Evening star., 1893-12-09


said and did in the next three weeks that
might, with profit. have been ''hilt onto till
after lection but he was neither TO
haud nor to bind"
He told the Mexicans that this was a
white mans election and they'd better
stay out. He Informed the whee! horses
of his party when interrogated as to his
| future policy in some particular that he
should run the office exactly to his own
ideas, consulting nobody; he turned on Bat
Leverson. when that worthy presumed to
slap him on the back and inform him that
he was his man, with the ley irony, 1T
may be possible, but 1 don't think I've got
your brand on me- and he hustled the
men he was tod he must treat up to the
bar like a man taking trail herd 10 wa
ter.
We feared, up to the last minute. to have
him make a speech. thinking he would say
something that would hurt him worse than
| his silence had already done. We were
afraid to expose him to the guying a polti-
cal speaker ordinarily gets from a cowboy
crowd, for fear he should hurt some of
them.
Finally. just before election it was de-
cided that he must make one speech any
how.
We got around him and told him how hot
the opposition was; how il seemed TO be
becoming more personal than political, and
ne Swore considerably and said he didn't
want the office, would beg nobody for votes
and address no meetings. We explained
that backing out now would be like back
ing out of u fight-cowardly-and that get
ting beaten was no compliment TO us, his
friends.
''All right. boys" he said finally: don't
you try TO spur me in the shoulder because
L can't travel your gait. Tell me what you
want me to say and I'll try to say it,"
The night came and we got him up before
the motley assemblage out in front of head
quarters. looking somehow shorn and
Knocked. | never saw his physical superb
ority to the ordinary run of mankind more
plainly marked than as he stood on the
porch in the glare of one or two campaign
torches. trying to say the things we had
told MIN 20, in way to please u.s. and
| looking like trapped god before a parcel
of kinds.
The opposition was. unfortunately, out
in force, and our men were few He saw
faces that reused all the fight there was in
him. He halted through the sentences we
had put in his mouth with an i'll enough
grace. looking mostly at his own hands or
feet and speaking away SaVagely to get to
the end. when some fellow in the back of
the crowd interrupted him with a Cnoice bit
of cowboy badinage.
Then his head came up. his big eyes be-
gan TO glow lambently and swept the crowd
from side TO side. lie was beginning to
take some personal interest in the proceed
ings.
He deftly unfastened a belt Of satiny
Spanish leather from around his waist and
laid couple of pistols in their holsters on
the improvised desk before him.
Gentlemen, he said. in that smooth,
L
the pant of the rising lion, Il do not like to
be interrupted when 4 am speaking"
A hatterlnS hush followed. Masters broke
1t finally. so far he said. Il have spoken
to you to please my friends; now l shall
speak to you to please myself"
II i believed in this story about hypnotic
ing people by holding bright object before
! them, l should say that Masters had hyp-
nouzed the crowd with his eyes. There
were men in 1t every whit as brave as he
suppose, and why they stood there silent
and let him abuse them as he did in the
next fifteen Misunderstanding fellows bv
name. and reminding them of reasons in
the past that made their present attitude of
opposition shameful to them-I don't know.
But they did. OF all the things that had
| been brewing, represSed, in his mind durin.
| this three weeks. he omitted none He said
all that was in him, and they took it with
/ out a word.
Now" he added. when he was done with
/ personalities, Il have finished with you -
| including the crowd in one quick. con-
| temptuous gesture. ''As for myself. 1 hear
| that some of you have been talking about
running He out of the county. You know
that's nonsense You know you intend to
take it out in talk; but even that sort of
| talk unhealthy. and l don't advise any
| of You who have wives and children you
don't want made widows and orphans to in
/ dulge too freely in it,
| Up TO this time he had not said one word
J directly about his campaign Now he
added. apparently as an unimportant after
except me. Don't one of YOU sneakinp
/ coyotes dare to cast a vote for my name,
/ Me sheriff Of this misera BILE grease spot on
/ the fair race of Texas! Expect me to crawl
/ ana whine for votes, and when | don't do
II, talk about running ne out of your mis-
! cradle three-up county. as though YOU had
a cinch on the only place in the world a
man would care to live in, | hope your new
sheriff viii hang every man of you that de-
serves ID, and the four decent ones that are
| left can start new town
He turned as though to start back into
| the saloon. ] looked every minute for
somebody i'm the crowd to send bullet into
his back. The same idea evidently struck
him, for he stopped and stood where he
was. Offering them a fair mark for upward
of a minute.
Their a voice separated itself from the
murmur that was momentarly rising be-
hind him. Say" it said. ~ amt goin't
leave US. air ye?'
Masters reply was brief and uncompli-
mentarv.
20. stay Eyer" whooped an old drover on
the outskirts. We'll 'lect ye. We like yer
spunk''
Masters. without turning his head. con-
signed the speaker and the crowd tersely
and emphaticalIy to a region not usually
mentioned in circles polite. and seeing no
body had mind to make q target of him
strode into the saloon, leaving the crowd to
straggle discOnsolately down the street Civ
lng him now and then scattering cheers or
laushinS over some of his hardest hits
my luck" he said. I'm going over to New
Mexico to look up some business of mine
there I'm not built for politician
NO politician, amt ye? Coin ter Mexico
air yeF said Spike Mullins Indignantly, as
he set out glasses for the crowd Il guess
ye haint soin' I leave here none fer a spell
guess yer Jest politician 'nuff ter be good
as 'lected right now. Thet there crowds
soma Ter We. an yer SOin' [ hev sich a ma
jority ez this county haint saw since it's
been county. Wish t tn Lord we'd he'd
sense nun L let ye take holt an manage
things yer own way afOrCt'
He had. They not only elected him. but
they stood his despotic sway after he was
elected. They put uD with the. drastic
treasures that made their county the best
administered in the state 50 far as the
SherlH Office was concerned. and they have
elected him again and yet again till IL is
believed that newcomers think the office is
his by hereditary right. and do not presume
10 vote against him.
Hope for Him Stin.
From the Chicago Tribune.
salvation Army man-"My friend. If Won
will take this little book and raa5 -