The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1892-07-29
MARIPOSA.

You Children know them purity things
--Mariposy lilies? Genewine Colorado
posies, prospectin round these yer noun
tins most anywhars, settin under sour
lookin pines a-Iist'nin to the rOarin of
the wind-contentedlik as yer purity
little faces a-swOllerin ole Pete's talk.
Waal, Pm a-gointer put up a yarn
about one NV them this time, You
nee'nter laff. Think Unkl' Pete sayvies
nawthin only bout Injuns, scalps, gol-
diggins n snow shoots? Hain't much on
posies gin'rally.
Yessireel Thar's gun int; of
fwa'n't, wouldn't be no story, s'pose.
Durn little coyotes, nawthin but KILN
an karkisses suits you. 'Tain't Injins;
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 poay,
in her Mexican way-eyes like midnight
in q gnlch, hair black as its waVin pines,
a 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 |:
"SOme feller's takin cattle to range. "
Then recO'nized Tom. Handsome 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! Thet's ridin," sez, ad-
mirin his slim fgger, most one with his
beast, ez they shot past tord 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 nag's
sides, goin lickety bump, a-workin ten
miles perpendicular to airy mile ahead.
| LATED; then shuk my head. Resky
foolin with Diaz, thinks l; it's bad blood
They've scrapped agin, and Toms
a-driYin Diazs cattle outer ther range
an Diaz hez got Onter him. He's tryir
ter run Tom down, likes not; but
c'u'dn't swar ter Tom. Il c'u'dn't, eff
ha'nter met him goin t'other way.)
wanter be outer this eff ole Diaz goes tel
lawin.s
Trial by jury" seq |; trial by gums
my ticket Them families nd of settled
thar scrap ages sence, eff lawyers hedn't
got the cinch on 'em."
T'other side Nv town Diaz wuz found
dead, a bullet hole in his head, sized
bore of leetle gun of Toms, What
with family "scraps," Diaz bein seer
a-chasing after Tom an Toms comir
in on his bronchO from thet side uV
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 hi
oath he hedn't shot Diaz-all that wen
ag'in' him. The story didn't assay we'll
Court wuz pledged ter "extarminate thu
western rough" the papers said A
greaser he'd hung fer KILN Ute, an
the feelin wuz fer no parshality.
TUX intrest in thet trial, both. fel
Toms sake--I knowed him sence hs
want no bigger'n ca'tridge-and be
cuz knowed 'nuff t witness eff theyi
knowed it; 'twa'n't much, but leave {
lawyer to build Pixies Peak outer thel
foothills.
You see I'm gittin to my story from
all p'ints t'wonct, like IL ) useter cum
at our stockades; but III git thar @
morally sartin es they did frequint.
Things looked rocky fer Tom, thai
amt doubt of it.
Ic'u'dn't stan it. Wy, teached hin
ter shoot jacks wen he warn't no highel
n sagebrush. c'u'dn't breathe tel
wuz out, gallopin roun the shoulder ny
| Lookout mountain, over the mesa,
Domino wut tux me thet road. Don
believe in sperits, but ] cum mighty
nigh takiu stock in thar lead thet game
! cum down hill, acrost ther bridge al
onter the old plazy fore knowed.
Somethin guar bout thet row NV fla
rooted white 'dobes, winders an door
slaptin ez greaser idees; them big, rouni
ovens like onpossible musharooms; tn,
pinted church front, with bell hole atop
an cross settin on heap at ther back
Mexican squatteTs he'd been ordered Il
yamoose, n thar ole traps NV horses wui
fallin lonesumlike ter pieces.
ipwuz late afternoon; | thought shad
ders We're a-foolin me when see some
thin hutter roun 'dobe corner. Viii
a passin idee nv sperits, likewise O
greaser's snealrin ways, dashed up al
covered somethin in the 'dobe.
Hands upl''
@Si 81, ? she sobbed-"M "Mariposy.p
| felt like q durn fool settin thar holdiI
up a gal.
''Air ye alone, Mariposy1 Wut "
doin h'yar?
She piled hundred questions OF ms
In her greaser American, windin up.
"Ees il al right-you air Tones frentF
/ ThinAin on'y bout Tom an nawthiI
Z al bout ther gel, shuk # all out
"He'l hang sureP sez 1
/ You'd orter seen her.
| @He not kin Diazi9 she stomped.
/ Jumped.
/ Il sect done,p saz Ma1iposa, mos
! eryin. Il know. Take mel tell ] say
Tom. An, the ropel7 ahell laid her purts
hand on her throat $40 diel To ssi
sun an flowers an hear birds To kiss
no more The cola, dark ground thi
! woErnslR c'u'd sesl her Bhiysr ag'in