The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-02-08

sebGleInenI, enyhOW. InaI all ououSH
excitement gwine on here fur me.
want to move furder west whar folks is
got some spunk, and I'd jes as lief declar
ny principles on you'nsez side as eny-
body else's!'
"Our formal acceptance OF the arms OF
pur unexpected ally was prevented by
the whiz of a ball past the window and
bcott's springing to the door and calling
put:
"'Throw down your arms and sur
render in the name of the lawl'
"'1Ian us over that damned fine hair
IN we will, came Gringo's voice.
"'What have you against him? asked
Scott.
"'He's too blamed smart an wears
stake an ridered Shirt answered voice
rom the rear of the mob, followed by
.oar Of laughter, which was suddenly
changed to one of fury when it was dis
covered who Scott was,
"'That's Bill Scott, the bellwether NV
5he rangersp' howled one, les capture
limp
"'Yes, he's strayed off too fur from
the fold this timer yelled another; les
shear him?
"tHim an the fine hair'll look purity
riden Nv the same rail, won't theyY joked
another, and SO the fun might have gone
IN until they forgot their blood thirst,
had not Gringo himself pushed to the
front swinging his pistol around his
head and yelling, TO h-ll with yer foolin,
boys! I'm here fur business. I've been
insu1ted an my rights as er citizen Nv
this state an county interfered with.
ALI that is in favor NV pussonal rights,
IN homes deals come on an help me
whoop the stufin out'n these smart ell
!ecks!'
"Fiis harangue was welcomed by a
murderous yell and the click Of what
sounded like a hundred pistols and Win
,hesters.
"sstand your groundr said Scott to
ne and lobe.
"All right, CAPT answered lobe as he
rammed cud of tobacco into his mouth
and hitched his powder and shothorns
around handy. The old man fairly
danced from side to side of the half open
door, as eager as boy who has lighted
the fuse of his first Fourth Of July rocket.
".Gimme lief, cap; gimme ieff he
chuckled, bracing his shoulder against
the gun.
"sWait a minute; wait minutev
Scott said, putting one hand on the old
mans shoulder and coping the other
around his ear, leaning toward the north
and listening intently.
"sThat's the boysp he said. 4 hear
their horses feet Then fiinging the
door wide open he called out once more
Throw down your arms! ] command
you in the name of the state of Texasr
"Their answer was a volley of bullets
which Scott returned by thrusting out
his pistol arm and emptying the six
chambers into their faces. This gave
the signal to me and the old man, who
kept the stream hot from the other side
for the next eight minutes, till the ran
gers came. But tell you they were the
| longest eight minutes / ever counted.
| The old man was in his glory. The way
he poured powder, wads, bullets and
caps into Miss Betsy and fired them out
was equaled only by the way he elected
one quid of tobacco and bit off another,
without interrupting the stream of to-
bacco juice he spurted on the floor to
the right of wherever he stood. He took
| it as matter of official interference that
the rangers should come up and take
| the fight out of our hands.
"sDurn 'emr he growled, when we
saw the mob turning to meet the attack
Of the men from the rear. He sent his
! last load at random through the air, and,
going to the bucket, Sod leaning on
Miss Betsy whsle he gulped down two
successive dippers of water.
" Some fools lis alters meddlin,' he
went on. Them rangers better be tend
| in to their business an let us ten to ourn!
It nd "a been the maxim Nv P to hev
Gringo Perez an his gang laid out by
three men an a galp
ssThis called our attention to the child
whom we had utterly forgotten. Look
ing around found her sitting on one of
| the barrels against the back door, swing
| ing her feet and calmly awaiting results
"'Do you want to go home, sissy l
asked, standing beside her perch. She
set her little teeth and shook her head.
"'No; I dasn't! Dad nd kill me for
| shore! He sees me in here, an knows
giy him erwayv
g That's all right, Cheer the old man
said. you kin come an go out west with
| me an be my gall!
sssNo, can'tp answered she. Thar
amt no schools out thar, an ought ter
be edicatedp
Sour further family discussion was
| interrupted by the return OF Scott, who
| informed us that Gringo and his ring
leaders were lodged in the calaboose, and
| the ragtag and bobtail of the gang had
| taken to brush.
s'Scott and the group of citizens who
accompanied him concurred in support
of Chec's proposition that she ought to
be educated, and purse was made up
then and there providing for the child
and her mother out of reach of Gringo
when he should again be at large"
"Come, Rice" said one of his listeners,
acknowledge that you married the beau
1