New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-09
A TRAGEDY ON THE RANCH
BY w. c. MORROW.

watched with the deepest interest. cloud of dust
which rose in the still May air far down the
valley for il evident that the color in her
checks and the sparkle in her violet black eyes
smoke a language of devotion and happiness. Her
husband was coming home and with him his
vaaucros after tedious drive of cattle TO San
Francisco He had been gone hut a month; but
what an interminable absence that ia TO a wife OF
a year, She had watched the fading Of the wild
golden peoples she had seen the busy workers of
the beehives LAYING up their stores of honey culcd
from the myriads of flowers which carpetcd the
valley: and she had ridden over tho Gabil2n hills
to see the thousands of her hushards cattle which
dotted them She had been respectful Of her house
keopinr duties. and had directed Alice. the sew
ing-girl. in the making of garments for the ap-
proachinC hot season. Yet, busy as she thought
she was and important she imaGi"ed herself
10 be in the management Of the great ranch 'lme
had dragged itself by in manacles. Bnt now was
coming the cloud of dust 10 lift the cloud OF lonel
ness. and if ever young wifes heart quickened
with gadncss il was hers.
Presently the fne young Scotchman lcapcd from
his horse claspad his wife in his arms asked
few hurried questions concerning her w'lt'r' dur
ing his absence. united a small buckskln bag whlch
depended from the pommel Of his saddle, ana, re-
marking. 81 thought You might need some
spendinr-monev. Violante" held up the bag con-
tanning gold. containing n hundred times more
gold than her simple tastes and restricted oppof'
tuni,ios would permit her to employ. But was
not her Robert the most generous Of mon? 'th'r
eyes than nors saw it-thosc Of Basllo Neiasco'
mo Of the vaou,ros-a small. swnrthv man. with
the blacklist and sharpcst OF eyes in which just
then a peculiar glitter.
What a handsome couple were the Young nus
hand and wife as, arm in arm, fhcy "h'eru '''
houso-he so large and red and masculine, she
so dark and reliant and feminine. HHauf'ri
Spanish girls were plentiful in those youthful
DAYS of California hut Violantr had been known
as the most beautiful of all the madens from III"
Santa Barbara Channel to the Bay OF Monterey.
lIard-heado1 and fiery tempered scotch ir'~"N
terrain. gentle patient and faithful Catholic 'hey
were the happiest md most devoted OF couples
@Well. LITTLE Violanfc." he said, " take the bag
I'D 70 your room and give us dinner; for pciorc
we rest we must ride to the range and look
.r.or tbo cattle. a~d after that you and | shall
lave good long visit
These plcasant duties We're quickly dlspa'ch'd
and the dusty men. led by her husband, galIopc'
away. From the open window of her room sue
saxy the recodirg cloud of dust, wondering az
that urgent sense of duty which could make 70
fond husband leave her, even for snort 'lh''
after so long separation. Thus she sat- dreahly
thinking of her great happiness in having him
ouco AGAIN at home, and drinking IN the rch
ocrfnme Of the racnes of wlstara blossoms WHICH
eoi,,rcl the massive vine against the house. Ihi'
old vine springng from the ground penoa'h TIE
window at which she sat. spread us long arms
almost completely over that part OF thc WALL
divided On either side for the window and hung
gracefully beneath the caves, empowering 'hrir
lovely owner in a tangled mass OF purple dos
CONS II was an exquisite picturc-tlle pretty
wife sitting there in the whiteSt OF lawns, look
inc ont over the hills in this frame OF gorgeous
Aowcrs-au the more charming from her uhcoh-
scionsncss of its beauty. Dehnd her, al the oppo-
s;.o side of the room. sat Alice sewing III silence
A. the sonora Ioo,icd drra9nly over the hlii'
she became aware OF the peculiar actl ons OF man
ON horseback, who approaching TIE house
from the direction in which her hus0aha ana
the vaqucros had disappeared. That when sun
,roned hey attention was IN" fact that the MN
wac annroacbinp by an irregular route. which
M ordinary circumstance would have required
Ilc had such n way Of keeping behind the trees
that she could not determine his identity. II
looked strange and mysterious, and something I'M
PEELED her 10 drop the lace curtain over the WIN
dow. for behind it she could watc! without being
seen
The horseman disappeared and this made her
20 Alice. Soon she noticed man on foot ap-
proaching the house in watchfu, skulkin9
fashion. slipping from one tree one bit Of shrub
berry 70 another Then, with swift run, be
approachcd tie house, and stcalthly and noise
lesslv As n cat began To ascend 10 her window
by clamboring up the wistarii vine. Her spirit
orailed and her checks blanchcd when she saw
fhe naked blade of a dagger held between his
teeth. She understood his lnlsslon-i' was hrr
,~.l1 sndf ha OIL form q
robber she recognized as those OF Baslo Nclasco.
After ii moment Of ncryrlcss terror the ancient,
resisting blood of the OvandoS spranG into alert
activity. and this gcntlcst and sweetest OF Young
women armed her soul 20 meet Death on iils own
ground and his own terms, and Try IN" Issue with
him. -,
She gave no alarm, for there was none in the
house except herself and Alice. To have given
way 10 fear would have DESTROYED her only hope
of life Quietly, in low tone, She said
Alice. listen, but do not say word. There
Was an impressven"es in her manner that startled
the nervous tmd Sirl Du, ,lrle was alsG IN IL
She dropped her work and regarded her mistress
with wonder. Look in the second drawer Of
the bureau. You will find "a pistol there. Bring
il TO me quickly. without word for a man IS
clambering up the vine under my window to
rob me. and if make any outcry or lose our
heads we are dead. Place full confidence in me
and il will be all right. go
Alice numb and nervous with fear. found the
pistol and brought it to her mistress
Go and SIT down and keep quiet she was
told and this she did.
Volantc, seeing that the weapon was loaded,
cooked it, and glanced out the window. Ba>ilio
was climbing very slowly and carefully. fearing
that the least disturbance of the vine would
alarm the sonora. When he had come sufficiently
near 10 make her aim sure. Niolante suddenly
and brought the barrel of the weapon in line
with Vcasco's head.
"What do you want, Basio?' she asked
Upon hearing the musical voice, the Spaniard
quickly looked up. Had the bullet then i'm
prisoned in the weapon been sent crashing through
his vitals he would have received hardly a
greater shock than that which Guivered through
his nerves when he saw tho black barrel Of tine
pistol, the small but steady hand which held il
aimed at his brain, and the pale and beautiful
face absce il. Thus holding thr robber at her
mercy she said firmly to the girl:
Alice, there is nothing TO fear now. Run
IA Sast as YOU can TO the west end Of the house.
about a hundred yards away, ard you will find
this mans horsc tied there somewhere in the