Evening journal., 1891-07-27

cfiif, the driver ana TWO men snoL, and one
woman gone They'd been attacked by
Molva, Mexican halfbreed, and his gang
Of cutthroats. The men, headed by the
husband Of the woman Molva had stolen,
had followed the band in pursuit. The
husband Of the woman, the women said,
was about crazy wi grief, and sed he'd find
her II he he'd to blow the mountain sky
high to do it.
Captain Watson headed our party, and
he knew every nook in the range.
"'Pll bet my boots, said the captain,
tibet they've gone over to Boar's Head
canyon; eff we can't find them thar well
look in ct the cave on the western slope
"We didn't see nothin' suspicious ct the
canyon, and, after a hard pull, reached the
cave. We were climbin' along the top o.
the bluff, when the capt'n suddenly whis-
pered halt, and we all laid low. Twas a
starry night, and the capt'n had run across
hole in the turf where smoke was comm
out in clouds. This was the chimney Of
the cave fifty feet below in the bluff.
1.-THE women said thar was fifty In the
party; we lowed they were mistaken
After some parley the capt'n hit ON a plan
which might work. Thar were ten o. US;
nine war to stay on the bluff while the
chimney was being choked, while one,
which war me, was to crawl down to the
entrance % the cave, and when the crowd
rushed out l was to skip in and grab the
woman. The boys above would fire on the
| crowd and get thar attention TO thet point.
"lhe plan worked. was all safe behind
a rock at the entrance when four or five of
the gang come out wiz thar hands to thar
epes, coughin'. The boys on top begun
firin', and soon the whole crowd come out
in a hurry. Took me about two seconds to
get inside the cave. The smoke near stifled
me, but | crawled TO whar could hear a
woman coughin' Didn't take me long to
get her out The woman was hangn' on
me. half dead, and I was toilin' up the side
of the bluff, when all o. a sudden we run
right agin the big Mexican. He grunted
somethin' in Mexican, and felt fer rs. His
hand touched the woman. Theu we closed.
tried TO hit him with the butt Of my re-
volver, but a downward stroke Of his arm
knocked it hyin'. Then reached fer my
bowie, and, while doing so, got this wipe
across the face. was about blinded, but
/ got in lunge on him which fixed him.
lost my head then, and the boys found
me lying right on the Greaser The woman
was gone; no one had seen her. The boys
found her the next day lynn ct the foot o.
the bluff-dead. She'd run off thar in the
dark. was lying in camp when the boys
brought her in, an / must ha' been perty
weak, fer the minet | caught sight o. that
face, all bruised and cut, tainted dead
away. IL was Mary. ! never told the
boys. Her husband carried her away; but
not fore | touched my sin stained lips to
hers. He didn't suffer more'n / did, fer
he'd to hide my feelin'. Her husband was
a wealthy mine owner, they told me, and
he'd taken his wife with him on one of his
business trips.
"All the money he'd boarded up went
like mist arter that Sometimes I've been
on my feet since, but not fer long at a
time. Luck's agin me. l like the life
though. I've been in many a scrape, but
allus come out o. k. P'rhaps hewitt he'd
enough trouble to please fate"
Mind telling me the name of the mine
ownerY asked the drummer
mo; Silas Larkin," answered the tramp,
raising his head from his hands.
"Of Boston~
"Yes."
zone Of the richest men in Boston; know
him we'll, y remarked the drummer. "By
Georgel I'll write to him; he'll put you on
your feet in good shape"
The tramp.raised himself proudly TO his
| fun height
Partner, you may be white man; so b,
1 |, and don't want no help from thet quar-
ter; III starve fust"
'iEl Paso." called the brakeman.
"Whar ye be goin'ltofp asked the Texan
"I'm maxim fer Orleans
Boys, chip in."-Louisville Courier
Journal