Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1895-10-24
BLUFFED NACHEROS.

The buggy was ready, and Jose
stood at tho marc s head waiting for
me to mount
Nov, don't forget what l told
you last night" said my partner in
a low tono as l filled the belt of my
rovolvor-"Colt's army'-with its
complement of 35 cartridges Though
MoXio1nS arc meaner than snakes
on the ranches and no sane man
would trust them with the worth of
an old shoe button, they take diff
ferent line on thcir own ground. You
had better keep your six shooter I'M
tied until tho women of the place
show up, then take off the whole
concern and hand it over to jose
wife, and don t ask for it until you
leave the next day. Are you loaded?
Well, be off then. Take care of your
self, lad.
In u few minutes the old ranch
was fading out of sight, and was
bowling mcrrily across the prairie
toward the Ponil, Mexican vii
lago 40 miles to the northwest, ON
tho eastern slope of the Rocky
mountains. My companion was q
swarthy youth of IS, with fine
eyes, n fiat nose and a wide, ugly
mouth. Jose was a thorough MeXi-
can, with the manners and speech
of Spaniard and the stolid tact
turnity of an Indian, a man who
would kill his best friend if neces-
sity or anger prompted him, yet
who obeyed his elder brother like q
child and could be trusted to endure
any privaticn and brave any danger
for tho sake of a flock of sheep.
Principle and duty were not recog-
nized in Jose's code of morality, but
he often made sentiment and feeling
act as exceedingly good substitutes.
1t was warm and pleasant day,
and enjoyed the complete idleness
and rest of my position In way
which can scarcely be realized by
any one who has not herded sheep
for IS months.
Hour after hour our good little
mare kept up her quick, vigorous
stride over tho rolling prairie until
at in tho afternoon we struck q
road which led us up long, steep
hill. The air grew cooler every mo-
ment as we toiled upward. We were
leaving the plains behind. I Hooked
back over the long stretch of prairie
we had traversed, lying brown and
dry under the summer sun, and in
wardly compared it to my own
life, so dull and uneventful, desolate
and monotonOus. Before us the dark
foothills rose grandly, range beyond
range, and rs we travelled on the
road grow sleeper.
We were among the mountains
now, and the ranch and the sheep
and the old life were 40 miles away.
AT last, turning off upon a track
which branched to the right of the
main road, we came upon q most
refreshing thing, IL running stream.
which Jose pointed out to me as
the Rio CimarrOn, on the banks of
which two miles farther on his ma
tive village stood and where our
journey came to an end.
1t seemed a short two miles, for
the road was level again, and we
spun on at a merry pace, at inter
walls meeting some relative of Jose's,
each man raising his hat with q DO
lite Spanish greeting which / fear
was acknowledged very grimly by
me, for beneath the hats saw sharp
eyes pccrin@ suspiciouslJ at my
equipment, and as we came in sight
of the little town and Jose whipped
up the mare to enter the place in
style l felt Il very peculiar disincli-
nation to lclnQUish my trusty and
beloved six shooter to any sonora
whatsoever
But as we descended the last hill
and drew up before gray adobe
dwelling, with tho smallest windows
and largest door had ever seen, my
suspicious died away and gave place
to a feeling which | had not expe.
rienced for many months. Grouped
In the big doorway of Jose's home
stead were half a dozen girls-girls
with soft brown eyes, delicate fea.
lures and trim little figures. The
tallest, should suppose, would not
reach to tho shoulder of we'll grown
English lasSic, but the proportions
of their figures could not have beer
more perfect, and lis they stood the,
in pretty colored prints, their CLOS
BY black hair loosely braided an,
reaching to their waists, their eye
big with innocent curiosity, the,
formed as pretty picture as
mans heart could desire. ] felt tn
color rush into my checks, and
queer sensation of pleasure pas
through my whole being. OFF cam
my hat as the buggy stopped with
spirited jerk, and the next momen
was bowling with all the grace
could muster, which was not much
and Offering my revolver, knife an
beaded belt TO the little sonora
whose dark eyes flashed with graft
fcation and who thanked mo with
great courtesy which would hav
become the queen of Spain herself.
The sun was low in the horizon
when / sat down with Jose to on
evening meal. We demolished it il
solitary state, waited upon by tn,
senora's sister, an exceedingly pref
ty girl of IA, with the bearing of {