SINGLE TREE 17

a couple dayslater single had his team trotting smartly as they entered the mine compound. jimmy starr the deputy from tucson along with three possee members came along as out riders. on the trip they hadnt seen a liveing soul. when he pulled his team to a halt single let out a held breath. the trip back had even been enjoyable. clara came from her tent all smiles" wellcome back single!" she exclaimed single waved a hand at her as he stepped down from the wagon" these four gentlmen are a possee looking for a couple of desperados that came this way. did they stop here?" jimmy star had dismounted and was standing just behind single holding his horse. " there were two men came by a few days ago. when hanford offered them work they said they were just passing through. they rode on south."clara explained. jimmy turned to his horse and mounted and waveing to his three men rode on south without a backward glance. " i didnt think he wanted to catch those two guys very bad, but maybe i misjudged him. is hanford up at the mine?"single asked. " yes he and 4 indians who showed up to work. one said you sent them." clara answered. single nodded and started unharnessing his teams. " he seemed like a pretty good fellow anyway he liked my coffee." single laughed. when single walkeed up to the mine he could see where there had been a lot activity since he was gone. the steam crusher hadnt been touched tho. inside the tunnel mouth was a stack of sacks full of ore. he opened 0one and was shocked to see the gleam of a wide vein of gold running through the copper ore. from down the tunnel he could hear some one working with a pick . he walked that way but the air became heavy and hard to breath. around a slight bend he could see a lantern lighting up the end of the tunnel. one man was attacking the face of the tunnel and the others were picking up the ore and puttting it in a bag held open by hanford. everyone was sweating a river in the hot, still air of the tunnel. when a bag was full it was placed on a wheeled cart and with one man pulling and one pushing headed to the front of the tunnel upon seeing single hanford threw his hands up" look at this , the farther we go the stronger it gets. did you find more men to work here?" single shook his head. " no but you dont have room in here for another man let alone a crew. i think you better find a way to get some air in here or you all will be dead." " but look at the vein , its wider than ever!" hanford was on the edge of insanity. the bif indian with the pick set it down and walked past single and hanford and started to the outside. " where you going? get back here!" hanford almost screamed. " he needs some air, and so do you come on." single took hanfords arm and began leading him out side. at the tunnel mouth the three indians were squated down in the shade gulping in big breaths of air. as they stepped out side single could see a man on a white horse leading a line of horsemen and comming from the south toward them. the indians slowley got up and retreated into the tunnel out of sight. as they drew near single could see the group included jim star and his possee. the man on the white horse drew up and saluted " capitan emil kosterlinsky and a detachment of rurales. . we found these men entering mexico. they said they came from here." single stepped up and extended his hand, kosterlinsky looked down at it as if it were venomous." yes they are a deputy sherriff from tucson in pursuit of out laws." single dropped his hand. " in mexico we are the law enforcement of the border. we keep out people home as much as possible and dont let interlopers enter. i remand these men to you. should we find the outlaws we will remand them to you here."he spun the white horse and rode through the rurales leaveing the possee sitting there as they rode south back to mexico.