Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1891-02-13
A BAD MAN FROM TEXAS.

A BAD MAN FKUM TEAAS,
Walkus, valvadere county, Tex, Jan.
| l9.-He was called ''bad man" out here
in this Texas cattle country where such a
reputation means something. l confess to
a sinful curiosity in regard to him and his
manner of badness, fed and stimulated by
the continual and vague references to it.
''What does he dof" l lippantly asked
my hostess, a haired young Scotch
matron, the chatelaine of the McGregor
rancho, if he ''devours small children or
stray mutton or eattlef Or does he drink
his whisky with differencefv "Well, !"
she said, "he is too violent in argument
BE kills people who differ from him, by
way of settling the question. He is 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 it is now.
''He killed a man, an old schoolmate
and friend, and married his widow, a poor,
weak creature, whom / suppose he killed,
too, with his cruelty and violence; anyway,
she is dead, and he drove bis daughter-or
her daughter by the former marriage, /
really don't know which-to such desper-
alton by his exactness and not allowing
her to see anyone any more than Gagged
beast, that she would have run away from
him if 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, hear, has gone completely to the
bad. They say he swears he's going back
there to kill her before he dies.
''The men says he isn't honest, claims
cattle that are not his, and such things.
Of course, he always declares they are,
and with his reputation there are very few
that care to dispute little point like that
with him.
''He has been suspected of cutting
fences, and he is perfectly furious about
sheep men, twice having fired 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 helpless that
falls into his power. You'll see him at the
roundup tomorrow.
He came riding down ON US at pace
that, even in this land of hard riding,
would attact attention, and one which l
found afteIward was habitual with him.
A man over six feet tall, vast of frame,
powerful of muscle, with shoulders slightly
stopped from lifetime passed in the
saddle, and with breadth of chest that 1
have never seen equalled, he was marked,
here where beardless faces are rather the
rule, by an enormous beard, touched with
gray, over which he could have buckled
his pistol belt. had eyes like hawk and
nose to match; a strong, predatory, violent,
aggressive visage, 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 blow
ing over his mighty chest, he aroused in
the mind jumbled suggestions of Father
Time, mounted bersecker, and other
colossal and heroic images.
l said l wanted him.
If had been born Car of Russia, with
absolute power, and had carried off half
the things picturesque and peculiar that l
have momentarily longed for, l should
now have collection that would be the
bane of my life.
When all the cutting out and branding
was done and we were preparing to leave
for home, turned and saw that the board
ed giant was coming up to speak to me.
Dismounted, he was somewhat less i'm
posing figure, having the slightly awkward
gait which continual riding gives. He
laid broad, brown hand on my pony's
name, and spoke in a great voice that
matched his great frame, tuned to key of
peculiar gentleness.
II have been trying to get Mr.. McGregor
to bring you over to my place." he said,
fixing me with kindly but embarrassing
scrutiny. II can show you a lot of
Mexican homes, give you as fine riding as
you could want, or a cat hunt, or l wish
you'd come and get pecans in my river
pasture"
He stood some time, evidently "making
talk, and continuing to gaze directly at
my face.
'"They tell me" he said, "that you just
sail around and rustic for yourself. Well,
that's right; / like that. The less woman
depends on some coyote of man, the
happier she'll live and the peacefuller
she'll de-"
Had he been young and susceptible
cowboy l should have considered that l
had made an impression. AS it was, l
was accused of having done so as soon as
he had ridden off.
Il never saw old John Adam so civil to
a man, woman or child in my life," said
my host.
"John Adam"-how the name fitted him
with its simple archaic suggestions!
The next week Mr.. McGregor took me
over to the K. 0. rancho, and went on TO
attend a roundup, saying that if he didn't
call for me " o'clock, Mr.. Adam might
ride home with me. My host put me on a
fiery pony and we flew over his vast range
He introduced me to all his Mexicans, and
filled my saddle pockets with the finest
pecans; then when o'clock came and no
Mr.. McGregor, he put my saddle back on my
own pony and we rode homeward.
Suddenly he turned to me and said, ~
want to ask you for your picturesque
old one you don't care anything about
would rather have an old one, taken when
you were about sixteen. l wanted you to
come here and wanted to see you be-
cause you put me so in mind of little girl
used to go to school with; little rosy
checked girl; here's picture of her." He
drew from his pocket daguerrotype Of a
child seemingly twelve, round faced, large
eyed, with her curly hair demurely parted
and tucked behind her ears. She wore a
'low necked" dress, and one bare, slim
arm was laid out over the table beside
which she stood, in such a way that the
hand looked almost as large as her head.