas_, no matter how attractive they

might be.

Bud was a practical man who, if he ever made love, would doubtless do

it in a perfectly businesslike way, without hiring any string bands.

But at the same time he was willing to make some concessions.

"Well, go ahead and get your sleep, then," he growled, after trying

three times in the morning to get his pardner up; "I'm going out to the

mine!"

Then, with a saddle-gun under his knee and his six-shooter hung at his

hip, he rode rapidly down the road, turning out from time to time to

let long cavalcades of mules string by. The dead-eyed _arrieros_, each

with his combined mule-blind and whip-lash swinging free, seemed to

have very little on their minds but their pack-lashings, and yet they

must be three days out from Moctezuma.

Their mules, too, were well loaded with the products of the hot

country--_fanegas_ of corn in red leather sacks, oranges and fruits in

hand-made crates, _panoches_ of sugar in balanced frames, long joints

of sugar-cane for the _dulce_ pedlers, and nothing to indicate either

haste or flight.

Three times he let long pack-trains go by without a word, and then at

last, overcome by curiosity, he inquired about the _revoltosos_.

"What _revoltosos_?" queried the old man to whom he spoke.

"Why, the men of Bernardo Bravo," answered Bud; "the men who are

marching to take Moctezuma."

"When I left Moctezuma," returned the old man politely, "all was

quiet--there were no _revoltosos_. Since then, I cannot say."

"But the soldiers!" cried Bud. "Surely you saw them! They were marching

to fight the rebels."

"Perhaps so," shrugged the _arriero_, laying the lash of his _topojo_

across the rump of a mule; "but I know nothing about it."

"No," muttered Bud, as he continued on his way; "and I'll bet nobody

else does."

Inquiry showed that in this, too, he was correct. From those who

traveled fast and from those who traveled slow he received the same

wondering answer--the country might be filled with _revoltosos_; but as

for them, they knew nothing about it.

Not until he got back to Fortuna and the busy Federals' telegraph-wire

did he hear any more news of rapine and bloodshed, and the light which

dawned upon him then was gradually dawning upon the whole town.

It was a false alarm, given out for purposes of state and the "higher

politics" with which Mexico is cursed, and the most that was ever seen

of Bernardo Bravo and his lawless men was twenty miserable creatures,

half-starved, but with guns in their hand, who had come down out of the

mountains east of Moctezuma and killed a few cows for beef.

Thoroughly disgusted, and yet vaguely alarmed at this bit of

opera-bouffe warfare, Bud set himself resolutely to work to hunt up men

for their mine, and, as many poor people were out of employment because

of the general stagnation of business, he soon had ten Mexicans at his

call.

Then, as Phil had dropped out of sight, he ordered supplies at the

store and engaged Cruz Mendez--who had spent his fortune in three

days--to pack the goods out on his mules.

They were ready to start the next morning if De Lancey could be found

to order the powder and tools, and as the afternoon wore on and no Phil

appeared, Bud went on a long hunt which finally discovered him in the

balcony of their window, making signs in the language of the bear.[2]

[Footnote 2: In Mexico a man who flirts with a woman, or courts her

surreptitiously through the bars of her window, is called a "bear."]

"Say, Phil," he hailed, disregarding his pardner's obvious

preoccupation; "break away for a minute and tell me what kind of powder

to get to break that schist--the store closes at five o'clock, and--"

He thrust his head out the door as he spoke and paused, abashed.

Through the half-closed portal of the next balcony but one he beheld

the golden hair of Gracia Aragon, and she fixed her brown eyes upon him

with a dazzling, mischievous smile.

"O-ho!" murmured Bud, laying a compelling hand on De Lancey and backing

swiftly out of range; "so this is what you're up to--talking signs! But

say, Phil," he continued, beckoning him peremptorily with a jerk of his

head, "I got ten men hired and a lot of grub bought, and if you don't

pick out that mining stuff we're going to lose a day. So get the lady

to excuse you and come on now."

"In a minute," pleaded Phil, and he went at the end of his allotted

time, and perhaps it was the imp of jealousy that put strength into

Hooker's arm.

"Well, that's all right," said Bud, as Phil began his laughing excuses;

"but you want to remember the Maine, pardner--we didn't come down here

to play the bear. When there's any love-making to be done I want to be

in on it. And you want to remember that promise you made me--you said

you wouldn't have a thing to do with the Aragon outfit unless I was

with you!"

"Why, you aren't--you aren't jealous, are you, Bud?"

"Yes, I'm jealous," answered Hooker harshly; "jealous as the devil! And

I want you to keep that promise, see?"

"Aw, Bud--" began De Lancey incredulously; but Hooker silenced him with

a look. Perhaps he was really jealous, or perhaps he only said so to

have his way, but Phil saw that he was in earnest, and he went quietly

by his side.

But love had set his brain in a whirl, and he thought no more of his

promise--only of some subtler way of meeting his inamorata, some way

which Bud would fail to see.