Mexico weekly ledger., 1879-12-25

NuACio az Aio tuiOaL, auU u ChtaRdEb AOl
chain tnmbling down his. vestg and
into the ample left hand pocket of
the same article. The village barber
shaved, shampoeed, clipped and oiled
him that morning, till he emitted the
odor of a fancy soap shop. For the
first time in six months he had his
boots BACKED, and as he thought
tiley looked better than his pants, he
pushed the pants inside their ample
tops.
Jack Culp's desire to be dandy,
al this haryest-hcme, extended so far
that he even cleaned, fresh-olled and
reloaded his pistols, as well as pol
ishing up the knife to which he play
fuzzy applied the stale name of
i c..hpiclS. ...-.s-...,,......,,..y
Thus arrayed, he was a giant of
beauty, IN his own eyes, and to be
candid, he was by no means a dwarf
in the eyes of those with whom he
came in contact.
The place of the picnic was in one
of those park-lille groves so peculiar
to the valleys about Gilroy-splendid
oaks, no underground, grassy slopes,
and stream of water near by that
looked like condensed air. There
was a charming place to eat, musi-
clans from San Jose, and splendid
platform for dancing. OF course the
young people availed themselves of
these advantages, and after the din
ner was over the musicians had no
rest; and the leader-who, by the
~waay ~ay, played cornet-thought he
never saw people SO tireless, and he
was particularly struck with the ac-
tiyity of Jack Culp. K -
Mr. Jack Culp laid claims to being
a dancer. Next thing to putting
heads on men, his forte was to dance
women off their feet, and this was an
occasion he could not let slip. He
had importuned Jennie Roberts so
often to dance, that, to escape him,
she strolled up the stream, girl-like,
thinking the eyes of the bully of Gil
roy were not on her. She sat down
on rock where she imagined she
was secluded, when she heard step
on the grass, and, before she could
rise, Jack Culp was beside her, and
his arm about her waist.
Jennie sprang TO her feet, and,
with flashing eyes, ordered him away
but he arose with her, and said:
''Jennie, thar's no use in your
tryin' to shake me. love you, and
you've got to be ay wife, even if
have 10 kill that sneak, Frank Ma
son!"
Jennie Roberts was alarmed, and
was about to cry out, when suddenly
u form sprang between her and Jack
Culp, and, looking, she saw Frank
Mason, with fiery eyes and snowy
checks, between her and the bully.
II have lost my patience with you,
you dog! Leave here!" cried the
/ infuriated Mason.
Jack Culp, recovering himself
shouted an oath and sent out his fist
in reply.
! Jennie screamed. and begged
Frank to desist; but the dam of hi,
rent-up wrath was down, and putting
her gently back, he buttoned up hil
coat with his left hand, and leapeG
forward, with hig right extended.
The olow on The bully's face sound.
ed like pistol-shot, and was so wei
planted that Jack Culp fell like log
with his eyes blinded and his nos,
bleeding.
Your bully, if beaten in skill ant
strength, has ever the coward's sub
terfuge--a concealed weapon. Jacl
Cu!p had a small arsenal, and with
out rising, he drew pistol and fired
The welt-meant ball sped wide of it
mark. s.E
Frank Mason was mad-so ma,
that his impulse would have carried
him in the same direction had ther
been ten thousand Jack Culps, wit
the triggers OF ten thousand pistol
under their index fingers firing at him
Before CuIp could fire again, heav
! heels came down on his breast, a
iron grip was on his throat, and an
) other grip 50 powerful on his righ
wrist that it weakened, and the pistc
fell from it.
!, Frank Mason was lion with nii
bull in his talons. He never lost hi
L presence of mind, but fogged tn
, bully till he roared for his mercy
and then taking Culp's knife and pls
, tolls, lie threw them into the stream
gave him final kick that sent him o
a!l-fours, and with Jennie on his arm
returned to the dancing.
Jack Cuip went home after that, an
the next day Frank Mason received
), through the medium of another bully
challenge. Being brave gentle
man, and brought up to lock on due
ling rs bsrbarous of old, and the sut
terfuge of a murderer in these days
he declined very properly to conside
t it. E-.s T..
Jack Culp hoped for this, and 9
once published Frank Mason as
t coward, and gave it out that he woul
) shoot him on sight. His version {
, the story was that Mason had assault
ed him in cowardly way, when b
t was not expecting the attack, an
, that, under the circumstances. h
could not resist the unmerited pur
ishment he received.
Z Frank Mason's business did nt
3 take him TO town for ten days afts
3 the event above narrated, and JAG
Il Culp, who spent his time roaming
the streets, looked on this fact as a
:. evidence of the cowardice of the ma
g he hated. He alleviated his indign
i ty, in the meNtime, by resorting
: the cup, and SO was drunk two-thlr(
L of the time he was awake, and b
(, sleep was filed with dreams of vel
o geance.
j, Jack Culp was in the bar of the A
e MAIDEN Saloon, and was relating f
d the thousandeth time, his version
tthe difficulty with Frank Mason, ar
u vowing to kill him the moment he SO
= him, when he was startled by hearir
l.. the words: 5t@3
i'll ssMason Is here. and now is yo