The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-01-27

never displays itself only to strangers
or to those who she may think are do
ing wrong"
"Strange, strange" said, and muse,
over what l had heard. 'Is there n,
link by which she can be traced"
"None; 1t has been tried. The mel
who rode through the town never re
turned, and shortly after that occur
renee 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 on,
cared"
AS he ceased speaking, sin armed
men rode up to the mission. Five dis
mounted; the sixth, a tall, muscular
brown-haired, blue-eyed man, was lef
upon his horse, bound, his arms being
tied behind him.
Help him to dismount, Rucker,'
spoke the leader of the party. "Ht
must be thirsty2"
From the bound captive l casually
glanced at the girl. She had changed
her position and was looking at the
prisoner, and her gray eyes apparently
dilated as she caught CLEAN from those
of the tall, bound man, and thought 4
tear glistened in them. Their eyes fully
met, and something like a fash of rec
ognltion, as an electric spark, passed
between them, and again her face wore
a look of cold unconcern.
"Grey," spoke the leader, low set
dark-featured man, twill you have some
water~ as he dismounted.
eyes, Haskell. You know l have
drank but once to-day"
"When we reach San Patricio, where
you killed your victims one year ago
you will need no water"
"They pursued me one hundred miles
and fought me all the way. 1t was q faii
fight, and if l were only loose and armed
they would not follow me, and the blue
eyes turned to an almost harsh gray.
Curse youl you shall have no wa
ter" said Haskell, as he turued away.
With bound as swift as q cats leap
the girl sprang upon him and wrenched
the gourd, full Of sparkling water, from
his hand, and her metallic voice shrieked
out:
"He shall have waterl"
Haskell was startled, and wild shout
of laughter broke from the throats Of
his companions. The laughter was loud
and long and the girl stood before them
as one inspired with the ferocity of q
tigress.
The prisoner remained unmoved, his
arms still pinioned.
Course the little catamount," NUT.
tered Haskell. "Give il to him, and
give plenty-enough to last him to San
Patricio. We will hang him as soon as
we reach that place. lie is Mustang
Greyw
"Mustang Grey!" was re-echoed by
those gathered around, as he was known
as the most desperate man that ranged
from the Rio Grande to the Gaudaloupe
l had heard Of him as passed through
Texas, and often heard of his daring ex.
ploits among Mexicans; and In the
town of Victoria, where had resided 9
month, he had been resident long be.
fore he commenced his lawless career.
Mustang Grey stepped upon the
broad stone where the strange child had
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 and
her curls fell down to his lips. thought
! heard an audible whisper; but when
he arose to his feet, his face was calm
and hers1 wore the same look of pas.
sionless quietude.
"Now, my little viper, are you satis-
fied2 If you thoroughly knew the man
you would have given him poison in.
stead of water" growled Haskell, as he
took the gourd.
There was only spasmodic twitch OF
the girls face, and flash of her grew
eyes, and she was again In that impene-
trable repose from which she could moi
easily be started.
The sun had entirely disappeared from
view, and the verge of the western sky
was enameled with mellow tints, and
In the east shadows were gathering
making sombre and phsntom-Iife
shapes, heralds of approaching night.
"Nount, Grey, we must to camp,"
said Haskell, as he roughly assisted the
bound man into the saddle. "Stran-
ger" speaking to me, "will you camp
with us! The more the merrier."
l gave my assent, as I was glad OF
their company, and rode along with the
Texans and their prisoner. One mile
from the old mission, on the route To
Mexico, we camped In q basin-like re-.
treat, In the centre of which was a small
lake Of clear water.
Dismounting, our horses were stripped
of their saddles, brides and saddle
blankets, watered, and securely staked
on the margin Of the lake, where the
grass was nutritious and plentiful; theu
our arrangements were made for an
evenings repast. That through with,
we spread our blankets and prepared
for repose.
Mustang Grey's arms and legs were
securely bound, and be submitted with.
out murmur. His blanket was spread
and his saddle arranged SO as TO give
him rude resting-plage for his head
then he was left to himself and his
gloomy thoughts till morning should
GILL his captors to the saddle.
AS we gathered around the campfire
many were the stories told of the darinp
and outrageous acts of Mustang Grey
and his numerous escapes from even
under the rope. Soon one by one fell
asleep, until the Texans were deep In
repoie, and the campfire had sunk into
white embers, and served as q sentinel
to our quiet camp.
The events of the day had impressed
me strangely, and pictured to myself
the kneeling figure of the strong, tall
desperate, and the 1.-THE, graceful form
OF the strange girl, as she gave him {
cooling draught to wet his parched lipi
and tongue. Could there have beer
more pathos or truer refinement thar
In this scene? And as he drank the In
vigorating liquid that God has giver
alike TO all who inhabit the earth, h,
bowed his knee upon the cross. II wa
an accident that he stood upon the cross
and necessity that caused him TO bend
the knee that perhaps never bent o
command of living man.
The canopy Of heaven was studded
with stars. No light from the moor
paled their liquid gleamings, and III,
milky way, wherein clustered myriad
of these unseen celestial torches, beltet
the torrid and higid zones In its magi
cal folds.
Could the prisoner, this man O
| atranUa daada ha aalaan vhiIa akov.