The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-11-22
HE BEAT THE SMUGGLER.
But Don Mauricio Slew His Only
Daughter in Doing 1t.
An Interesting and Thrilling Tale of the
Southwestern Frontier-An Episode of
a Summer Day Down in the Mes
quite Country.

its transitory cane bottom stage and
had entered upon the enduring era of
rawhide. His heels, somewhat above
the elevation of his head, rested
against the mesquite corner post of the
veranda, as we eupheInistically called
the brush shade in front of the ranch
house. Saddles, blankets and other
equine paraphernalia hung upon pegs
driven into companion posts, and Edge
worth and | were repairing some of
our horse furniture preparatory to
riding out, Within the Kid was
doing what he called sweeping out;
not as a woman sweeps, but with ire
mendous strokes of his implement
that drove the more solid aggregations
of dirt before it, as shots from a cata-
pult, while the smaller particles of
dust rose about him like a dense swarm
of gnats, angry at being disturbed,
and settled back again as the sweeper
shifted his position. Edgeworth was
an Englishman, and the Kid Hins-
ley, by name, was some relative of his,
who had recently come out from the
old country to try ranch,ng in south
west Texas, and differed not from
other youths of his illf in verdancy
and general uselessness. He had, or
had had at the time of his coming,
the usual ideas regarding the dragons
and chimeras dire which he would be
called upon to encounter in the remote
occident, and Edgeworth. not to
thwart his aspirations, benevolently
allowed him to cook, make beds and
ont NJ 10 ;Oy, to tha rO-
mantle life of the frontier
We made it a point to do those
things that ought to be done during
the cool of the morning, and followed
the Mexican habit of sleeping, or pre-
tending to do so, during the heat of
the day; all save Billings, who had an
unholy doctrine that since a part of
the day was to be devoted to loafng,
the loafng should be done at time
when you could enjoy it, which you
certainly could not do, he argued,
while the perspiration rolled off you
as you lay on your blanket and the
flies, legion of devils from the pit,
pestered, you into a state of homicidal
ferocity.
He carried out this doctrne-much.
we secretly held, to his own discom-
fort-by being exasperatingly inGus-
trious during the hours of the siesta,
and correspondingly indolent while
the rest of us were at work, though it
is not to be inferred that any of us al
lowed the primeval curse to press very
heavily upon us.
So, in the morning of which | write,
Billings was doing nothing, and doing
it in manner to reflect credit on one
of Mr.. Gilbert's lords. He seemed to
be absorbing the weird beauty of the
wide view that lay before us in the
fine, dry air. Near at hand a level,
pinkish-gray stretch, dotted with
clumps of mesquite: half a mile away,
beginning to simmer in the increas-
ing heat, little knob of hill. the Som
bretillo, at the base of which the Rio
Bravo del Norte, pouring from the
west, turned sharply with tumultuous
rapids to the south; beyond, the roll
ing hills of the state of Tamaulipas,
covered with chaparra prieta, and be-
ginning to grow purple in the dis
tance: and beyond-nothing but the
clear, pale blue of the sky dome, where
save where, some sixty miles to the
southwest huge mass of deeper tint.
thrust sharply into it, marked the
mountains of Lampasas.
Edgeworth and myself purposed rid
ing to the south five or six miles,
where our fence came down to the
river, to straighten loose corner post
reported by vaquero the day before,
and tighten the wires. We had not
yet completed our preparations when
Billings observant eye remarked some
body riding from the northwest along
the road which curved round the base
of the Sombretillo on the side away
from the river. Whoever it might be,
he was riding at rapid gait, as the
horses hoofs were raising a cloud of
dust that hung in long trail in the
breathless air along the winding road.
AS it was probably some Mexican cow
boy, Edgeworth and l paid no further
attention to the approaching figure
beyond the first glance. Billings, hav-
ing nothing more pressing to engage
his attention, kept idly watching the
horseman as he drew nearer, when
presently he remarked:
at looks as if there were two on
that horse"
Now, there was nothing unusual in
this. The robust conscience of the
Mexican permits him to ride double,
not infrequently triple, upon beast
to which the burden of its own exist
ence would appear to be sufficient
load.
''One of 'em a woman, by Jove!" con-
tinued Billings, after an interval of
observation.
This was interesting. Not but what
we might any day see a Mexican with
his fat sonora in front or behind him,
piodding at sobre paso gait along the
dusty road that ran in front of our es-
Establishment. But going at full gallop,
that was different. Amy little Incl
dent however trivial. is n welcome
break in the loneliness of ranch life,
and we accordingly eyed the approach
ing couple with some curiosity. The
kid" seeing us gazing up the road,
ceased his performance with the broom
and came to join us.
As they rode up they slackened their
speed and turned in towards the house.
The pony upon which they were