The Meeker herald., 1893-04-29
"well, I don't spose y want Z pu.

VIZ ASio q uoECh iCooSh aohAeAt ~
change; I'll give y check fer TIL
five hundred, SO y can git it in Dali
las, or y can tell TIL old man tibet y
won it off O. me, an hell cash it fer
y, he knows it's all right, an then
I'll ride over t Las Cases an hunt up
a woman's saddle, an there I'll feed
an rub down Cringo, an have him at
the crossroads. as fresh as paint, at
five minutes before 9. o. course
you'll be waitin' fer me there an
when she comes, an is once up, there
amt horse in tn country tibet
Cringo can't show clean pair o
heels to-"
At the time set Bill Shocks rods
his racin' mustang, "Cringo," slowly
down the trail from Las Cases towarS
tn broken cross where TIL roads met.
Their WAS touch o. sorrow in his
heart, fer Bill loved TIL little mus-
tang better'n anything else n th'
world-except tn lady o. tn la
cienda; but he hadn't long t thitk
about it before little yelled figgcr
came creepin' down tn trail, an q
soft voice whispered: Thou art
waitin' fer thy so late Ninita, but my
uncle" Here Bill was obliged t.
explain tn situation, an, cursin'
Martin under his breath fer COW
ardly sneak T. make tn flutterin' 1T
tie creature wait, he begged her as
politely as he knew how T. mount III
bay horse, an tn Senior Martinez
would be with them in Almost no
time.
"Ah! he has sent you with a hor. @;
so kind. so thoughtful" as. touchIu
her little arched foot t Bill Snooss'
big brown hand, she sprang t tn
saddle. But Listen! hear
tn tramplin' o. horses. 1t must Sc
he, ye: they seem many. Senior
Caballero, If there be danger i look
to- you for protection"
with my life, senorita'h said Bill.
Addin' to imsolf ''fcr Gods sake, Bill
Shocks, keep yer gun in yer belt. an'
yer mouth shut, till y see whut'll do
her TIL least harmr'
BY this time tn clattcr o. hoc's
had stopped, an plumb in front o
Bill an tn senorita pulled up Don
Juan Felipe Aguado. tn uncle AM
garden o. TIL lady; an Mr.. Warren
Enthusiastically known among tn
boys as 9TH old man"--th' manager
o. tn Blazin' Brazos cattle company.
The Senorita Ninita. here" cried
Don Juan, almost knocked out o. his
saddle by tn shock.
"Bill SHOCKS, you here.' put in old
Maitland in voice like the bleat o a
bull-calf under the brandin'i iron.
"Whut does this mean, senorita9'
Numbered Don Juan.
"An' whut in, Whut on earth
arc you up to, BillP" yelled Maitland
in the same breath.
.If my uncle will listen" said the
senorita, at last.
Bill he'd bin dumb, not KNOWN in
tn least whut line she meant t. take,
an feclin' sure he'd only put his foot
in it If he tried T. talk. "If my uncle
and the Senior Maitland will listen, it
means that | am about T. become tn
wife of caballero so noble, so brave
an honorable, that my family can
but feel Rratified by the alliance
speak OF tn Senior Don Henrico Mar
tinez, who will on tn moment arrive
T. claim me for his bride"
"But II this be true" said tn Don.
chow comes it tibet / find you here
weth this common vaqucro, an
mounted upon his horse-whioh |
recognize as from TIL track o. TIL
race"
"Don Juan" put in old Maitland,
my nephew, MIR. Martin, would,
have no doubt, feel battered at tn
idea of an alliance with tn family o.
tn Senior Aguado; but l am IN posi-
tion to state with certainty that he
has not at this time anticipated or
prepared fer tn honor. ! left him at
tn rancho, somewhat overcome-in-
deed. | will not hesitate t speak
plainly-dead drunk-having spent
tn afternoon ut cards an lost heavily
"a sum received in payment of an
old gambling debt l need not say
that it gives me pain t speak o
these habits, so degradin' t my
young relative-but better so than t
believe him capable O. attemptin' TIL
abduction o. child-fer y'r niece is
little more.
LAS for you Shocks, / won't allow
myself t. use harsh language in TIL
presence of lady. Here's n month IS
wages; yer bounced from TIL payroll
o. tn company, an / know my friend
TIL Senior Aguado will join me in
sayin' tibet TIL faster y make tracks
from this part O. tn country tn bet
ter.
Don Juan will no doubt escort his
niece home. You can mount yer own
horse, an as neither his people nor
mine will be likely t feel very friend
ly If this gets out, better fan him a
little on both sides till y git over TIL
line"
Whut became o. tn senorita
Quien sabe. II it he'd o. bin Bill
Shocks tibet she was willin' to run of
weth, things would hav ended differ
emit. AS it was, Bill was scooped.
He travelled North by long stages,
joined cattle drive at Abilene an
never stopped till tn snowies was be-
low him an TIL Canada line nigh in
sight.-San Francisco Examiner.
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