Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-07-18

lGH
Hold up" said third, placing his
hand upon the speakers mouth, "il
yer goin' to say anything of that kind
here, say 1t l0Ve';, you fool"
Then they drew nearer together and
muttered mysteriously, the words beine
inaudible to the listener save when q
sentence eliminated in the emphasis o1
fearful oath.
But the gentlemanly gambler knew
we'll enough what they said, and as he
stood there in the shadow, he made
his plan. The warning he carried III
his breast-pocket was one of danger :
this was another. Therefore he walk.
ed up to the party, with q careless III.
difference, and seemed surprised and
pleased at meeting so many of his
friends at once,
"We want four hundred dollars,
Jim Matkin, said big fellow in red
shirt, 'and we must have it, and il
| Certainly, gentlemen, and might ]
inquire for what purpose2"
Had it been daylight, they might
have seen him draw his thin lips from
his teeth in the mockery Of smile as
he said this.
"To buy that coach and mule
team-and cheap at that. We CAM
stand no sich as this no longer, and the
eight of us has concluded to 90 tc
Tucson or go to h-l!"
Then the Principal Sharper explain
ed that it was all satisfactory, aud he
also would go; whereat his, victims
were again gulled as usual, and ever
pleased and fattered.
OF those eight men, the circumstan
ces and characteristics are the only es
sentials necessary, even if remember
ed. They were a striking group as
they sauntered down the street. Each
wore upon his thigh the inevitable
Colts, each threw back his shoulders
and brought down his neat boot. heel
with characteristic jerk, aud each was
eloquent in the utterance of that blood.
curdling blasphemy known only in its
perfect richness of iniquity in such
places and among such men.
Notwithstanding dull times, the gen.
tlemanly individual who sauntered
down the street behind the noisy crowd,
knew where six thousand dollar. in vel.
low coin lay hidden upon the hillside,
and that, and the letter he had in his
pocket, and the men he had Just left,
were the three things which sorely puz.
zled him. He must get rid of his
friends. and save his money, and change
his residence. If he failed to furnish
these men with the means required,
they would stay and have more. If he
took the money with him, they would
know 1t and act accordingly. And il
he and they stayed, the Vigilautes
would end all. Yes, change and q
rapid one, was very necessary. But
would he go to Tucson Not if lie knew
it.
All !! and there was still another
question,-one that came almost near
er his selfish heart than any, other
which freed itself upon lin % as he
sauntered down the street. What was
to be done with the Donna Ana 2
The coach and mules were purchas.
ed, and the approaching exodus was
noised abroad. The men, 80 fur az
they had any feeling in the premises,
were glad but sundry senoras of the
town cherished heavy hearts. Spanish
love differs not from the genuine arti-
Gle while it lasts, but she who sat like
Patience on q monument was never q
Latin. But while they held miniature
indignation meetings on the corner o1
the plaza and comforted each other,
and railing at Anaeric0n0s in general
and of these their lovers in particular,
they hardly understood that of oil
things in the old town they were mos,
desired, to be rid of. There were Ari
zonian women. whose eyes were as blacl
as theirs, and their genteell lovers knew
it and avoided them. Then this add
ed anger to all other outraged feelings
and whatever her love may be, Mexi
can woman's anger, with its Thousand
expedlents for revenge, is not so light
ly passed.
But the Dona Ana was net one o.
these. With his usual astuteness, Mat
kin had allied himself, by some uude
Unable tie, to woman as extraordinary
in her class as he was in his own. The
DODa was an aristOcrat, and claimed
descent from Castilian name. Sle
was poor, she was proud, she was hand.
some but she had all the weakness o1
her sisters for the Yankeeiadventurers
whose bearing is SO much at variance
, with the lazy degeneracy of her race
But while the rest declaimed aeains
: desertion, she had secret cause fo,
complaisance. The same night of tn,
caucus on the street corner, the gen
tlemanly gambler had leaned compla
Gently against the garden wall, and tn,
Dona's eyes sparkled upon the othe
> side with something it must have bee,
pleasant to hear and wicked to thinl
> of. The gambler protested and enioin
ed, and the Dona gesticulated ant
promised. When his tall figure movet
away in the shadows, the woman look
ed after him with eyes it was we'll h,
could not see, 'tMtscho de.suro," !" sh,
muttered as she weighed the might,
belt in her ds,-"0h! xaucho den0
r0." The yellow treasure no longe
sleeps on the hillside. The foollsl
idea, 80 human ard common. that som,
eye may discover it in your absence, Il
unbecoming of you, Matkin. Til,
Dona Ana may love you, and you ma,
deceive her, but for the treasure yo,,
have entrusted to her in your cunning
she would sell her soul!
1t is an unwonted clatter that wake
the quiet street in the early morning
\ The gray shadows have scarcely We
disturbed the feast of the coyote, an.
tho fog lies asleep upon the desolat,
river. The heads of drowsy crone
protrudc from open doorways, an,
dreamy donkeys hustle clumsily out O
the way. There are certain black eyes