The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-11-23

simple. He -four
/ ishes as an exotic, translated from Old
Mexico having undergone deteriora-
ton by the transfer.
Sometimes he shuf1es off his servil-
ity and becomes a Spaniard Then il
requires nerve to deal with him, and
also quick hand on the trigger.
Jack Henderson went out to New
Mexico five years ago with bride
and a dream and 50, 600. When I saw
him the bride had become a mother
TO the extent Of Jack, Jr., aged three,
the dream was on the verge Of evan
essence and the s. 900 had gone.
Jack had settled on what purported
eventually to become a fruit farm.
when a company nad worried out an
impossible irrigation scheme. thirty
miles from Santa Fe and seven miles
from a white man
We rode to the place over baked
mud tracks, seemingly without end
or object past the greasers' "dobies. -
as they call their homely little mud
huts- And then at last we reached a
long, low farmhouse of planlxs. sit
ting in the midst of vege ia bic patch
that had literally fallen into the sere
and yellow leaf. That was Jacks
home, and presently came Mrs. Jack,
with Jack, Jr-, clinging shyly to her
skirts, to give me a welcome.
j ose was Jacks cook moist, uncOn-
forta bic looking greaser, with a quiz
ering paunch and long limbs that
seemed inadequate to support the
superstructure ventured to re-
mark on his unprepossessin cOunte-
nance but Jack became eloquent upon
his culinary virtues. Even Mrs. Jack
had something to say on the subject,
and I felt at once that 1 was interior
ing with family idol.
When, therefore, Jack told me later
in the day that he had been obliged
to discharge Jose with instant orders
to depart, it was a matter Of no small
establishment to me- 1 felt, however,
that it was a delicate subject and to
this day I have no idea what was
Jose's cause of offence I conjecture
that Mrs Jack was concerned, and
that the insult was deep. for Jose's
accomplishments were unparalleled,
and no slight matter could have
caused his deposition.
In the evening Jack and 7 decided
upon a ride. We set out upon our
way, talking so earnestly of I knew
not what that we barely noticed Jose
as he mounted his pony at the back
door of the house.
When we were twenty feet further
on there was a whirring noise and q
sort of muf1ed thud. Jack was de
livered of a sound that appeared to
have begun life as an oath and turned
aside to be a gurgle- Also his horse
jerlxed itself on its launches and
seemed to stagger helplessly.
By the time I could turn my head
Jack was half way out of his saddle.
A Ian ut ar a his
elbows, pinioning his arms to his
sides. It's other end was fastened to
the pommel of Jose's saddle and Jose
was bending over his horses neck
with a devilish sheen beneath his
heavy eyebrows.
Jack had his fingers on his revolver
in an instant but crippled as he was
by the thong that cut deep into his
flesh, he was as helpless as though
his arm had been broken.
l looked at him, frozen to my sad
die. as useless to move to his rescue
as though the lariat was bound about
me.
Then there was a crack that
startled me, and the whole fascination
dissolved Jacks arms were free
and Jose was tangled up in a con
fused mass of pony, harness and man
As the pony fell there appeared be-
hind its body the figure of Mrs Jack,
pale and quivering, with the lips set
and sort of horror in the eyes that
was a revelation to me in my study
of expressions. In her hand was n
revolver, with a thread of smoke
trickling from the barrel as it hung
from her limp grasp. She swooned
afterward and 1 lifted her from the
ground.
Before that time. however, Jack
had released himself, and when I
looked round. he was standing over
the PROSTATE greaser with his watch
in one hand and his revolver in the
other.
Jose. he remarked. as placidly as
though he had been ordering dinner.
in just three minutes I am going to
kill you. 1 shall tell you as the min
utes pass"
It was an unpleasant scene to look
at. The fellow howled like a hurt
beast. He chung to Jacks knees and
his saints
Its no use, Jose 1 have no use
for such as you. and I don't see how
anybody else can have
We buried him a little later and
then Jack collapsed also. had my
hands full for a while, bringing the
couple to a ~easona bic condition Of
nerves.
/ did not understand until a day or
two afterwards. when Jack WIS will
ing to talk about it. the full extent
of Mrs Jacks heroism- In he IN
slant granted her to appreciat the
situation, she had seen that to- kill
Jose would be useless. for the T'ony