The Wichita daily eagle., 1891-10-08

! uIacR, auo wiInouJ single ornament Wis
ible-uot sven the belt which nearly every
man wore. He had d small, keen, hungry
looking gray eye, and as he looked at Her
ries he met the latter's gloomy glance
smiled and turned to mis- friends with The
| remark:
The kid seems worried about something.
/ wonder if by any chance he has over
! heard usl'
Guess nos-he Jest come in a minute
ago.
perhaps perhaps" muttered Peter,
| "but we will soon know"
| Events move quickly in frontier towns.
! As Herries finished his whisky and banged
| the door behind him, Peter arose from his
seat.
His friends also sprang up, but he made
gesture of dissent.
mo, boys. Leave this to me. IF I cant
deal with one tenderfoot certainly won't
call in aid" +"
"But he might git the drap on ye." per.
sisted one.
Peter shrugged his shoulders and deigned
no reply. He walked 20 tue bar, called for
and swallowed large glassful of brandy,
which draft did not even bring flush to
his pale cheek, opened the door and was
lost in the darkness of the night.
About two hours later the inmates Of the
Rough Diamond were startled by hearing
shots, cries, oaths, the heavy laundering
of horses hoofs on the rocky soil of the
mesa, and then long, loud "hurra-a-h."
Then all was silent.
As one man they sprang to their feet and
rushed for the door, but ere the foremost
man among them could reach it, it was
burst violently open and old Ramon rushed
in, followed by Pete, from Denver, who,
swaying and staggering like a drunken
man, called for brandy, and then came to
the floor with crash that shook the win.
dows.
A babel of voices prevented an explana-
tion for long time, and when Peter had
somewhat revived he told them what bad
happened.
where's Chiquita9" some one asked.
A spasm of wrath convulsed the features
of the dying man.
Gone" be gasped; "gone with that
cursed tenderfoot."
Chow did it all happen, Peter"
"He was there when l got there. Chi
quita was all dressed and ready to go off
with him-womanlike, curse herl He saw
me coming. His horse was there He
waited for me. Oh, the fellow was game
enough. l said nothing, but opened on
him. The girl being there must have
made me nervous, for l missed my man
for the first time"
"And then?"
"Why, be pumped me full of lead before
I could pull trigger. Hit me five times.
Then he mounted and swung the girl up
in front of him. Old Ramon came up and
opened on him. l got up and followed
suit. He got back at us once-his last
cartridge-and caught Ramon, for heard |
him groan. Then the tenderfoot yelled
and rode off. Boys, give me big drink. !
Pm done for"
And when they brought the drink fast |
chilling corpse was all that was left of
Peter from Denver to drink it.
And Chiquita?
Chiquita went to convent in St. Louis, |
and left there four years later cultured |
and magnificently beautiful woman. She |
will be pleased to receive any of Mr.. Her
ries' friends at her lovely home in the |
Back bay district in Boston, and if you
succeed in pleasing her she will tell you of |
that awful night at Picture Canyon when
a ''tenderfoot" from Boston showed how
'tenderfeet" can fight when sweetheart
is at stake.
And old Ramon?
When they looked for him he was gone.
Nor was he or Edward Herries ever seen
again in Picture Canyon.-C. J. in Atlanta