The Meeker herald., 1892-06-04
JOHN ADAM.

one which | found at,orwari wa,
habltual with him.
A man over six feet tall vas, OF
frame powerful OF muscle. with shout
ders slightly stopped from lifetime
spent ia tho saddle and with II breadth
of chest have never seen e,ual!od
he VIA, marked here where beardles'
faces are rather the rulo by an enor-
mou, beard. touched with gray. over
watch ho colld have bncAlal his
pisio belt had eyes like ha~A aud
nose TO match; a strong predatory.
violent. n.gro siva vlsasa tina, m IA,
have nuod Morse Vikin. As no
came hurlln. toward Nv ut that mad
gallon hi, chin runk on his breAs,
aud tho ,orran, OF that mighty beard
blowing oysr his mighty chest he
aroused In the mind !umblod suggo,-
tons o! Father Time mounted Der
scraer and other colossal and heroic
Images
When nil tho cutting on, and brand
Ing wa, done mud We were preparing
to len e for home | turned aud saw
that tho bearded CLAN, was coming up
10 speak 10 ms Dl,noun,eI h- wa.
u ,olnrwhH, less Imposing figure hav-
Ing the slightly awkward gal, which
continual riding gives lilo laid IA
broad. brown hand on my pony'-
name. and spoS. ia crea, voice tina,
matched hi, grca, frame iurncd TO u
key OF peculiar gcnilones..
Il have been iryln: TO &c, Mr.. Me.
Grogor 10 brln. you or To my
- ~ a.. I, .t.
kindly but embarrassing scrutiny. Il
can show you n 10, OF Mexican ponies,
give you NJ line riding ns you could
want or ca, hunt or | wish you'd
come and got pecan, In my river pn,-
tur-.'
lilo stood for some tine. evidently
making talk" and continuing TO gaze
directly n, my face.
They toll me. " hc said. 'tha, you
Just sall around nad rustic for your
self Well that. right. like that
Tue less woman depends on some
coyote OF n man. tho happier she'll
l:so and the rcaeo'ullcr sho'll die.
Had he been n young md -u,ccp,-
iblo cowboy l should hayo considered
that had made nm Impression. As l,
was ! was accused OF having done so
US soon n, he had ridden OF.
ii never saw Old John Adam so
civil TO man. woman or child In my
life laid my host
John Adnm'-how tho name fitted
him. with II, simple archaic slg.u,.
tioas.
Tho nest week Mr. McGrcgor took
mo over To tho X. u. roncho md
went on to attend n roundup saying
That II no dlan't cali for mo by .
o'clock Mr.. Adam nigh, ride home
with rc My host pn: mo on n fiery
pony end We few over his vast range
ind illcd my saddl. pockets with the
finest pccans; then when - O'Clock
came and no Mr.. Mct;rcgor he pu,
my saddle back on my pony and W..
rodo homcwnrd.
Suddenly hc turned to mo and said
Il wan, TO ask you for your picture
some old onu you don caro- anything
nbout-l would rather have nm old
ono takaI when you were about i6.
] wanted you 10 como rcro and !
wanted to 500 you because you put
mo so much Ia mind of a little girl |
used 10 20 10 school with; u little
rosy-checkcl girl; here's II plctur, Of
ncr." llo drew from his poke, u
dngmerreoiypc OF n child of 2 rouud-
faced. largc.cycd. with her curly hair
dcmurcly parted and tucked behind
her cara She wore low. ncckcd
dress and one bare. slim arm was
laid out over the table beside which
shc stood. In such n way that tho
hand looked almost MS large rs her
head.
She was my wife" no wen, on.
You've been told all about how |
Killed her husband and married her
but maybe can give you straightcr
story.
We all three grew up together
back In Missouri. AMI whoa she mar.
ricd him | started west and came ms
near here M any white man had.
Af;or I'd been living here ten years
got letter from her telling mo she
was coming out to mo with her hus-
band. ana why. and the next month
they came.
..He was a drunknrd-tho worst
ever saw-a dangerous ravlng luna
tic when he was drunk. regular
wild beast or lococd steer and the
craziest man for bug juice I over
tried 10 handle.
she thought to got out on n ranch
and keep IL away from him-wo had
to keep turpentinc md camphor
out of his way when no was wild for
the stuff. and once no nearly killed
himself drinking kerosene.
Il hey stayed ut my place the hes,
part of year. was rs faithful rs
could be. and it was tho hardest
thing ever had 10 do. Occasionally
ed get supply from somewhere
and we'd have the devils time with
him. used to think what pleasure
it'd DO to shoot him at them times and
let on twas self. defence, but he was a
poor puny thing. could hold him,
even when he was crazy with one
hand, and hadn't really amy excuse
for using n gun on him.
Finally told the greasers that the
next time he got whisky I was going
to start out and wal!op every man on
the place and ask no questions. But
greaser IL do anything for money
except work-and ! suppose she gave
him some money. or no stole ii; for
when came home from the upper
range one night heard yelling in
the house. Ho was drunk. and she,
like II woman was making 1t worse
by hanging around him, begging and