Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-09-10
The Belle Of San Miguel.
By FORBES HEERMANS.

Before sunrise the next morning the Don
1T the Horseshoe V 8 ranch. He had passed
seeplesS night. thinking over what he had
card, and as he placed his left foot in the
tirrgy and mounted Rozinante he swore a
oath that, come what might,
iirandy should be saved 1t was true he |
ad not been well treated either by the wild |
er or Mirandy, he told himself again, yet
love your enemies-he'd heap Goals of FIRE |
N their heads and do them good for evil. |
That had been his principle in life ever since |
le reformed. Besides, what man of spirit !
md honor could see such an outrage COM
nitted and not interferel Even if the girl |
were q stranger to him, he could not do less
than shoot the villain aud restore her to her
weeping family. But when she was his
hearts Mirandyl Rejoice, for the
hour is at hand
He pulled out his carbine from its holster
under his leg TO see if it was ali right And
yet, wasn't shooting too good for man who
would treat n woman as Bob Green was going
to treat Mirandyi Shouldn't he be hangedi
Then he examined the rawhide lasso that
hung from his saddle horn, in painful doubt
on this question.
He would intercept the party at the Mon
tezuma crossing be told himself, and show
Bob Green that there was one man Of honor
and courage still left in San Miguel county.
And he'd do the deed single handed; perhaps
Mirandy would smile upon him a little for
that-perhaps she'd-marry him. B'hold tn
bridegroom cometh-perhaps. His head
grew dizzy at this thought, and he pushed
his horse into a hard gallop and rode out of
sight of the ranch.
When the sun rose that morning it lit up
perfect day. Here and there on the rolling
mesas stood a sentinel cactus or pinion that
split up the yellow light into long lanes
that lay softly on the lea. As the day grew
Older and the shadows shorter, one might
have noticed a small cumulus cloud in the
west hanging close 10 the line where land
and sky joined This cloud grew larger and
darker as it sailed up toward the zenith, and
others followed it until the blue was hidden
behind the gray. Then swift, zigzag streaks
of gold darted from one part of the heavens
to another, and dull, runbling peals of thun-
der followed the flashes. There was com
ing storm in April-an extraordinary occur
renee in New Mexico
bp"h tuO lbiI lIpdt LIS l6uOS
might have been seen two persons-a man
and woman-riding at full speed The man
cat bolt upright i'll his saddle-a perpendicu-
lar line from his shoulder would have
touched his hip, his knee and his heel-and he
stuck AZ close TO the leather as if be had been
tied there. Beside MIN galloped the woman,
mounted upon spirited chestnut mare, which
she rode on a side saddle. Upon her head
she wore huge white sombrero, tied tightly
under her chin, and from beneath this her
hair had slipped and hung IN masses down
her back. Her riding habit was a long, flow
ing skirt of some dark brown material, and
her left foot-although concealed by her
dress--carried a spur, with which she now
and then urged her steed onward. The man
looked anxiously up at the sky, and turning
to his companion, said:
Cant you git little more outen the
mare, Mrandyi We must git across the
Montemmy bog afore the rain comes, il we
want to git married this year Least bit O.
water there'l make the mud too SOFT
Il don't low | kin do anythin' better,
1lb," said Mirandy; ''still III try" She
splrred the mustang again and again. To
ct prick Of the steel the animal responded
a few vicious jumps, then settled back
gay into the lope.
no. ITS no use, Bob" she said; Il can't git
80. outen this gait
We'll, we must take our chances, then, y
said Bob 1--WE can't turn back now; the
wilder II he after US in two hours with a
possy"
Before them stretched the low, fiat expanse
of the marsh, extending to the right and left
Tor several miles. To look at, the surface of
the bog appeared to be a hard crust, baked
dry and stiff and covered with a white coat
ing Of alkali through which grew no man
~. living plant So parched had the land
become that it was split and scanned with
cracks that yawned for moisture. Down
through the middle Of this desert flowed the
sluggish stream that came from the Monte
yuma spring. a curious natural phenomenon
that yielded water as bitter and heavy as
that of the Dead sea, yet, strange to say,
nourished a row of trees, willow and pine.
with here and there scaly, narrow chested
cypress that grew along the edges of the
creek. These trees were the only green
things for miles, thu land elsewhere pre-
sented bare, desolate appearance.
Across the bog there was a faint path
which could be traverSed in the dry season;
but once let the crust become wet, and it
turned to a Shiny mud that yielded to the
weight of man or horse, and gripped so
tightly what it seized that self relief was i'm
possible.
Just before the two riders reached the edge
of the bog the storm which had been
gathering all the morning suddenly burst
upon them. Sharp flashes of lightning
darted from one black cloud to another, and
loud, rumbling thunder answered the
flashes. Then came the rain The man bur
riedly sprang from his horse, and untying
his "slicker, which he had carried tightly
bound to his saddle, wrapped the huge vel
low oil cloth coat about the girl, and mount
ing again, pulled his sombrero down over
his face
wal, We got to 60 on, Mrandy. No use
stoppin' here. In half an hour the creek will
be up SOS we can't cross anyhow How's
your mare-SkittiSh. least hitf'
wal, yes, special when there's storm like
this yer"
wal | reckon I'd better slip backamoor
over head an lead her then; Jest give her a
loose rein an she'll go all right
Thus they advanced across the bog The
RAIN poured down in sheets, as it does In
the tropics The water soon obIiterated the
path and the dry earth greedily drank I'D the
moisture The ground grew softer and softer
every moment. Twice Bob's horse sank to
the knees, and once the mare narrowly es
capped. But at length they reached tn,
stream That flowed through the marsh and
gave 1t Its name. 1t was perhaps fifty feet
wide; shallow, sluggish and evil looking
with rocky banks that gave refuge to in
Vulnerable rattlesnakes and lizards. Paus
ing moment on the edge to assure himself
that his companion was all right, Bob started
TO ride into the creek.
Don't you foller me, Mirandy,n he said
till | pull on tn tug; the bottoms nasty
long here, special since this rain begun
AL this time the Don had been concealed
in ambush a few yards off and dripped dis
consolately in the rain which was falling
He had reached his present position witt
great difficulty. The trail across the boo
was quite unknown to him, and he had beer
Obliged to dismount and lead his horse, The
storm that followed had washed out bis
Tracks and prevented those who came after
from suspectius his presence. He was tot
Tar away TO hear what Bob said TO Mirandy
but he could see her sad face-her eve
seemed big with tears-and her long, brown
hair which hung down her back, resting il
wet masses on the yellow "slicker," gave be-
the look of some lovely martyr maiden /,
the grasp Of vicious giant. He burned I,
distinguish himself, to rescue helpless virgin
1ty from the power Of the monster. No
only was here an innocent female being car
RED off by force, but she was his inamorats
Dulcinea del Tanos whom he had SO loug wor
smped, silently but faithfully.
He watched Bob ride into the stream: b