The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1891-08-01
AN UNTITLED VOW.

American justice. lie had run away
from the ranch OF his patron away
back IN Durango because some other
poems were going and In an illstarred
moment he crossed the line into the
United States That's where he made
his FIRST mistake. He did not know the
gringoes or their ways and he got into
trouble the first thing. He had "A
horse. but only a homemade affair OF
rawhide for saddle. and when he
found himself close 20 marvellous af-
fair of silver and stamped leather. with
great tapadcros and mo re strings than
he ever saw before on one saddle he
could not more help transferring IL TO
the back OF his own horse than he
could resist the temptation 10 take pos
session OF the gay hat and silver spurs
that he found hanging on the corral
fence while the owner was asleep In
the shade OF the haystack. They
caught him and locked him up for
three days and then brought him into
court The trial was one continuous
mystery 20 him. They called twelve
men and made them sit together. At
first Alvino Alacran thought they were
thieves like himself. but when he saw
them turned loose at the end OF the
session, while he was taken back To
jail. he knew he had been mistaken
Finally he asked the only man In the
whole court that seemed 60 care any
thing about who they were, and the
man had answered with grin that he
would find out soon.
There was something strange about
the man 20 whom he put the query
too He could not remember ever
having seen him before. and yet this
man came 10 the court room every day
and took his part. He talked loud and
shook his finger at the other man
the one that was always pointing 20
him and telling those twelve men what
a bad man AlvIno was. That stranger
was mighty kind. thought the Mexi-
can. But those twelvel What bust
ness was il OF theirs supposing he did
take the goods? They never asked a
question put just sat there and con
victed him. Alvino thought over all
the stealing he had done and all the
men he had injured through his whole
life OF cautious wrong-doing, but he
could not recall single instance OF
his having done anything TO any OF
those men.
How did they know that he WASH:
telling the truth when he said that he
had bought the things from a stranger
that he met on the roadP Then why
did they not believe what the kind
young man told them? How beauti-
fully he did talk TO them. Alvino
when he heard his innocence set forth
by the disinterested young man almost
doubted himself The young man
seemed 80 positive that he had not
stolen the things. Even with his
faulty understanding OF English Al
vino felt that
But those men didn't seem 10 care
mt all what either he or the young man
said The interpreter repeated TO him
the Judges remark that he lad been
found guilty. and the additional and
unpleasant fact that he was sentenced
10 Yuma Prison for three years. He
felt no sense OF hospitality TO tho
Judge. He was used 10 Judges. They
used TO come 10 the patrons hacienda
and impose SO much fine or so many
lashes. as the patron directed.
Alvino had three years TO think II
over. and tho more no thought the
angrier he got. He was a good prls-
oner, and made adobes faithfully in
the prison yard. and did not stab his
cellmate. and finally three years wero
gone and he was free again.
A big red-faced man with big red
benrd left his ranch cabin early one
morning 20 hitch up the team while
his partner got breakfast ready. He
didn't get back when the bacon was
fried and tho coffee had boiled. and
the partner went 10 500 Whit was up.
He found him. but tho big man didn't
come In 10 breakfast lie was lying
across the sill OF the bern. and In his
back. right between the shoulder
blades, was great hole.
That chap know how 10 use a
knife said the dead mans partner
when he had made sure that thai
chap wasn't still around with the
knife.
They generally believed that tn,
partner had done the killing himself
hut there was no proof against him. 81
he wasn't arrested. They didn't lyncf
him because the people thereabout fol
kind OF opposed 10 lynching since the,
hanged four Mexican sheep-herder
for the murder OF their boss. who surn
ed up alive and hearty before the 20.
oics had cleaned the bones OF th,
hanged shccp-hcrders. But the part
nor believed IL bsst TO let the rancl