The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1885-11-25

biSuJ VI Jue WfeICueui Whsteu DeingS
who hailed them with black, swollen
lips and tongues all cracked and bleed
ing. They were but just in
time. The insane woman and two of
her children appeared then dying, and
surely could not have lived halliday
longer. Water was doled out with due
precaution, congratulations and thanks
giyings offered; a hasty but sufficient
breakfast was cooked, and all prepara-
tion made for abandoning the scene of
so much wretchedness
Then very nearly came about a miser-
able mishap. Thompson, the driver be-
fore mentioned-a tall, lank fellow
had gotten, by purchase, cajolery, or ap-
preparation, bottle of aguardiente from
one of the Mexican drivers, and before
any one knew of 1t, Thompson was up
roariously, boisterously, abusively drunk.
The occasion was one to warrant more
than usual lenience, and much forbear-
ance was displayed toward the man.
Finally, however, he came to where the
women and children sat awaiting the
start, and insolently ordered a lady to
prepare fresh breakfast for him. My
father came to us, and tried to lead him
away, when Thompson sprang upon him
and hurled him backward to the very
brink of the salt we'll, some fifty feet
deep. Thompson was more than six feet
tall; my father below the average height
of men; but the smaller man held his
own, and was even forcing his antagon-
ist away from the well, when Thompson
reached to his hip and drew his cooked
revolver. The women screamed the men
came running--but from too far away.
do not remember thinking the matter
out; l fancy my legs acted in advance
of my Juvenile brain but it appeared
a moment for decisive action, and
dashed forward, wrested the pistol from
the drunken grasp, and was back again
with the weapon tucked under the buff
falo-robe | sat upon, before the foremost
man reached the struggling pair. l
rode into Cienegas with that pistol be-
meath the cushion of my seat in the
coach; presume that it was ultimately
returned to Thompson.
That worthy was unceremoniously
bundled into one of the carretas. Prior
to that time Thompson had been tenn
perate while in cur employ; but that one
lapse seemed to break down his self
control. He drank hard, and his con-
duct became so intolerable that he was
discharged at Durango. He hung about
the old plateau city for several weeks,
insisting upon re. e.employment, and being
refused, he vowed, with savage impreca-
tions, to wreak his vengeance upon my
father by means of his family. Much as
we shrank from his uncouth roughness,
we children had been much impressed
by the quaint turns of Thompson's
speech, and many of his pictures que
idioms are household words in our ma
turer years.
| know man whom l seem to
see always in two-fold character. He
is handsome, of rare social gifts, COM
posed, accomplished, debonair, YER
satile; a dawdler on silken cushions,
the idol of women, and given to pos
ing-lazily squire of danes. |
happen to have trodden, at later day,
the ground of his lawless youth, and
can but smile at thought of the con-
sternation among the fair if they knew
the record of his life as / know it.
Watching his languid repose in correct
parlor precincts, or sardonically contem-
plating the eagerness of his reception in
gay party of dancers, picture him in
my fancy as the hero of certain mad
ride out of San Antonio de Bexar, be-
fore a crowd who clamored Tor his life;
seem to see him in the street of from
tier town, facing n score of men, with
three corpses, lifeless through his hand,
lying at his feet; | remember what his
whilom comrade told me of this mans
GOODNESS and desperate courage, as he
knelt all one long summer day, loading
and firing across his brothers body
one OF the little group besieged by In
dians on the Staked Plains. But l keep
his counsel. Even the urgency of two
women--his mother and she who owns
his allegance-has wroung from me no
account of his life in lands unquiet. For
while his eyes CLEANED strong distrust
of my discretion, but at last my reticence
won his confidence and faith. We were
driving one day across the wide, bare
plains in one of our southern countries,
when, in answer to some satirical pre-
diction of spinsterhood in penance for
my whims, said:
"Pray, don't say that; you Olsen
courage me.
A shadow drifted across his face; his
voice was several tones lower when he
said:
''Do you mind telling me where you
found that word. You use it often, but
never heard it from another person save
One."
Nor l. And assure you use it in
bravado largely, for with every utter
of the word feel the shadow of a dark
cloud of fear that has hung over me for
years"
He turned to look at me.
"You afraid OF what2 You handle
mice, and dead snakes, and gun as
readily as l do. What else, then, does
a woman fearl"
''No, but indeed l meant it. am
miserably- abjectly-afraid of one man 5"
And then told him, briefly and sketch.
lily, of our adventure at the salt we'll,
and my subsequent, ever present terror