Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-10-23
misban. Tbomnson. 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 it, 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 well, some fiftydeet
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 we'll 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. |
rode into Cienegas with that pistol be-
meath the cushion of my seat in the
coach; l 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 our 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- 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
lulOulS are uOuScllOlu WOIuo III Jul lhd-
turer years.
y * v
| know a man whom I seem to
see always in two-fold character. He
is handsome, of rare social gifts, COM
posed, accomplished, debonair, ver-
satile; a dawdler on silken cushions,
the idol of women, and given to pos
ing-lazily-as squire of danes. l
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 dc Bexar, be-
fore a crowd who clamored for his life;
/ seem to see him in the street of from
tier town, facing score of men, with
three corpses, lifeless through his hand,
/ lying at his feet; l 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 keep
his counsel. Even the urgency of two
women-his mother and she who owns
his allegiance-has wroung from me nc
account of his life in lands unquiet. Fol
a while his eyes cleaned strong di strus
of my discretion, but at last my reticenct
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 TO
my whims, said:
"Pray, don't say that; you Olsen
courage me-"
A shadow drifted across his face; hi
voice was several tones lower when h
said:
'Do you mind telling me where yo'
found that word You use it often, bu
| never heard it from another person say
!, one."
"Nor I. And l assure you use it il
bravado largely, for with every utter
of the word | feel the shadow of darl
cloud of fear that has hung over me fo
| years"
) He turned to look at me.
| sYou afraid OF what2 You handl
{ mice, and dead snakes, and gun a
7 readily as l do. What else, then, doe
woman fear2"
j., "No, but indeed | meant it. l al
3 miscrablv-abjectly afraid of one man
4 And then told him, briefly and sketch
! lily, of our adventure at the salt wei
: and my subsequent, ever present terrC
: of the man Thompson. When l ha
f finished, he looked absently at the di!
2 tant mountains, with strained look
r his blue eyes, and his face, for all ii
!, heat, was pallid.
c "Do you remember your drivers give
: name2n
d 81 think-yes, AL.
n "Tall, you say 'slabsided,' with
e crease down the point of his nose. An
G popularity of gaiLY'
"He leaned upon his left foot; and
j. had fashion of hitching up his trouser
r sailorwisen
IS Il hope never to recall that scene,
d words, said the man at my side; ''b
y you are loyal woman, and l would {
r much to dspel that haunting fear.
o know what horror it must be to one iii
d you. Well, you need fear no harm
le future from AL Thompson; he is dead
d "Dead l can hardly believe it. D
Or you see him die2"
IN 81 saw him die. Do you rememb
y; that passed through Los Angeles. in
K the time called you out of school
III go to the races with me9 Well, | h
Of Just brought big bunch of cattle ,