The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-01-28

But he saw the Indian did not move,
and SO he suddenly became very brave.
He was certainly sound asleep, and
no more to be feared than papa,
when he lay on his lounge in his mid
day repose. Then, too, Dubs was
quite sure he was "worky Injun," like
the Yaquis who shovelled and picked
on the railroad, and so his mind be.
came wholly at ease.
The Coyotes cartridge belt, which
had been so loosely stra pped, had
fallen off, and lay by his side. There
We're a hundred very interesting bits
OF brass sticking in it, and the chill
dren soon had these scattered all
about in the sand by the snoring
Coyote. In the scramble for her share
OF the innocent toys, Gay let one OF
them drop on the Coyote sleg. Perhaps
the mescal's influence was OH the wane;
for q big brown kneewas thrust quick
ly up from the sand, and big brown
hand olutched the ugly knife at the
Coyotes side; but the hand fell and
the noble red man snored on. ,"
Dubs tried on the cartridge belt and
became an Indian, all but the indis-
pensible knife, and he concluded to
borrow that from the sleeper, whose
fingers had lost their grip on the buck
horn handle. .. r."
It's bigger'n Mommie's butcher knife,
ain'tit, Gay?" theyoung savage asked,
as he gras ped the handle ofthe devilish-
looking blade. "Now you 'tand over
we're an I'll get hind Wis wock. Ven
you tum along an I'll jump out and
kill you" =. 49,. s..
Gay demurred. ,.,
ooh, it's only make b'lieve. Vese
kind O. Iojuns dom kill nobody and
he stuck a. contemptuous finger to-
ward the innocent Coyote. cts only
PEACHES at kills, an vey's none yound
here, Monte says. I'm 'Pache, so
you better look out"
1t was dubious sport for Gay, and
when it came to the killing part she
screamed Justify. --.rs.
"You've woked him up an 'poiled
it ALL" said Dubs in tone of accusa-
ton. "Now he'll want his knife.''
Sure enough the Coyote-That-B Bites
did shake his brown legs and arms
quite vigorously, but the last two big
swallows OF mescal held him down.
So, after turning over, and burying
his hatchet-llke face in the sand, he
lay quiet again. e.. ...
When he had thus turned over, was
brought into view the rifle, which had
been concealed by his dirty blanket.
Dubs eyed the weapon with covetous
eyes. He could not withstand the
temptation OF feelingit all over, stand
ing it up on it's butt, and trying to
shoulder it, but this last feat he could
hardly accomplish. Just what it was
that kept his fingers off the hammer
and trigger, and prevented q sound
that would surely have brought the
Coyote to his feet with yell, I am
sure | cannot TELL but Dubs played
with that fascinating weapon for
nearly an hour, while Gay poured
sand over the cartridges, hiding near
ly all ofthem from view.
By this time the suns rays were on
the long slant, and the children were
very hungry. BY this time, too,
the Apache was growing restless, for
the mescal had nearly lost it's grip up
on him. A train laundering by, or,
much less, a ''swift" brushing against
his blackfoot, a. spider dropping on
his leg. or even a big fly buzzing at his
ear,-any of these would have set his
demon force into play again.
But the children could not wait for
such demonstrations as these, though
why it did not occur to Dubs that
the Coyotes ear needed tickling
with Agrease-wood twig the Lord on
]y knows. The wind was up, and the
wires were murmuring louder than
ever. The wee ones had sported in
the black shadows long enough, had
played with the fangs of the deadly
serpent until they were tired and their
stomachs were empty. So they set off
on a trot for home.
Just as they turned the bend and
came in sight of the low roof of the
station, "dust-devil' swept by the
rocks where lay the Coyote-That-
Bites. He jumped to his feet, grasp
ed his empty sheath, gave a mad
whoop, and started about in feverish
rage. There was his knife, half-cover-
ed by the sand, and there was his
rifle: far from his side. Here was the
cartridge-belt empty, and all about
| him i'll the sand were countless little
AoOC1l Al1Lo.
a bewildered look stole over his
face. but it passed away when his eye
rested on the empty demijohn. The
expression that replaced it was one of
| demoniacal ferocity, and the lust Of
slaughter lay heavily upon him. But
the cartridges, where we're they? He
saw Gays mound of sand, and kicking
it, gave a grunt of delight to see the
brazen capsules that were scattered
right and left by his foot.
! He picked them all up, grunting over
each one. Filling the belt and grasp
ing his rifle, he started off in the direc-
ton in which the small footprints led.
Like bloodhound, he chased along
the track. His eyes scanned the plain
at every turn, and his breath was hot
and strong. But when he turned the
big curve and saw the station, he
knew that he was late,-too late
and he gave a grunt Of disgust, and was
off like the wind over q side trail that
led toward the sunset.
In the low-roofed station-house
the mother crooned to tired lit
tie Gay, lying SO soft and limp
in her arms. She looked out over the
desert, saw the sum touching the TIPS