The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-03-01
A GREASER BALKED.


all other things Americans in New Mex
Eco tolerate him as q necessary evil, just AZ
they tolerate Cinnamon in California OF
negroes in the southern states. He is cheap,
oven If he is nasty, and he makes farming
possible by his exceedingly low self valua
ton.
Sometimes he shuffles off his servility
and becomes Spaniard. Then it requires
nerve to deal with him, and also QUICK
hand on the trigger. became aware Of
that fact few months ago, when was
staying with Jack Henderson.
Jack went out to New Mexico five years
ago with bride and q dream and So, 000-
When I saw hins, the bride had become
mother to the extent of Jack, Jr., aged 3,
the dream was On the verge of evanescence,
and the So, 900 had gone.
Jack had settled on what purporteG
eventually to become fruit farm, when q
company had worried out an impossible
irrigation scbrme, 80 miles from Santa Fe
and seven miles from white man. There
were far mountains to the east, with whits
tops that purpled at shutdown. All round
him were the dreary prairie, monotonous
as the sea, mile beyond mile OF brown
parched grass, with here and there bunch
OF crawling bushes.
Roads, in the English sense OF the term,
there were none. We rod" to the place
over the baked mud tracks, seemingly
without end Or object, past the greasers'
''dobies, =" as they call their little homely
mud buts, past myriads of prairie dogs,
scampering into their holes as we ap-
preached. And then at last we reached 8
Of ~, in
the midst of a vegetable patch that had
literally fallen into the sere and yellow
leaf That was Jacks home and present
ly came Mrs. Jack, with Jack, Jr., cling
ing shyly 10 her skirts, to give Inc vel
come.
1t was broiling next day, hot after .
fashion that we in a kindlier cline COM
prehend not whit. No white man could
lift his hand to his head without weari.
ness resulting therefrom. Only the olive
hued greaser was available, and indeed
Jose seemed from the short period of my
observation TO be more on the qui vivs
Lnan any other living thing.
Jose was Jacks cook, a moist, uncom
forteble looking greaser, with quiverina
fsunch and long limbs that seemed in.
adequate to support the superstructure. ]
yentured remark upon his unprepos'
sessing countenance, but Jack became elo-
quen5 upon his culinary virtues. Even
Mrs. Jack had something to say on the
subject, and l felt at once that was inter.
fering with family idol.
When, therefore, Jack told me laser in
the day that he had been Obliged tn dis
charge Jose, with instant orders to depart,
it was matter Of no small establishment
to me. | felt, however, that 1t was a deli
cate subject, ard to this day 1 have no
idea what was Jose's cause of offense
conjecture that Mrs. Jack was concerned,
and that the insult was deep, for Jose's GO
complishments were unparalleled, and no
slight matter could have caused his depo-
sition.
In the evening the temperature grew
endurablc, not that il was cool or pleas
ant or anything like an English version of
a summer evening, but there was an in
etfectual breeze, and the dobies cast long
shadows as the sun died
Jack and decided upon a ride. We set
out upon our way, talking so earnestly OF
I know not what that we barely noticed
Jose as ne mounted his pony at the back
door Of the house.
When we were 20 feet farther on, there
were q whirring noise and sort of muf1led
thud Jack was delivered Of a sound that
appeared to have begun life as an oath
and turned aside to be a gurgle; also his
horse ierked itself OF its launches and
seemed to stagger helplessly.
BY the time l could turn my head Jack
was half way out Of his saddle. a leath-
er thong was grit around his elbows,
pinioniug his arms to his sides. Its other
end was fastened 10 the pommel OF Jose 5
saddle, and Jose was bending over his
horses neck with a devilish sheen beneath
bis heavy eyebrows.
Jack had his fingers on his revolver in
ali instant, but crippled as ho was by the
thong that cut deep into his flesh he was
as helpless as though his arms had been
broken.
/ looked at him, frozen to my saddle. as
useless TO move 10 his rescue az though
the lariat was bound about me.
Then there was a crack thar startled me.
and the whole fascination dissolved. Jack 5
arms were free, and Jose was tangled up
in q confused mass of pony, harness and
man.
As the pony fell there appeared behind
fits body the figure of Mrs. Jack, pale and
quivering, with the lips set and a sort of
horror in the eyes that was revelation
to me in my study OF expressions. In her
hand was a revolver, with thread OF
smoke tricklinQ from the barrel as 1t hung
from her limp grasp. She swooned after
ward, and / lifted her from the ground
Before that time, however, Jack had re-
leased himself, and when / looked round
he was standing over the PROSTATE greaser,
with his watch in one hand and his re.
volver in the other.
Jose" he remarked as plRcidly al
though he had been ordering dinner, i'm
just three minutes am going TO kill you.
i shall tell you as the minutes pass"
1t was an unpleasant scene TO look at.
The fellow howled like hurt beast. He
chung TO Jack knees ard prayed for
mercy in the name OF all his saints.
It's no Use, Jose. I'm going to-two
minutes-kin you. have no use for such
as you, and / don't see how anybody else
can have"
We buricd him a little later, and then
Jack collapsed also. bad Ely hands full
for awhile, bringing the couple I'D rea-
sonable condition OF nerves.
| did not understand until day or two
afte-warG, when Jack was willing so talk
about il, the full extent of Mrs. Jack's
heroism. In the instant granted her to
appreciate the situation she had seen that
TO Kill Jose would be useless, for the pony
would inevitably tear away at full speed,
and the pony controlled the lariat. Sa3
had aimed at the pony's head, and by a
God sent chance the bail had entered his
eye.
Lucky the little madame knew how 20
hold gun straight, wasn't is?' said JACK.
Pity, though. Never knew anybody who