River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-06-28

low them to float over his house. After
the war he engaged in the horse and
cattle stealing business, Struggled
whisky onto the Indian reservation.
and rumor linked his name with a dar-
ing stage robbery down in Texas in the
early 7O's lie held 10 regard for the
Fourth of July as a patriotic holiday.
and took part in arranging the festIvi-
ties of the day only for what he could
make out of them by stalking money
on the various races. The foot race
between the girls was an idea origin
ated by himself. for he believed that
the bluffers and thugs who hung abont
his place. drank his agHdrdieHte aud
bowed TO his viii in everything. could
by some slSuldug gerry rctard the prog
ress of the other two contestants and
allow his girl 20 win the race, and him
self To win the heavy stakes which
would be placed upon the result of the
contest
- learned. too. that there were
grave suspicious that the Indian girl
and her people had been fixed with
cash, and that she would purposely
drop behind, leaving but the Mexican
and american girls Is the real con-
testants- The hackers of the Mexican
girl were mostly from among her own
people though a few Americans had
backed their belief that she would win
with pretty heavy stakes However,
the friends of the Montezuman fairy
were largely in the minority, and
greatly feared there would be foul
play which they would be unable to
prevent.
Il went 10 the grounds the following
afternoon with no intention to take
any part in the festivities except as an
OnloOlIer. The track was a straight
one, half n..le long, just outside the
town. and when | reached il found a
great crowd assembled there, Next
cans, cowboys, Indians and the entire
/ American population Of the town, at
that time small. Matt Parker was
there. flourishing a roll of greenbacks
and loudly soliciting bets ON the horse
races, but more particularly ohalleng-
ing anyone To post money against his
girl in the foot race.
Noting a crowd collecting near by
where l stood stepped forward
through curiosity to see what was at
tracing it ard learned that the Next
can girl was there with her friends,
who seemed to be expostulating with
her. When ! had elbowed my way
through the motley crowd near to her.
| could not but stare in amazement. |
had expected to see a rough-looking,
dark-skinucd. lily clad girl such as we
so often see in the Mexican towns. but
instead found her a rarely beautiful
/ young creature with large tender eyes,
and evidently of very timid DISPOSE
ton. There were tears IL her pretty
eyes. and her voice trembled as she re-
piled To the half angry words of those
about her.
"a great big fine-lool1ing cowboy
stood near me, there he is now out by
the branding chute, God bless him
Big Tom, my foreman. and he will be
my foreman as long as run a ranch),
and turning to him a>ked the trouble.
lie understood the Mexican tongue,
and with somewhat dangerous light
in his eyes he.replied:
:. some o Matt Parlxer's sneakin'
dogs have been a threatenin the gal,
an have got her so skeered up She S
afraid to ran. There crooked work
a-goin' on here. an if / wasn't afraid
it d bring on a row an that somebody
that didn't desarve it d git hurt Id
pull nv gun an claim fair play if got
dOwncd fur it.
The horse and donkey races were
soon over, and Parlxer's winnings were
so small that he was in a decidedly
bad humor. The girls We're then
called to the scratch for the foot race.
Bv this time had become deeply in
terested in the contest. and | want TO
to say right here, Jack. that it has al
WAYS been my nature To take the part
of the under dog in the fight. no mat
4 ter what odds NAV be against it,
felt my whole soul 90 out in sympathy
to that frightened little Mexican
I Jewel and when heard Parker and
his followers decrying her sprinting
merits and doing all they could 10
create feeling against her and so en-
barrass her that she could not run as
l she would under more favorable cir
cumstances. felt the Old Nick spirit
that's in me struggling to the surface
The girls came onto the track, the
Parker girl an Unlocking. ungainly
creature, brazen and defiant, the Mex