Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-04-29

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you don't want these two young male
| persons to take to shootin of each other all
up none do you?" said Armstrong.
II want you two sots to get outen my
Kitchen" replied 1.-THE Cactus" vigorous
| ly, ian wants you to move some hurried
too. Don't never let me find your mecca
/ sin tracks round this yere water hole no
more or I'll turn in an mark you up a
whole lot"
'Yere, you," she continued, as they were
about to leave, something cast down by the
conference, syou all can tell that Riley
Brooks an Rice Brown if they're blamed
| fools enough to go maxim a gun play over
me, to make it and make it hard. Tell 'em
can pick my man out when the smoke
I blows away"
''Tutt's way right about THE Cactus
| bein some sperited, said Armstrong, as the
two walked away
| "She's shore spirited, an that's fact"
unused Rosewood in assent.
| The result of the talk with 'sThe Cactus"
found it's way about in Cinnabar, and in
less than an hour bore its hateful fruit.
The peaceful quiet of the Gold Mine sa-
loon, which as rule heard no harsher note
than the clatter of a stack of chips, was
suddenly broken
"You all who amt interested yere better
take to lower limb
1t was the voice of Riley Brooks. The
trained instinct of the Cinnabar public at
once fathomed the trouble and proceeded
| to hide it's many heads behind barrels, ta-
bles, counter and any place which prom
ised refuge from the bullets. All but one,
and that was Rice Brown. He knew it
meant him the moment Riley Brooks ut
tered the first syllable, and his pistol came
to the front with a brevity born of long
practice. His rivals was already there,
and SO the shooting began. AS a result, Mr..
Brooks received a serious injury which
crippled his good right arm for many
day, while Mr.. Brown was picked up with
a wound in the side which even the senti-
ment of Cinnabar, Injured to such things
and inclined to optimism at all times ad-
mitted as dangerous.
"Well," said Armstrong, after the duel
lists had been cared for at the o. K House,
''yere we be again an nuthin settled Yere
we has all this shootin an all this blood
lettin, an the camp gets all torn up an
still thar's jest as many of these yere peo-
pie now as there was before, an most likely
the whole deal to go over again"
II shore abominates things a-splittin
even this away" said Rosewood, "but
| Cinnabar must bar it's burdens same as
other camps 1t can't be Helped none"
The next day the two duelists were still
| in bed. A new phase was given the affair
when 'The Cactus" clothed in purple and
fine linen, and with two violet red roses in
her straw hat, took the stage for Tucson.
The management of the o. K. House re-
ported, in Difference to the excited state of
| the Cinnabar mind, that "The Cactus"
would return in week.
| "Goin for her weddin troosoe most like
| ly," said Armstrong; as he gazed after the
stage.
Let's drink to the hope she gets red
dress, . said Tutt. "Set out all your bot
ties, barkeeper, an don't let nary man
renig. You bet red is my favorite color"
| No one seemed to know the intentions of
| 1.-THE Cactus" The shooting had in no
ways disturbed her. That may have been
her obdurate heart or it may have come
| from familiarity with the evanescent
tenure of human life born Of long years on
the border. Be that as it may, she ex-
perienced not the least concern touching
the condition of her brace of lovers wound
ed up stairs, and she took the stage without
even saying goodby to them or any one
else
| can some fools say women is takers"
said Rosewood in high disgust.
Three days later Old Scotty, the stage
driver, came in with startling news ''The
Cactus had married man in Tucson,
and would bring him to Cinnabar in a
week.
s'When I first hears of it," said Old
Scotty, with a groan, ian when thinks of
| them two pore boys a-layin in Cinnabar,
an their rights bein trifed with that away,
shore think I'l take my Winchester an
go an stop them rites whole lot; but,
pards, the Tuscon marshal wouldn't have
| it, So she nails him, an hears in saloon
over thar she's been amin to marry him
before she ever hops into Cinnabar at all.
I sees him afterward, an he's a little,
measly lookin prairie dog, an from his looks
he couldn't get a job clerkin in store"
'Thar you be-" said Armstrong. can
other case Of woman's inhumanity to man.
However, if The Cactus has done gone
a-futterin from her perch in this yere
fashion, jest the same we must prance
round an give her high old time on her
return. The honor of the camp bein con-
cerned, of course we whoops it up in style"
And they dido. II. Lewis in Short
| Stories.