The Van Buren press., 1895-05-11
JAKE RINGERS sQUAW.
sx GERrRuDR L. s1ltLARp.


Carmen stocdsln ths door Of tAs :Soo,x
house, her hand shading her eyes, and
gazed intently over the prairie toward
the west. The leyei rays of the sun
cast a rosy glow on her brown cheeks,
and gave q reddish tinge to the coal
black hair faNines straight OVER i1es.
shoulders, after the msnner Of Married
women Of her tribe. Carmen was q
Spanish-Indian halfbreed, and a
beauty. She was KIN own at Star camp
as Jake Ringers squaw. When Jake
came back from Mexico, after tho
trouble about his knitting Longhaired
Ike had blown over, he brought this
woman with him.
Jake was not q man to be lightly
questioned. He kept his affairs to him
self, and his hand was ever ready to
his pistol when he was pressed beyond
his liking; but It was whispered among
the boys that he had stolen his dusky
bride from her mothers lodge on the
night that was to have consummated
her nuptials with Big Grizzly, the
young Apache chief Jake was kind
to her In fashion that decidedly as
tonished tho men best acquainted with
his fierce and gloomy character AS
for Carmen, her soft, brown eyes fol-
lowed her rough lord with the steady
faithfulness Of dog; no white wife
could have been so gentle or SO helpful
as this savage girl.
She had been alone for week now,
while the herders were off on the
range, rounding up the horses for their
yearly branding. Tonight she looked
for them home. There was sound OF
bacon sizzling In the big frying-pan.
The brown-jacketed potatoes peeped
from their hiding place In the hot
ashes, and Carmen left the door for a
moment to peep into the oven at
the biscuit colorinR delicately IN,
side. Carmen cooked we'll, and
the boys found her presence welcome
one, freeing them Of irksomo stewing
over the stove when they rode home
tired and hungry.
She glanced through the window as
she rose from her biscuit inspection,
then hastily returned to her post in the
doorway.
Far off on the edge OF the prairie .
tiny moving cloud made its appearance,
creeping snail-hke toward her; grad.
ually It rolled and swelled and came
rushing over the intervening plain,
taking shape into rounded puffs ever
falling and renewing.
ia caballadal" she murmured, In q
satisfied tone. Aft
At last there came . thunder OF
quick hoof-beats, and then the excited
herd dashed after their leader into the
big corral. The heavy gates banged.
the chain ratified over tho staple. Five
hungry men sprang from their saddles,
and, hastily piclfeting their ponies,
made bee-line for the cook house.
They greeted Carmen with boisterous
jollity, flung themselves upon their
benches, and without further ado be-
gan to devour the food set before them.
x"Beyl this coffee is prime, my Car
menl" "Some white woman taught
yer ter mako biscuits, gal!' "Say, Jake,
you bet it's fine to get back to Garments
cookin'l" Moderated one and another,
as, the, edge OF their appetites dulled,
they began to ply their knives more
slowly.
Carmen paid no attention to their
rough compliments. She was standing
behind her husbands chair, acting ns
waitress when occasion required, at
other times lingering In sombrero Or
timidly touching his touseled curls.
Each man was duly supplied with edi.
bles, but the .crispest bacon and brown
est biscuit found their way to Jake
Ringers plate. until finally he looked
up and announced, "I've had enough
Now eat, yourself"
The men rose from the table and
scattered TO their eyening Occupations.
Only jake remained, smoking in the
doorway, while Carmen sat down to
her meal Of fragments.
As the last slouching figure vanished
toward the cabins he turned TO the
woman with slow smile and asked, in
Mexican: HAS II been lonely these
days, cara mia'"
ut is always night in my heart when
thou art gone, o, my husbandl'
Then, in the soft Mexican tongue, they
talked together of such things as made
up their life-of the range happenings,
Of the morrow's work, Of what they
would buy in Almito when the herds
were driven In to be sold.
Lastly, a. jake rose and knocked the
ashes from his pipe, he remarked In
En0liah: 44,s-s-A--=- = lss.'iss.l '-s- -
Tomorrow and Fridays the brand
In but Saturday I'll make the boys gel
out the plow en- FIX us . fire-break.
The grass is uncommon long jest
now, en- it's dryin' fast. n we don't
look out, we'll have the whole camp
Qoin' up in smoke" I,
j He strobe. through the starlit dusk
toward his sleeping shack, and Carmen,
shutting softly the door Of the cook
house, followed slowly In the same di
rection. "a,
The uir felt sitting and oppressive.
A stiff breeze came out OF thesouth,
but. its hot breath Allied the frame