Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-01-10

sfASpNo-A CURIOUS rAIR or a nxnAnxAnls
cHAlAofxR
Special cousspoodsncs Of Ths Evening etsr
WALxrns, vALvrRpE CouxrI, Tex, Jaa. L
ana Sf 90 S nsss o q as ssss.ss s. n
fR ss: & %1 g a :, .,I t. M Az blot
neewesn the two. where God has not
HE WAS CALLED bad man" out here
- in this TEXAS cattle country, where such .
reputation means something I confess 70
sinful curiosity In regard 10 him and the man.
ner q his badness, fed and stimulated BY the
continual and vague references 70 il.
"what does he do?'' I nippantly asked nv
hostess, Q fair-haired young Scotch matron. the
chaselaine Of the Dundas and McGregor
ranch, ''est small children or stray mutton or
cattle? Or does he drink his whisky with .
diherencer" 'Well," che said, che is too
violent in argument he kills people who
differ with him by way Of settling the ques-
ton. He 10 an old-timer. one Of the first men
to cross the Pecos and settle in this country.
That was years ago. when the country was
much wilder and rougher than il ID now.
"HR KILLED A MAN,
An old schoolmste and friend, and married his
widow, poor weak creature, whom suppose
he killed too, with his cruelty and violence:
anyway she is dead, and he drove his
daughterNor her daughter by the former
marriage, really don't know which-to such
desperation by his exactions and not allowing
her 10 see any one more than a Gagged beast
that she would have run away from him IL she
hadn't feared for her life And finally, when
he killed the man she was in love with and
expected to marry, she did run away, went to
some city in east Texas and, I hear, has gone
completely TO the bad. They say he swears
he's going back there and xiii her before he
dies.
The men say he isn't honest, claims cattle
that are not his and such things. OF course he
ton there are very few that care to dispute
little point like that with him.
he has been suspected Of cutting fences
ana he Is perfectly furious about sheep men,
twice having fred into focks that were brought
near his range, killing dozens Of them. Then
he's cruel to his horses, cruel to the Mexicans
on his place, cruel to anything weak and help
less mat falls into his power. he used to own
land enough for q small principality, but when
cattle ceased to pay SO well and many went into
the sheep business he refused. characteristic
ally, to change or modify his plans, and has
grown poorer and poorer and more quarrel
some Tor the last ten years. You'll see him at
the roundup tomorrow"
All this was very discouraging. very sordid
and wicked and not at all picturesque but
when saw him, o, when saw him, wanted
nim-foolishly-as you want some fine free
creature, mountain or waterfall, or other
wild, picturesque. untamable thing. all for
your own, to take home to adorn your lawn.
even in this land Of hard riding would attract
attention, and one which / found afterward
was habitul with him.
AMAN OVER SIX FEET TALL.
vast Of frame, powerful of muscle. with
shoulders slightly stopped from q lifetime
passed in the saddle, and with a breadth of
chest have never seen equaled he was marked.
here where beardless faces are rather the rule.
by an enormous beard, touched with gray, over
which be could have buckled his pistol belt.
had eyes like hawk and a nose to match; a
strong, predatory, violent aggressive yisage
that might have fitted Morse viking. As he
came hurting toward us at that mad gallop. his
chin sunk on his breast, and the torrent Of that
mighty beard blowing over his mighty chest
he aroused in the mind jumbled suggestions Of
Rather Time, q mounted bersecker and other
colossal and heroic images
As said. 1 wanted him.
II had been born car Of Russia, with alb
solute power, and had carried OF half the
things picturesque and peculiar that have mo-
mentarily longed for, should now have a col
lection that would be the bane of nv life.
When all the cutting-out and branding was
gone ana we were preparing to leave for home,
i turned and saw that the bearded giant was
coming up to speak TO me- Dismounted, he
was somewhat less imposing figure. having
the slightly awkward gait which continual
riding gives. He laid broad, brown hand on
my ponys name, and spoke in a great voice
that matched his great frame, tuned 70 a kew of
peculiar gentleness-
81 have been trying to get Mr. McGreeor TO
bring You over to my place, he said. fixing me
with a kindly but embarrassing scrutiny. Il
can show you lot OF Mexican homes, give you
as fine riding as you could want or a cat hunt
or wish you'd come and get pecans in my
BE stood some time, evidently making talk"
and continuing 10 gaze directly a. .y ace.
They tell me, he said. that YOU lust sail
around and rustic for yourself. Well, that's
right: like that. The less g woman depends
ON some coyote of q man the happier she'n live
and the peacefuller she'll die
Had he been young and susceptible cowboy
l should have considered that had made AZ,
impression. As il was, was accused Of having
done 30 as soon as he had ridden off,
Il never saw old John Adam SO c;~il TO man.
woman or child in my life, said my host.
John Adam'-how the name fitted him.
with its simple archaic suggestions
You ought to hear him swear" continued
Mr.. McGregor. "Out here, where we do that
sort OF thing right, he's past master: he don't
swear he blasPhemes-it's equal to the curse
to the K o. ranch and went on 10 attend a
roundup saying that If he didn't call for me
by O'Clock Mr.. Adam might ride home with
me- My host put me on a fiery pony and we
new over his vast range. He introduced me to
all bis Mexicans and filed nv saddle pockets
with the finest pecans; then when s O'Clock
came and no Mr.. McGregor he put nv saddle
back on my own pony and we rode homeward.
Suddenly be turned TO me and said: II want
to ask You for your picture-eome old one Won
don't care anything about / would rather
have an old one, taken when you were about
sixteen. I wanted you to come here and
wanted to see you because you put me so in
mind Of a little girl used TO go to school with.
q little rosy-cheeked girl here's a picture OF
her,. He drew from his pocket q daguerreo-
type OF child Of twelve, round faced. large
eyed. with her curly hair demurely parted and
tucked behind her ears. She wore s.low-
necked" dress, and one bare, slim arm was laid
out over the table beside which she stood, in
such way that the hand looked almost o.
large - her head.
'sHI WAS MY WIFE"
he went on. you've been told all about how
killed her husband and married her. but
maybe can give you q straighter story.
I'VE all three grew up together back in Mis-
souri and when abe married him started west
and came a. near here as any white man had.
After I'd been living here ten years I got let
ter from her telling me she was coming out to
me with her husband and why, and the next
month they came.
HE was . drunkard-the worst ever saw
a dangerous, raving lunatic when he was
drunk, q regular wild beast or . locoed steer.
and the craxiest man for bug juice ever tried