Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1895-12-27
LITTLE AMERICANA.
BY OLIVE GUNBY.

h1ng gong out beyond DeV1l>s
river to get hides He's great hand al
roping mustangs and the like. You
might like the experience. It's man
forsaken country, but there's fine game
there"
"And Atwood will be home by the
time we get back" calculated Atwood s
guest, who had sought the Concho ranch
as restorative for exhausted energies.
"Thanks. I'll make the trip
The city man Of affairs and tho mus
tang hunter had camped together for a
week without seeing sign of human
habitation, when one morning they
came across flock Of sheep feeding
among the thick leaved cactus on high
plateau.
Gin good condition, too" commented
King. "Some one must reap the benefit
of the WOOL
His companions eyes, however, had
noticed something more interesting than
sheep.
ga grip he exclaimed. "And she
isn't a Mexican, either. I'm going to
talk to her. -
Dismounting and leading his horse he
overlook the young person, who was hur-
rying away from them.
GOOD morningp' he said. eve are
strangers here and would like to speak
to you. Is the lamb k?"-noticing
the little creature she held in her arms,
whose head she was stroking with one
brown hand.
"No; he isn't sick, but his mother is
dead. I'm going to feed him at home. y
"Is your home far from here?'
"No. Just under the bluff. p"
She spoke in good English, but with
slight foreign accent.
"Show us the way, please" said
Holt. "We would like to speak to your
people. We have not exchanged word
with any one since we crossed the Di-
vide.''
The girl hesitated and flushed Grim
son.
"You are welcome" she said, 'fbut
Miguel is cross and doesn't like stran-
gers. "
"Is Miguel your brother?''
"Oh, no. never had a brother, and
my father is now long dead. Roderigo,
Anita and Miguel are Mexicans. p"
'Let us go with you, urged Holt.
The abode to which she conducted
them was set so completely in under the
bluff that the trail led down over part
Of the roof. A thick clump Of cedars hid
it from the view of any one across the
river.
When the hunters stopped to tie their
horses, King cautioned his companion
against trusting these Mexicans.
"I think we can trust to these" re-
Joined Holt, touching his pistol. Il
mean to find out what this girl is doing
here. I believe there is some mystery
about it..
They walked in under the shade of
the porch, canopied with cedar boughs
supported on upright poles.
On broad bench set against the out
er wall man lay asleep with his hat
tilted over his eyes. A middle aged
Mexican woman was speaking excitedly
to the girl in Spanish, but she smiled at
the salutation of the visitors and mo-
toned them to step within. Three sides
of the living room and the roof were
formed of the solid rock of the bluff,
but an open door showed another apart
ment, perhaps two others, whose wide
open windows let in light and air.
Hollis exploring eyes caught sight of
several bound volumes on a shelf.
The noise Of their spurs on the stony
ground or their voices reused the sleeper
outside, and as be entered the door the
hun tiers recognized forbidding looking
Mexican, who had passed them Oh a
narrow trail few days before. This
was evidently Miguel, who was 'tcross"
today, and who had been imbibing too
much strong drink Upon Hollis ex-
planning that their visit was a social
one, and endeavoring to draw him into
conversation, he replied CURLY in tolera-
BILE English and shortly betook himself
again to his bench outside.
"Get the whisky from the saddlebags
and make things pleasant for him while
I talk to the women" Holt whispered
to King, and from Anita, as she tended
her pots suspended over the open fire,
he learned that the little Americano's
father was killed by a fall from his
horse many years before; that Roderigo,
her husbands father, who had waited
on the signor for long, had then sent
beyond the Rio for her to take care Of
the child. The kindly face looked wor-
ried as she spoke Of her charge, and
Judging from Migucl's boisterous laugh
ter at Kings jokes that he was being
propitiated Holt intimated that he
would like to speak with the young lady.
"Certez, certez," agreed the woman,
smiling. "The senorita a lonely is all re
day." And she pointed through the open
window of the adjoining room.
The girl was fondling the face Of a
finely formed cream white mare, at
whose side stood colt, tiny copy of
its mother. "Muncino always comes
down from the bluff for water every day
at this time" she said, stopping to un-
loose the hobble from the fore legs of
the animal.
"Do you ride her much:" asked Holt,
as the mare moved away.
81 used to, but for long time now |
am hardly allowed to go out Of Anita S
sight. When I do ride, Roderigo goes,
too, and he likes not to ride fast. -
eff we had known, you might have
ridden with us" said Holt.
An eager look shone in her eyes.
"Ah, to gallop fast and fart would
he nice!'' she exclaimed.
A sudden impulse seized the man at
her side.
! care you happy here?" he asked
care they kind to you? Believe me,
would serve you if I couldr'
"Anita is good. She loves me-" the
girl responded slowly. 81 am sure of it.,
because one day she put her arms around
me all at once, when she and Miguel
had been Quarreling dreadfully, and
heard her tell him that she was willing
to die for mo if necessary, and then she
gave great sob and pressed me close to
her breast. Miguel was very angry. Re
cursed her and shook his fist in her
face
n r L L..