The Press., 1895-09-05


 night under the cottonwoods beside the lower acequia and that night we heard them in earnest discussion long after they had gone to bed. MT. Williams was with them for short time and came back saying that they were talking about ghosts and that Kid had declared em- phatically that the old Apache chief walked O nights and that he had both seen and heard him.
 ''He gave a vivid description" MT. Williams went on, "of waking up one sight and seeing the Indians skeleton :ise up out of the ground and bounce on B soldier who stood near and kill him outright He will have Holy John so terrified that the poor fellow will want his time at once. For John believes ev- erything that is impossible, and he will see ghosts all night long and be afraid of his own shadow in the daytime.
 That night, just as morning broke, the whole household was awakened by a loud, piercing yell, followed by another and another, and all rushed from their beds in time to see Holy John leap over the fence and dart down the road, still shrieking as if fiends were after him. And beside his deserted bed under the cottonwoods lay some grisly thing, shin ing in the gray light with stroaks and patches of white Kid looked after the flying figure and said, in a tone of ex- tremest satisfaction:
 "He's sure buffaloedP'
 Holy John had awakened in the dim, early dawn and found the skeleton of the Apache chief cuddling against him.
 That morning, as l sat ill the yard reading, the voices of Kid and Madge came to me from around the corner of the house, and heard a snatch of their conversation.
 'Madge, I'm going to pull my freight. won't work on the same ranch with such coward as that Holy John"
 Truly, Guy, arc you going away?''
 "Yes, am. ain't going to stop to ask for my time. I'm going today, be- fore the boss comes home"
 "Wel1, then, what am going to do? You re not going off to leave me?"
 Silence for the space of ten seconds.
 "Jiminyl Tell you what, Madge, you come tooW
 "1 can'tI Mamma wouldn't let mel"
 "Don't ask herI Come right along with mel We'll elope, MadgeI That's more fun than anythingl Girls that is anybody always elopesl'
 Then they wandered off to the alfalfa field, and soon I saw them throwing stones at the prairie dogs with which it was infested. So I concluded that what I had heard was merely some of the Kids braggadocio, and, smiling at the sentimental turn he had taken, went on with my book and thought no more | about it.
 But when lunch time came neither Madge nor Kid appeared for the meal Much calling failed to bring a response. Then remembered and gave account of the conversation I had heard. It was found that Dynamite was gone from the corral Evidently the little scapegrace had meant what he said and had carried Madge off. Mrs Williams ordered the cart and at once we started after the flu | gitives.
 "He has most probably gone toward Deming," she said. "I will send Red Jack to Whitewater to stop them if they l are there, put 1 CnlnK we nao DeCGoF drive toward Derning as fast as possi- ble. "
 About ton miles out we caught sight of the runaways. They were mounted on Dynamite, Madge holding fast behind. Kid was urging the horse furiously back and forth among flock of carrion crows, and practieing with his lasso upon them 1 as they rose and fapped about in short and heavy flight. They seemed to be having great sport, for Kid was shout ing and yelling at the birds, and Madge