The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-07-21
MARIPOSA.

lookin pines a-list'nin to the roarin Of
the wind-contentedlike as yer purity
little faces a-swollerin ole Pete's talk.
WAL, Pm a-gointer put up yarn
about one Nv them this time. You
nee'nter laff. Think Unkl Pete savvies
nawthin only bout Injuns, scalps, gol-
diggins n snow shoots? Hain't much on
posies gin'rally.
Yessiree! Thar's a gun int; of
'twa'n't, wouldn't be no story, l 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 soapud 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.
WAL, one day wuz sightin to'rd Del
Norte to dicker bout an alfalfy deal.
Nigh to Their town see somethin loomin
up; SEE |:
"Some feller's takin cattle to range"
Then l reconized Tom. Handsome young
Teller wuz Tom in flannel shirt and
"chaps," the wind layin his broad brim
"pra'rie king" back and shown his face
ez he Hoped past. Nigh the Ryo Grandy
bridge my broncho most shed me ez Tom
cum thunderin back.
"By gum! Thets ridin," SEE, ad-
mirin his slim tigger, 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 lickety bump, a-workin ten
miles perpendicular to airy mile ahead.
1 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 L
c'u'dn't swar ter Tom. q c'u'dn't, eff |
ha'nter met him goin t'other way.) II
wapter be outer this ef ole Diaz goes ter
lawn.
"Trial by jury!" seq |; trial by guns
M ticket. Them families nd of settled
the scrap ages sence, eff lawyers hedn't
Ep- the cinch on EN-"
T'"th"r sidc Nv town Diaz wuz found
CO.. bullet hole in his head, sized
L. C . loctle gun of Toms. What
H:i,h family SCRAPS" Diaz bein seen
a-tn%sipg utter Tom an Toms comm
ii - as orOncho from tibet side Nv
90. ;G;i,L rawthin t. say 'ceptin he'd
- D."2' cattle onter range fer mis-
c""e&; Diaz chased him an he outrid
H. ut DiG2 follered, yit he'd take his
CO! lie hedn't shot Diaz-all that went
GG'in' him. The story didn't assay well.
Court wuz pledged ter "extarminate the
western rough" the papers said. A
grc@ger he'd hung fer KILN Ute, an
the feelin WIZ fer no parshality.
tux interest in tibet trial, both fer
Toms sake-I knowed him sence h1
WANT no bigger'n a ca 'tridge-and be-
cuz | llnowed huff t. witness eff they'd
knowed it; 'twa'n't much, but leave
lawyer to build Pixies Peak outer Their
foothills.
You zee I'm gittin to my story from
ali pints t'wonct, like Ii, 5 useter cum
at our stockades; but Ill git thar es
morally sartin es they did frequint.
Things looked rocky fer Tom, thar
amt doubt of it,
Ic'u'dn't stan it. Wy, | teached him
ter shoot jacks wen he want no higher
n sagebrush. | c'u'dn't breathe tel |
wuz out, gallopin roun the shoulder Nv
Lookout mountain, over the mesa.
Domino wut TUX me thet road Don
believe in sperits, but | cum mighty
nigh takin stock in thar lead tibet game.
cum down hill, acrost Their bridge an
onter the old play fore knowed.
Somethin quar- bout tibet row Nv flat
rooted white 'dobes, winders an doors
slantin ez greaser idees; them big, round
ovens like impossible musharooms; the
p'inted church front, with bell hole atop,
an cross settin on heap at Their back.
Mexican squatters he'd been ordered to
vamoose, n thar ole traps Nv horses wuz
fallin lonesumlike ter pieces.
'Twuz late afternoon; thought shad-
ders were a-foolin me when see some
thin hutter roun 'dobe corner With
passin idee Nv sperits, likewise of
greasers sneakin ways, dashed up an
covered somethin in the 'dobe.
Glands up.'
Isl ST." she sobbed-"Mariposy."
felt like durn fool settin thar holdin
up gal.
"Air We alone, Mariposy? Wut We
doin h'yar?"
She piled hundred questions at me
in her greaser American, windin up:
"Ees it a right-you air Tones frent:"
Thinkin only bout Tom an nawthin
t all bout Their gal, l shuk it all out
Hell hang sure" seq l.
You'd orter seen her. "
HE not kill Diaz" she stomped.
jumped.
II sect DONE" seq Mariposa, most
cryin. II know. Take mel tell save
| Tom All the ronei" she laid her nurtv