The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1895-09-12
A GRINGo LOTHARIo,
He Loved ChOnfta, hut He Did Not
Ride Away.

Ride Away.
Far ou in the wilds of the Mexican
Sierras, about n days travel west Of
G~uadalupey CalvO, the trail leading to
Morales leaves the ridge along which
it climbs and plunges down into the
depths of the Canon de Muerto, there
winding in and out amid the pines
and powders until it reaches the ford
of a stream, the Rio Chico, which
PUSHES through the gorge and on in it's
wild flight for the sea. Down this
trail, late in the afternoon of a day
some few years ago, rode a young
man, Jack Rawlston, the new man
ager of the Alta Mining Company,
then on his way to take charge of
their mines near Morales. He was
wrapped close in an Oil-skin slicker,
for the rain was falling as it falls
only in the mountains of Mexico.
Reaching the ford, he drew his mule
in under the shelter of an o~verhang-
ing bluff and impatiently awaited the
coming of his men, whose shouts and
curses could be heard in the canon
side above as they urged to greater
speed some half a dozen p~ack-animals
oio"iF DIth1IS lit way uONu Ute
slippery trail.
AS they drew near, n Of the men,
PanchO, who acted as guide, hurried
to Rawlston's side and, pointing to
the stream, now a rushing torrent,
cried, "Valgame Dios, the Little River
is very great this day! There is much
water senior, and deep. We no can
cross; not until tomorrow, when it
will be well. ST, senor, en- la manana
sta 'ueno."
Yes, but tonight, man! We can't
camp here; there is not enough Lex ell
ground to raise a tent on. Get us out
OF this" exclaimed Rawlston.
"SenOr," replied the man, as he
drew his we serape closer about him,
"a little rancho lies down the river a
short way, where lives Juan Montana.
Will the senior go there?"
will the senior go there!" shouted
Rawlston. Eyes, confound you, hon.
bre, the enc will. Move on"
With a cry of "Ad-e-lan-te! Vamo
nos!' inc swearing great m%outh-filling
Mexican CathS at his assistants as we'll
as at the mules, Pancho started the
train down the canon on it's way to q
little valley of just a few hundred
acres, nestled there where the gorge
widened out as either wall spread
away in great broken ridges, sweep
Ing grandly off to the south.
1t was hardly a rancho, this place
OF Juan Montano's, only a few small
patches of growing maize and frijoIes,
amid which, in a grove of pines, rest
ell a house of logs With a wide Dor
tico roughly matched with bundles of
corn-stalkS, while a jacal-a rooted
palisade of poles, chinked and cover
ed with adobe mud-adjoined the
house at II side, serving as a kitch-
n
AS Rawlston, leading the way, ap-
preached from across the valley,a dog
gave the alarm, and an elderly man,
Juan himself, muff1ed in q serepe and
slowly putting at a cigarrito, came out
into the portico, while at the low door
way of the jacal, amid the whiffs of
smoke from the fire within, appeared
a brown-faced woman and behind her
three girls, shyly peeping forth at the
stranger as he drew up and asked for
accommodations for the night
Isl, senor," replied juan to his re-
quest; "diSmOunt and come in from the
rain. My house is at your service; en-
trar. senor entrar," and he took the
Winchester that Rawlston handed
him, giving it a lingering glance as he
placed 1t carefully against the wall.
"And supper, senor," he continued;
Twill you have supper? ST? sta 'ueno,'
and, reaching up, he seized one of Il
number of chickens perched beneath
the roof, wrung its neck, tossed it to
the woman, saying: For the senior;
and coffee and milk pronto! And give
to the mOzos of tortillas and frijoles
a plenty
Turning and with Permit NE, SEN
or, to RaWlston, who was engaged in
removing his wet slicker, Juan drew
the Winchester from it's scabbard and
critically examined it, eXclaiming MS
he did so: "Muy bonito carbino. senior.
Once | possessed one;not like this,
sonora carbine-but caramba! an In
dian stole it-may the devil take his
soul-and | am too poor to buy anoth-
er. | miss it much, senior, for it fur
nished me meat. Why, only yesterday
morning two deer stood just over
there eating the corn, but" He
paused for an instant, then caller:
"Chonlta, mia, come here"
A girl clad in simple garment of
rough material passed frcm the jacal,
a girl whose supple. rounded form pos
sessed perfect grace, and as she came
forward RalwSton started as he gaz-
cd on her Latin-Indian beauty.
MY daugter, Chonita. senor.' said
Juan The girl raised her dark eyes
to meet his, and her clear. olive-brown
skin became suddenly tinged with her
southern blood. "She can shoot" con,
tinued Juan, as he handed her the rifle;
Isl senior. even bpttpr--"
y flock of chattering parrots passing
overhead caught his eye. CHANGING al
them. then at Rawlston. he cried
Zone shot, senior. permit her?'
Rawlston nodded; then watched the
girl as she raised the gun, saying,