Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1896-09-04


his foot was on the step and he crep
4 cautiously across the veranda and peerec
through the open, uncnrained window
His greedy eyes took in every detail Of
the interior, and the smell of food, crazed
though he was with hatred, turned him
faint. He chung to the wall for support
and listened with abnormally keen ears
to the talk within. Maria and Jose still
fingered at the table, the latter grown
talkative and boastful with much wine.
AS jackson listened, he heard his own
name spoken, sneeringly.
"Carramba! Yes" said Jose. shifting
the table with his fist Il have news of
Jackson. The alcalde will hold him no
longer He is to be set free tomorrow"
Maria uttered an exclamation of alarm.
"Dios milo! Jose,' she cried. What
| shall we do? He will come here at once.
and he will kill thee, my Jose.'
| The man at the window smiled grimly.
the man at the table gave hoarse laugh.
He who starts for home does not al
| ways reach it, said Jose, with empha-
| sis. Fear nothing pobrecita. Thy Jose
| will die of old age before the Americana
| shaH Stay him. Dost thou think 1 have
no friends? The man will never reach
Tia Juana. The rurales are to take him
out or Ensenanda and turn him loose in
the hills. AS they return my friend. the
| teniente, will lose his revolver from the
holster and ride back to find it, Should
the others hear distant shot-ah, WE'LL
they will not be too curious. But Senior
jackson will be seen no more''
There was long silence The man at
the window could hear the ticking of the
CLOCK and the clink of a glass as lose
filled and drank.
Then came the woman's voice. thin and
quavering with horror: HE will not do
IT, he must not do 1t, Jose. Surely there
IS some other way. Let us go away from
here; let us"
1T is too late, thou fool,'' cried Jose.
III VIII be over by daylight. Besides.
the alcalde wishes it. Some one is asking
ugly questions about the Americana who
mas lain SO long in jail. Thy gringo' is
dead man, Maria"
The woman fell to weeping, and at last
Jose arose with an oath.
HOWL for your 'gringo' lover YOU she
COYOTE he cried, dropping the more af
Iectlonate thou" L have an erraud at
the village, and 1 look for smiles when
come home. If not know where thew
may be found.'
How long wilt thou be gomez" asked
Maria, timidly
Two hours at least" he answered
and, throwing open the door, he passed
out SO quickly that the man at the. win
dow had scant time to drop into the
shadow of great geranium and crouch
there in the dust
jackson waited until the sound of Jose's
footsteps died away, then crept toward
the door. 1t was ajar, and he could see
Maria sitting at the table, with her head
bowed upon her outstretched arms, He
sought to enter noiselessly, but the door
creaked and Maria raised her head. She
ola not start nor cry out, but her face
grew ashen, and her eyes stared in ter
ror. Jackson crossed the room, and. TAX
ms MS rifle from the wall, saw that ii
was loaded; then he went to the table
and sat down in Jose's place.
Il have come home, Maria" he said,
simply, and helped himself to the food
before him.
HE was calm now-calm as fate The
game was in his hands, and he would |
play II calmly to the end. He ate raven
ously' IKE fam!shed dog, and, until he
hau satlsned his hunger, said not a word |
TO the trembling woman opposite. Thrice
she essayed to speak, but his appraised
mana commanded silence. When at last
he spoke, his voice had a hard monotony
devoid of all emotion. His deadly earn |
estness was intensified, rather than |
made less, by the rugged simplicity of his |
language
I don't guess you was lookin fer me
Maria, he said. but I come because l |
mai work to do. I don't guess there's |
very much ter be said. You've wrecked |
my hfe-you an Jose-but We done it with |
yer eyes open, an took the chances. The
games gone agin We; it's my play, an L |
hold trumps. Jose seen his chance, an
LOOK 1t. made mine, an by the eternal |
God, I'll use it well''
The woman attempted a Justification.
But our marriage" she faltered. There |
was no priest"
There was not even scorn in Jackson's |
reply. Il reckon it's bindin enough ter |
justify what I'm a-goin to do he said, |
slowly
What will you do?" she asked hoarse- |
ly.
Pm a-goin' ter kill him, Maria. I'm
a-goin' ter shoot him down like the cur he |
is, here in this home, where he dishon-
cred me-"
And me?" she asked, hardly above a |
whisper.
'You," he said, YEARLY Pm a-goin--"
then he stopped. His eyes, which had |
been staring DULY, grew bright, and his
gaze became fixed on something behind |
the womans head.
Hush" he said. as she repeated her
last question.
Maria believed him mad, and sat watch |
ing his expression for some clew to his |
purpose, some warning of impending dan
ger Surely his worn brain was graphing |
with some wild fancy. Slowly he arose, |
and, passing behind Maria, who kept her |
eyes upon him constantly, turning her
head that she might watch his slightest |
move, he took something from the shelf |
that held the lamp. AS he returned TO |
the table, Maria watched him with the
fascination of fear. STOPPING, he drew
the wine jug from beneath the table and |
poured out two glasses of the drink. Then
he drew from his pocket that which he
had taken from the shelf. 1t was a small.
square phial with POISON printed in
large. black letters on the label. Maria
knew it well. 1t was strychnine, used to
coyotes. Into one of the
glasses of wine he poured portion of the
deadly mixture.
Maria" he said. 1--WE changed my
mind, amt goin' ter waste no lead on
that coyote. I'm goin' ter pizen him, or
rather, you be-
He went close IN the oou,ar,a.- ....... |