Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1893-01-12
HOW HESETTLED WITH
GRlNGO.
by BELLE HUNT.

''Back in the seventies" said Texas
merchant who was ''on East buying
goods, "when l was adjuster for a big
mercantile house of Galveston, was sent
to investigate creditor of theirs out in
the southwestern part of the State, my
instructions being TO collect the claim or
run an attachment on the concern.
'At the end of thirty hours run on
the train, found myself in -, the
nearest railroad station to P, the
town of my delinquent customer, which,
upon inquiry, found to be seventeen
miles west, on the Mexican border.
I'm my prowliugs about -, whom
should / run across but my old friend,
Bill Scott, captain of the Texas Rangers,
who asked me what l was doing out
there. l frankly stated my business, and
asked if he knew the man | was going to
settle with.
Know Gringo Perez Scott re-
pcated. well, / reckon 1 do
that is Shy reputation" He's
regular tire-eatcr! Why, man
alive, Gringo Perez has fnc-hairs
like you on toast for breakfast. He is a
Greaser. you know, whom his fellow
citizens nicknamed "Gringo"-thcir term
of contempt for an American--bccause
he gave up sheep shearing and horse
stealing and took TO the slower but surer
business of merchandise. He's holy
terror--adds notch to his pistol butt
every six months and two during cleo
ton! Pay2 Why, he don't pay for any
thing, and as for your attachment, you'd
as well try to serve attachment papers
on the devil for back bills on brim-
stonev
Il Say, Rice, think I'd better ride
over with you. We are making this
headquarters while we make roundup
of this seasons crop of horse thieves,
road agents and fence-cutters in this part
of the country, and can leave word for
the boys to join me at P when they
come in this evening. We might come
in handy if you get into any trouble.
at is needless to say that L accepted
SCOTS offer with aviditv, though gave
him. to understand that had not under
taken to adjust that claim under the i'm
preston that Twas going TO Sunday
school picnic and would need to wear my
billed shirt.
1T was about noon when we set out
for P, riding one of SCOTS extras,
why, nimble-footed little broncho.
| l had taken the precautionary measure OF
! getting out my attachment papers be-
| fore we started-which l still hoped to
use only as last resort in bringing Mis-
/ ter Fire Eater to terms.
ut was close upon o'clock in the
afternoon when we rode into P, a
| har 1orf
of the houses were one-story adobes,
struggling along either side of the main
street, which was nothing more or les:
than the continuation of the wagon road
from one settlement to another. There
were punches of chaparral here and there
about the outskirts of the town, and ;
dense thicket of it lay about mile away
to the west Five of the nine business
houses had saloon in big letters owe
the door, aud calmly and peacefully con
fronted me, when we got off our horses
was the sign, &c. Perez, Dealer in Dry
goods, Clothing, Hats, Caps, Millinery
Boots Shoes, Notions, Groceries, Hides
Wool, Agricultural Implements, etc.,
which covered the entire gable end @
the Imprinted, weather boarded store.
cited to the racks on either side o
the public well, were eight or ten ponies
their TANKS weighed down by the hi;
Mexican saddles, which varied thei
monotonous duration by biting and kick
ing at each other while their indiffercn
riders loafed on the steps and stoops o
the stores, telling yarns, smoking cigar
cites, playing poker and reading tn
county papers, which were handed out
regardless Of address, by the obligin
postmaster.
1--WE found Perez in. He -scoope'
out, weighed and tied up dollar
worth of sugar for sfabssided girl
while introduced myself and states
my business. This professional dut
finished and the lid put back carefully o
the sugar barrel, he casually informed m
that my house might go to -, an
that he'd pay when he got ready, an
not before.
Naturally, this reception did nc
tend to increase my amiability, and
promptly turned on my heel and WEI
out, intending to put my attachmer
papers ia the hands of the deput,
sheriff aud instruct him to serve them |
once.
"INt the deputy turned pale at IL
mention of serving papers on Grinp
Perez, kindly explaining to me that b
present incumbency of Office was the r
suit of his never, under no suckun
stances, meddin' with other folkse
businesses.
''Of course, did not attempt to gai
say so obvious a statement, and was ju
taking a mental inventory of my ANN
milton, preliminary to a man-to-man sc
Element with Mister Gringo, when SEQ
overlook me at the door of the deputy
! office, and hearing the new turn Civ
TO my situation, said:
"'That's all right. I'll serveyour p
per. The captain of the Rangers Is "
tually sheriff anywhere in the State
his own discretion, you knowp laughiI
: and giving me the wink.
"sBy George, old mani exclaime
graspinQ his hand. Il am beginning to To-
upon YOU as ''providential interve
ton, in my favor on this trip and
~-r'ted on together over to Gring
store.
..s was getting on toward dusk, a
Giinqo was in the back part of the roc
looking over his books. Scott and / be
saw that we had him AZ his disadvsntai