The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-02-07

slope to the top of Il stone house tina,
Just displayed itself from among tho
deep growth of mesquite branches inter
vening. No word i'll reply escaped her.
She only relapsed into her old attitude
and looked toward the village.
"Scnor -
Turning. Youthful Mexican was
standing near mo. He beckoned me tc
follow him. l obeyed reluctantly ; as
the youthful being who stood on The
broad stone cross was really beginning
to become of great interest to me.
"Senor," and the Mexican gracefully
took from his mouth cigarette, she
will not converse with YOU"
"Why?" replied, in apparent sur,
prise.
"She will converse with no strangers
nor will she tell her history ;" and 4
careless smile fitted across his brown
face. Gone year ago to-day, just at day,
break, the people III the plaza at Goliad
were startled by pistol shots, and body
of men rode through the town, evidently
in pursuit Of some one. On running
from their houses this girl was found
wounded in the shoulder, but she would
reveal nothing, nor would she permit
any one else to touch her except the
surgeon who dressed her wounds. II
was pronounced trivial. The surgeon, a
good man, took her to his house, bnt
she remained sullen and reticent all that
tlav, and III the afternoon fled, and i'll the
evening was discovered standing where
she is now. But nature could not bear
the strain, and at about this very hour, y
and he looked at the declining sun, "she
fell with moan, her wound broke out
afresh, and she was soon covered with
blood. The people in yonder house,
Americanos," and lie pointed to the stone
house, "took her, and she has been
with them ever since. Her mind is not
impaired, and the people with whom she
resides say that she is gentle unless
aroused, and then she is like tlgress.
But her tierceness never displays itself
only to strangers, or to those who she
thinks are doing a wrong"
"Strange, strange" | said, and unused
over what L had heard. <" Is there no
link by which she can be traced?"
"None; it has been tried. The men
who rode through the town never re-
turned, and shortly after that occurrence
three men were found murdered on the
banks of the Nueces river They were
buried. That is the only clew, and was
never followed, as no one cared"
As he ceased speaking, six armed men
rode up to the mission. Five dismount-
ed; the sixth, tall, muscular, brown
haired, blue eyed man, was left uEon
his horse, bouad, his arms being tied
behind him.
"Help him to dismount, Rucker, v
spoke the leader of the party tie
must be thirsty"
From the bound captive I casually
glanced at the girl. She had changed
her position, and was looking at the
prisoner, and her gray eyes apparently
Ilated as she caught Il CLEAN from those
OF the tall, bound man, and | thought a
tear glstcned in them. Their eyes
fully met, and something like flash Of
recognition, as an electric spark, passed
between them, and again her face wore a
look of cold unconccm.
"Grcy," spoke the leader, q low set,
darl: featured man, "will you have
some water?' as the captive dis
mounted.
eyes, Haskell You know I have
drank but once to-day.'
"Whcn we reach San Patricio, where
You killed Your victims one year age,
You will need no water.
"Thev pursued me one hundred miles
and fought me all the way. Itwas fair
fight, and if l were only loose and arm
ed You would not follow me, and tie
blue eyes turned to an almost harsh
gray.
Course YOU you shall have no wa-
ter, said Haskell, as he turned away.
With bound as swift as cats leap,
the girl sprung upon him and wrcnchel
the gourd, full of sparkling water, from
his hand, and her metallic voice shriekett
out:
"He shall have water!'
Haskell was startled, and wild shout
of laughter broke from the throats of
his companions. The laugh was loud
and long, and the girl stood before as
one inspired with the ferocity of tigress.
: The prisoner remained unmoved, hi )
arms still pinioned.
Course the little catamount - muttcr-
ed Haskell. "Give it to him, and givt
plenty-enough to last him to San Pc
tricio. We will hang him as soon rs We
reach that place. He is Mustang Grey y
Mustang Grey % was re-echoed by
those gathered around, rs he was known
as the most desperate man that ranged
from the Rio Grande to the Gaudaloupc.
I had heard of him as 1 passed through
Texas, and often heard Of his daring ex-
ploits among Mexicans and in the town
of Victoria, where [ had resided month,
he had been a resident long before he
commenced his wild and lawless career.
Mustang Grey stepped upon the broad
stone where the strange child stood
previously in her statuesque pose, sank
upon one knee, and bowed his head to
receive cooling draught from the round
gourd in the hands of the brave girl.
She stopped forward, rnd her curls
fell down to his lips. I thought I
heard an audible whisper ; but, when he
arose to his feet, his face was calm and
hers wore the same look of passionless
quleIttlle.
"Now, my little viper, are you salts
fed? If you thoroughly knew the man
you would have given him poison in
stead of water" growled Haskell, rs he
took the gourd.
There was only spasmodic twitch of
the girls face, and a flush of her gray
eyes, and she was again in that i'm
penetrable repose from which she could
not easily be started.
The sun had entirely disappeared from
view, and the verge of the western sky
was enameled with mellow tints, and i'll
the east shadows were gathering, max
ing somber and phantom-like shapes,
heralds Of approaching night.
"Mount, Grey, We must to camp, y
said Haskell, rs he roughly assisted the
bound man into saddle. "Stranger," "
speaking to me, evil you camp with
us? The more the merrier."
gave my assent, as I was glad of
their company, and rode along with the
Frov,ne, ,n,l Opo Ia