Los Angeles herald., 1892-08-04
MARIPOSA.

D lis luOSb any WHAT'S, S6tJlH unuer sour
loolxin pines a-list'nin to the roarin of
the wind-contented as yer purity
little faces a-swollerin ole Petes talk.
Waal, I'm a-gointer put up yarn
about one NV them this time You
nee'nter laff. Think Unlzp Pete savvies
nawthin only bout Injuns, scalps, gol-
diggins n snow shoots? Hain't much on
posies gin'rally.
Yessireel Thars gun int; eff
'twa'n't, wouldn't be no story, l s'pose
Durn little coyotes, nawthin but KILN
an karkisses suits you. 'Taint Iniins;
though some can't see much differ twixt
them an greasers-what you calls Mex
leans. Some NV them is considerable
mixed; the ''per-r-oud CASTLE blood"
they blows about amt on the surface
CASTLE soap'ud be more to the pint
But Mariposy wuz purity as this posy,
in her Mexican way-eyes like midnight
in gulch, hair black as its wavin pines,
voice like wind in their tops.
Waal, one day wuz sightin to'rd Del
Norte to dicker bout an alfalfy deal.
Nigh to ther town see somethin loomin
up; sez 1:
"Some fellers talin cattle to range"
Then reco'nized Tom. Han'some young
feller wuz Tom in flannel shirt and
"chaps," the wind layin his broad brim
"pra'rie king" back and shown his face
ez he loped past. Nigh the Ryo Grandy
bridge my broncho most shed me ez Tom
cum thunderin back.
''By gum! Thets ridin," sez, ad-
mirin his slim fgger, most one with his
beast, ez they shot past to'rd town. He
was nigh out Nv sight afore his prime
opposite cum pantin an cussin after
him; old Diaz a-clawin the ar, making
it blue with un-Sunday school talk
a-diggin his knees into his winded nags
sides, goin ickety bump, a-worlzin ten
miles perpendicular to airy mile ahead.
laffed; then shuk my head. Resky
foolin with Diaz, thinks l; it's bad blood.
They've scrapped ag'in, and Toms
.a-drivin Diaz's cattle outer ther range,
.an Diaz hez got onter him. He's tryin
ter run Tom down, likes not; but
yc'u'dn't swar ter Tom. q c'u'dn't, eff
ihantef met him goin tother way)
wanter be outer this eff ole Diaz goes ter
lawin.
''Trial by juryi" sez I; "trial by gums
my ticket. Them families 'ud of settled
thar scrap ages senee, eff lawyers hedn't
got the cinch on 'em."
T'other side Nv town Diaz wuz found
dead, bullet hole in his head, sized
bore of leetle gun of Toms. What
with family "scraps," Diaz bein seen
a-chasing after Tom an Toms comm
in on his broncho from thet side NV
town-with nawthin t. say 'ceptin he'd
druv Diaz' cattle onter range fer mis-
cheef; Diaz chased him an he outrid
him, but Diaz follered, yit he'd take his
oath he hedn't shot Diaz-all that went
ag'in' him. The story didn't assay well.
Court, wuz pledged ter ''extarminate the
western rough" the papers said. A
greaser he'd hung fer KILN Ute, an
the feelin wuz fer no parshality.
tux int'rest in thet trial. both fer
Toms sake-I knowed him sence he
WANT no bigger'n cartridge and be-
cuz knowed huff T. witness eff they'd
knowed it; 'twa'n't much, but leave a
lawyer to bnild Pixies Peak outer ther
foothills.
You see Pm gittin to my story from
all p'ints t'wonct, like Injins useter cum
at our stockades; but I'll git thar es
morally sartin es they did freqnint
Things looked rocky fer Tom, thar
amt doubt of it.
Ic'u'dn't stan it. WY, teached him
ter shoot jacks wen he warp't no higher
m sagebrush. I c'u'dn't breathe tel !
wuz out, gallopin rom the shoulder NV
Lookout mountain, over the mesa.
Domino wut TUX me thet road Dom
believe in sperits, but cum mighty
nigh takin stock in thar lead thet game.
cum down hill, acrost ther bridge an
onter the old play fore I irpowed.
Somethin quar- bout thet row Nv fiat
rooted white 'dobes, winders an doors
.slantin ez greaser idees; them big, round
ovens like onpossible musharooms; the
pinted church front, with bell hole atop,
an cross settin on heap at ther back.
Mexican sauatters he'd been ordered to
vamoose, IA thar ole trapsuv horses wuz
fallin lonesumlike ter pieces
'Twuz late afternoon; ! thought shad-
-ders were a-foolin me when see some
thin fiutter roun 'dobe corner. With
"a passin idee NV sperits, likewise of
greaser's sneakin ways, dashed up an
covered somethin in the 'dobe.
Glands up!"
4sSi ST." she sobbed-"M Mariposy."
1 felt like durn fool settin thor holdin
up gal.
"Air ye alone, Mariposy? Wut ye
doin h'yar%
She piled hundred questions at me
in her greaser American, windin up:
3Ees it a. right you air Tones frenB'
Thinkin on'y bout Tom an nawthin
It all bout ther gal, shuk it all out.
Hell hang sure!' sez /.
You'd orter seen her.
1tHe not kill Diazi' she stomped.
jumped.
II sect done," sez Mariposa, most
cryin. 81 know. Take mel tell save
Tom. All, the roper she laid her purity
hand on her throat. ssTo die!-to see
sun an flowers an hear birds-to kiss
no morei The cold, dark ground-the
wormsi' c'u'd feel her shiver agin'
me ez spurred back to town best we
c'u'd, a-carryin double.
seen she lznowed somethin, an wrlz
rri1d of tbh idaa nv uoxr;,, 49,. 81, =