The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-02-08
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A story of New Mexico.

- NASS 1870 w.
railroads. The sun had gone down in a
crimson splendor, and as it sank from
sight there appeared the opaline tints
peculiar to a sunset sky ia the rarefed
atmosphere of high elevations in that
southern latitude. A roseate belt en-
circled the hi ayens abouttwenty degrees
sbove the horizon, melting into a fiery
gold in the west and shading off else
where, through prisma6s hues, into
dull, leaden tones which !.ay against the
earth and dists mt mountains, and the
cold blue of the zenith, where the stars
began to march out one by one,
The little settlement, Boosting as yet
but three months growth, was still in a
State Of chaos, and consisted of a motley
array of tents, with here and there an
implanted wooden shanty, which served
as a shop and dwelling place. The
large Union Hotel, in process of erec-
ton by the railroad companies, was
but a shapeless pile of masonry and
timber. A row of feight-cars, standing
upon a disused side track, with rudely
constructed flights of steps atfording In
gress and egress, served as abudes for
the more %aristocratic element of the
town, consisting at that time OF the local
railroad officials and 4fbir families, and
thrifty housewives made these unique
haAitations tidy and comfortable, sigh
ing meanwhile for the civilized homes
they ha left.
The OCCASIONAL travellers who found it
necessary or desirable to sojourn for a
brief season in this embryonic town
~resorted i various expedients to OBJ
tain shelter. A party OF this sort. con-
sisting Of a gent!em in, his wife aud little
| daughter, with a nurse.girl, on their
way to the sunny orange groves D Soutb-
ern California, had arrived the previous
night, and found themselves the sole oc-
cupants OF a palaca-sleeper, switched off
by the railroad officials to do service as
a temporary hotel.
The halt in their journey had been
imperative, for the lady was an invalid,
and the long ride yer the plains had
exhausted her fai ing strengths. Forced
to rest and recruit for a brief period,
they had wisely conclul led to make the
best oftheir stay, had curiously studied
the odd mingling of humanity that
made up the population of the small
hamlet, and strolled about on the plain,
cleaning odd bits of translucent chalce-
dony and bright crystals from the sandy
soil, and making their portable abode
charming with the boughs of mistletoe.
dainty grasses, and hoary tnfte 1 plume5
unknown to the conservative b0taaist.
They had brought III great branches OF
mesquite, with its fern-like foliage, and
royal pyramids of the Snowy bells OF
the Spanish bayonet.
As the day drew to a close they were
startled by the discovery that the baby
girl was missing. Heated and tired with
play, she had fallen asleep in the mid
die Of the afternoon and been laid care
fully in her berth. with the curtains
drawn to give free play to thes soft bEeeze
which stole down from the north, tenn
pering the. scorching air. Bot when
they went to lcok in upon her at night
fall, marveling that the wee reature
slept so long: and heavily, their very
hearts stood still as they saw an empty
bed, and realized that the little sleeper
WAS zone.
The cry that q child was lost spread
like wiid-hre through the place. Had
there been a philosopher there it would
have gladdened his heart 10 gee how
tender impulses and forgotten instincts
wakened in the hearts OF the rough aud
lawless set who formed a goodly pro-
portion oFthe population, and one and
all eagerly prepared to join the search.
A week before a train had been
ditched aid robbed, and the engineer
killed, not twenty miles from Tensing.
A band of mounted men had organized
from the surrounding country, aud
struck out fer the mountains in pursuit
of the robbers, q famous gang. who had
been 81 terror throughout the whole re-
gion for years. That night the ''Rustlers''
as they were called, rode daringly into
Deming, TO defy the authoritiesa and ssaet
up the liquor" for the crowd, They
were in the leading saloon Of the place,
"bracing up With a final drink all
around, preparatory to taking q hurried
departure when n man came III with
news of the calamity which had v
taken the travellers.
Every man among them knew that to
remain long in one spot menaccd them
with a terrible vengeance at the hands
OF an IniuTlated people. Yet not one of
them out looked assent as their leader
said. ~grayely.
Reckon we've got to stay, boys, ard
look up the kid, now we're here
From q rough bench at one side q
woman had risen up d before.
and pushing back from her face her un-
kept hair, struggled TO rouse herself to
a comprehension Of what was being said.
If her face had eve- been beautiful in
the freshness of Cir hood, every yestise
OF its charms had been effaced. Upon
her haggari features was written with
indelible imprint the story OF her life.
Vile and sinful, sonl and body, she had
fallen SO far below the level of her class
chat unchaste women passed her with a
shudder, recognizing in her q prophecy