Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1897-12-31

and with all the scarfs they could gathe
| around their necks.
| One night lbs the storm was worst ther
came along the trail little herd, no
more than 200 half starved cattle, tina
had evidently been hcrded through tn
J summer on their way north and had no
| been pushed fast enough In the cam
| wagon that was With them was woman
\ She came to the ranchhouse to get som
( food, and we kept her there all night, tn
| cooks wife sharing bed With her Th
| girl--for she was not more than child
asked II we knew Il James Morris. O
course we did not but when the mex
morning she took from her neck a locke
and opening it showed us the face o
"Yellowback" we all looked banl
enough, / tell you.
She went back to the wagon, but the,
did not get any farther. The man got sicl
somehow, and the woman went to thu
other ranch, where she met Jeanne Arsey
the girl that had the love of Jini-o
thought she had.
Well, the expected happened. She toll
her troubles to Jeanne and the girl knew
that she had been making love to Il mar
ried man. Mad? There is no word to ex
press it. She fairly ragged and rode til,
plains for days almost beside herself. Sht
vowed that she would kill him and ther
was willing to forgive for the wife's sake
But Jim did not come then.
The wife staid and grew sick faster thar
her father At last she died and Jeanne
was free. But those who knew were glaC
they had not the task that was before jim
when he came home
Our boss told US one day that the hero
would be in in week The ranch was
prepared for the coming, and the cowboys
looked forward to the event with interest,
for they would get day off in which they
could go over to the settlement.
At last the herd was within day &
drive, and the whole settlement was wait
ing for it. The boys all knew the situl-
tion between Jim and Jeanne and wanted
to sec what would happen.
Jim was tired when he came into camp
and did not want to talk. He ate his din
her in quiet and then said, Lets 60 over
to the town.
Of course we were ready, and Il half
dozen of us went with him On the way
he asked if we had seen Jeanne. We told
him nothing about the visitor of the past
few weeks, and only when we got to the
town did we see him look cheerful
Jim drank harder than | had ever seen
him do that afternoon, and about clock
was in lively mood, ready for any sort
Of an escapade.
AS we rode down the little street we saw
coming in from the ranches a woman on
horseback. All the herders fell back They
did not want to see what happened at too
short range.
Jim recognized his old flame and htrricd
his horse forward to meet her. But she
did not hurry Instead she was in the
most cxasperating state of deliberation
How are you?" called Jim, SO that we
could all hear.
There was no answer
WHAT'S the matter?" he demanded
Don't you want to marry me9"
For an answer she gave her horse blow
with the riding whip and came up to his
side. In her hand was the rawhide. She
lifted it higher, and before he could see
what she was going to do it came down
across his face again and again. He fairly
howled with pain, but she rode back to
her side of the street and kept up the high
way.
"l'll kill her!' shouted Jim, and away
went his horse to the saloon where he had
left his revolver
AS he stood before the bar trying to get
the barkeeper to give it up she rode in
front of the house.
Jim Morris" she called, ''come out
here!'
How white Jim turned! But he went.
You cowardly sneak !" she began. "Il
thought loved you once, but now know
you. DO you remember those nights that
used to scare you away from the mavcr- /
icks?"
Jim looked at her in astonishment. Had
he been outwitted by a wonan9
"And last month held in my arms
woman who had this picture. Do you
know it?''
She held out the miniature that was i'm
the possession Of the woman with the herd.
Jim shuddered.
"Where-where did you get it?' he
asked
From your dead wife's hands. She be-
lieved in you, and did not tell her better.
She died blessing you, and do you know
where you ought to beg
The woman's eyes fairly blazed as she
sat there on her horse and faced the little
Of herders and saloonists.
Jim never said word. He quailed be.
fore the angry woman, but he was toe
angry himself to give up.
You said little whilo ago that you
would kill me" she began once more.
: Get on that horse and let s see about it. 2
A pony was standing near-Jm's. On
It's back the men placed him, wondering
What would be the next move, but all
loping that the vengeance would fit the
rhine.
I'm count three, said Jeanne; sthen
ooll out. !"
"One"--
Jim was unarmed-what else could he
lo2 He jabbed the spurs into the pony
md was off like shot. Up the long
treet he went and had 800 feet the start
When came "Threel'
Then we knew why the sorrcl had
ounded up the mavericks 1t ran like the
Wind. At the sound Of the mistress voice
was off, and the distance between the
wo lessened. Out on tho prairie they
ped. Then came the end
When within short distance Of the fee.
ng man, the woman drew coiled larist
rom her saddle and whirled 1t around her
cad.
Once, twice 1t oircled and then-away
1 beautiful curves until 1t settled over
be head of the coward and deceiver, Jim.
Her sorrel planted it's feet in the sod;
,ere was u jerk, fall, and then away
yer the plain toward the ravine where
as the little cemetery, she went, dark
oject dragging at the end of the rope
hey disappeared behind the hills, and she
Id not come back.
Indeed she never came to the settlement
gain, for she moved from the trail coun-
y few weeks after. But the boys wished
le would come, for they wanted to give
n vote Of thanks.
Howsoever, they went out that evening
I'd buried Jim-by the side Of the little
d faced woman who was his wife,